AIR SUPPLY STRUCTURE AND DISPLACEMENT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2024/006671 filed on Feb. 22, 2024, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) to Patent Application No. 2023-026713, filed in Japan on Feb. 22, 2023, all of which are hereby expressly by reference into the present application.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

[0002]The present disclosure relates to an air supply structure and a displacement air conditioning system.

Background Information

[0003]In a room, air warmed by a heat generating object such as an electrical appliance or a human body rises upward. When warm air rises upward, foreign materials such as dust also rise upward along with the air. Furthermore, the breath (carbon dioxide) of an individual living in the room may contain disease-causing germs such as viruses. Since the living individual is a heat generating object, carbon dioxide rises upward, and disease-causing germs also rise upward together. In other words, an air layer in an upper region of the room is a mixed air layer in which warm air and pollutants are mixed.

[0004]Meanwhile, indoor air conditioning methods, such as a displacement air conditioning system, and a stratification air conditioning system, are widely known. These air conditioning systems exhaust the air in an upper region of the room to the outside of the room, and perform air conditioning processes such as temperature adjustment, dehumidification, and a cleaning process on the air, and supply the air into the room.

[0005]Japanese patent No. 5872081 discloses an air conditioning system that blows air for cooling linearly downward through a blow-out port provided on a ceiling side, and raises heated air linearly from a heat generating object such as a machine tool without colliding with the air for cooling blown downward.

SUMMARY

[0006]For indoor air conditioning using the above-mentioned indoor air conditioning method, a supply method has been widely used, in which when air-conditioned air after air conditioning is supplied into a room, the air-conditioned air is blown out from an upper side of the room to the floor. However, as mentioned above, a mixed air layer is present in an upper region of the room, and thus when air-conditioned air falls from the upper region of the room to the floor, the air in the mixed air layer including pollutants is caught in the air-conditioned air.

[0007]This can be coped with to some extent by reducing the wind speed of the air-conditioned air blown out from an upper region of the room. However, as the wind speed of the air-conditioned air decreases, the time during which the air-conditioned air passes through the mixed air layer increases, and thus when the temperature difference between the air in the mixed air layer and the air-conditioned air is large, a problem arises in that the air-conditioned air is more likely to be affected by the temperature of the mixed air layer. However, the air conditioning system of Japanese patent No. 5872081 does not consider such a problem, and thus cannot solve the problem.

[0008]The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the disclosure to provide an air supply structure and a displacement air conditioning system including the air supply structure that, when the air that has undergone air conditioning is supplied from an upper region of a room, can cause the air to descend quickly while preventing or reducing pollutants being caught in the air.

[0009]An air supply structure according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is provided above a room that is a target of a displacement air conditioning system and in which a thermal stratification or a pollutant concentration stratification is formed. The air supply structure introduces air into the room. The air supply structure includes an air passage that opens toward a lower portion of a target space, and blows out air. The air passage includes an inner portion on a center side from which air is blown out at a first average wind speed, and an outer portion from which air is blown out at a second average wind speed lower than the first average wind speed. The outer portion is provided on an outer side of the inner portion.

[0010]In an air supply structure according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, the inner portion is defined by an inner air passage pipe on a center side of the air passage pipe portion, and the outer portion is defined by the inner air passage pipe and an outer air passage pipe adjacent to the inner air passage pipe.

[0011]In an air supply structure according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, the inner air passage pipe has a dimension smaller than the outer air passage pipe in a blowing direction, or the inner air passage pipe has a larger dimension than the outer air passage pipe in a direction intersecting the blowing direction.

[0012]In an air supply structure according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a distance between the outer air passage pipe and the inner air passage pipe is smaller than a diameter of the inner air passage pipe.

[0013]An air supply structure according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure further includes a housing including a through hole configured to introduce air, and a guide configured to guide the air flowing in through the through hole to the air passage pipe portion.

[0014]In an air supply structure according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the guide includes at least one curved plate.

[0015]In an air supply structure according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the through hole is disposed in a side portion of the housing, the air passage is disposed in a lower portion of the housing, and the guide is disposed at a vertical and horizontal position corresponding to the through hole and at a horizontal position corresponding to the air passage.

[0016]In an air supply structure according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, the guide is disposed at a position overlapping an axis of the air passage.

[0017]A displacement air conditioning system according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure includes the air supply structure described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which an indoor unit according to Embodiment 1 is disposed on the ceiling of a room.

[0019]FIG. 2 is a perspective view, as seen from diagonally below, of the indoor unit installed in the room.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a simulation result of measurement of the wind speed of blow-out supply air through a lower end port in the indoor unit according to Embodiment 1.

[0022]FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an opening of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 2.

[0023]FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an opening of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 3.

[0024]FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 4.

[0025]FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a simulation result of measurement of the wind speed of blow-out supply air through a lower end port in the indoor unit according to Embodiment 4.

[0026]FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 5.

[0027]FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 6.

[0028]FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 7.

[0029]FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 8.

[0030]FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 9.

[0031]FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 10.

[0032]FIG. 15 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 11.

[0033]FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 12.

[0034]FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit according to Embodiment 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

[0035]In the following, an indoor unit (air supply structure) of a displacement air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the drawings. In the displacement air conditioning system, outdoor air that is fresh air introduced from the outside of the room, and the indoor air containing pollutants sucked inside the room are transported to an air conditioner. The outdoor and indoor air transported to the air conditioner is cleaned and cooled or heated to a predetermined temperature, is supplied to the indoor unit through a duct as air-conditioned air, and then blown into the room by an air supply mechanism. The indoor unit blows out the air-conditioned air so that one-way air flow is formed, and the air directly reaches the floor surface. Also, warm indoor air heated by an individual's body as a heat generating object naturally rises in an ascending air current. The indoor air contains pollutants, and such part of the indoor air is sucked and transported to the air conditioner. In this manner, a thermal stratification and a concentration stratification are formed in a room to which the displacement air conditioning system is applied. Specifically, a lower portion of the room is filled with clean air with a low temperature, and in an upper portion of the room, a layer of air containing pollutants with a high temperature is formed.

EMBODIMENT 1

[0036]FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which an indoor unit 100 (air supply structure) according to Embodiment 1 is disposed on a ceiling 200 of a room R, FIG. 2 is a perspective view, as seen from diagonally below, of the indoor unit 100 installed in the room R, and FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1. The arrows in FIG. 1 indicate a flow of air, and the dashed line in FIG. 2 indicates the part of the indoor unit 100 provided on the back side of the ceiling 200 and not seen. The figure within the circle in FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the portion surrounded by the dashed-line circle.

[0037]The indoor unit 100 is connected to a duct 300, and provided above the room R. Specifically, the indoor unit 100 is provided on the ceiling of a displacement air conditioning system that forms a thermal stratification in the room R as the target space, and introduces air into the room R. The indoor unit 100 may be disposed on the ceiling 200 of the room R, or may be a so-called skeleton or suspended from roof. In the following, for the purpose of illustration, an example will be described in which the indoor unit 100 is disposed on the ceiling 200.

[0038]The indoor unit 100 blows out air (hereinafter referred to as supply air) supplied through the duct 300 to the floor from an upper region of the room R. Here, the supply air includes, for example, the air obtained by performing a process such as heating, cooling, dehumidification, or humidification on the outdoor air or mixed air between the outdoor air and the air in the room R.

[0039]The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 that receives the supply air through the duct 300 and temporarily stores the supply air, and an opening 20 (blow-out tube) that blows out the supply air in the housing 10 into the room R.

[0040]The housing 10 is made of, e.g., metal, and has a hexahedron shape extending in a horizontal direction. In one of four lateral walls of the housing 10, a lateral wall through hole 11 (through hole) is formed (see FIG. 3), which has a size corresponding to the size of the vertical section of the duct 300. One end of the duct 300 is connected to the lateral wall through hole 11. In other words, the housing 10 communicates with the duct 300.

[0041]In a central portion of the lower wall of the housing 10, a circular lower wall through hole 12 is formed, which has a size corresponding to the cross-sectional size of the opening 20. The upper end of the opening 20 is connected to the lower wall through hole 12. In other words, the housing 10 communicates with the opening 20. For example, the housing 10 and the opening 20 are integrally formed.

[0042]In the housing 10, the lateral wall through hole 11 connected to the duct 300 is formed in one lateral wall, and the lower wall through hole 12 connected to the opening 20 is provided in the lower wall, thus the penetration direction (the arrow direction in FIG. 3) of the lateral wall through hole 11 and the penetration direction (the white arrow direction in FIG. 3) of the lower wall through hole 12 intersect each other, and are approximately perpendicular. In other words, the axial direction of the duct 300 intersects the axial direction of the opening 20.

[0043]As with the housing 10, the opening 20 is made of, e.g., metal, and has a cylindrical shape extending in a vertical direction. The opening 20 is disposed (see FIG. 1) at a central portion of the ceiling 200, in other words, at a position opposed to a central portion of the floor. As described above, in the opening 20, an upper end port 22 is connected to the housing 10, and a lower end port 21 opens toward the floor.

[0044]The size of the lower end port 21 is larger than the size of the lateral wall through hole 11. For example, the size of the lower end port 21 is 2 to 7 times larger than the size of the lateral wall through hole 11. As in FIG. 2, only the lower end port 21 of the opening 20 is exposed from the ceiling 200, and other portions of the indoor unit 100 are provided on the back side of the ceiling 200 and not seen. When air flows into the housing 10 through the duct 300, the air causes friction with the inner peripheral surface of the duct 300. Due to frictional resistance caused by such friction, the air passing through the lateral wall through hole 11 of the housing 10 has a wind speed distribution in which the wind speed is faster on a center side of the duct 300 than in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface of the duct 300. Meanwhile, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1, the size of the lower end port 21 is larger than the size of the lateral wall through hole 11, and thus the air with the aforementioned wind speed distribution maintained flows through the lower end port 21, that is, the opening 20.

[0045]The inside of the opening 20 is provided with an air passage pipe portion (air passage) 23 through which the supply air from the housing 10 passes. The air passage pipe portion (air passage) 23 is provided at an upper portion (upstream side) of the opening 20 and apart from the lower end port 21. The air passage pipe portion 23 has a plurality of air passage pipes 231 in a hexagonal tube shape extending in a vertical direction (see the enlarged view in FIG. 2) that form the air passage pipe portion (air passage) 23. In the air passage pipe portion 23, the plurality of air passage pipes 231 are adjacently disposed in a honeycomb pattern. Specifically, the plurality of air passage pipes 231 have the same dimension, and are adjacently disposed horizontally in the same plane (see FIG. 2). The supply air from the housing 10 passes through the air passage pipes 231, and blows out through the lower end port 21 into the room R.

[0046]In each air passage pipe 231, let h be the vertical dimension and let 1 be the horizontal dimension (see FIG. 3), then the aspect ratio (h/1) of the vertical dimension to the horizontal dimension is greater than or equal to 1. The horizontal dimension 1 varies with the shape of the air passage pipe 231. When the air passage pipe 231 has a hexagonal tube shape, the horizontal dimension 1 may be the distance between the opposed walls, or may be the distance between vertices of the hexagon. When the air passage pipe 231 does not have a hexagonal tube shape, the horizontal dimension 1 is the greatest dimension in the horizontal direction.

[0047]The vertical dimension (h) of each air passage pipe 231 is less than or equal to the vertical dimension of the opening 20. In other words, the vertical dimension (h) of each air passage pipe 231 may be at most equal to the vertical dimension of the opening 20. In other words, depending on the opening 20, the vertical dimension (h) of each air passage pipe 231 is determined, and the upper limit of the aspect ratio (h/1) of each air passage pipe 231 is also determined.

[0048]The upper end of each air passage pipe 231 is disposed at the position lower than or equal to the center of the lateral wall through hole 11 in a vertical direction. Thus, it is possible to reduce the loss of wind pressure of the supply air that enters the housing 10 through the lateral wall through hole 11, and flows into the opening 20. Thus, the air volume of the supply air (hereinafter referred to as the blow-out supply air) that blows out through the lower end port 21 of the opening 20 can be maintained.

[0049]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1, the supply air from the housing 10 passes through the air passage pipe portion 23 of the opening 20, and blows out through the lower end port 21 into the room R. When the supply air passes through the plurality of air passage pipes 231 of the air passage pipe portion 23, the wind direction of the supply air is guided in the extension direction of the air passage pipes 231, that is, vertically downward from the lower end port 21.

[0050]As in FIG. 2, the air passage pipe portion 23 is circular, and includes the plurality of air passage pipes 231. In the air passage pipe portion 23, a portion including a plurality of air passage pipes 231 (inner air passage pipes 231) in a radially central portion is referred to as an inner portion, and a portion including a plurality of air passage pipes 231 (outer air passage pipes 231) radially outward of the inner portion is referred to as an outer portion. In other words, the air passage pipe portion 23 includes the inner portion on a center side, from which air is blown out at a first average wind speed, and the outer portion outward of the inner portion, from which air is blown out at a second average wind speed lower than the first average wind speed. In other words, the inner portion is defined by the inner air passage pipes 231 on the center side of the air passage pipe portion 23, and the outer portion is defined by the inner air passage pipes 231 and the outer air passage pipes 231 adjacent to the inner air passage pipes 231. For example, in Embodiment 1, in the air passage pipe portion 23, the outside with respect to a center C of a line segment (see FIG. 3) is referred to as the outer portion, and the inside with respect to the center C is referred to as the inner portion, the line segment being drawn horizontally from the centroid of the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23) to the end of the opening 20. Also, of the supply air blown out through the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23), the air from the outer portion of the air passage pipe portion 23 is referred to as the outer portion of the supply air, and the air from the inner portion of the air passage pipe portion 23 is referred to as the inner portion of the supply air.

[0051]In the room R, air warmed by a heat generating object such as an electrical appliance or a human body rises upward. When warm air rises, foreign materials such as dust also rise together. Furthermore, the breath (carbon dioxide) of an individual living in the room R may contain disease-causing germs such as viruses, and since the living individual is a heat generating object, disease-causing germs also rise along with rise of carbon dioxide. In other words, an air layer in an upper region of the room is a mixed air layer in which warm air and pollutants are mixed.

[0052]When the blow-out supply air is blown out through the lower end port 21, and falls from the ceiling 200 of the room R to the floor, a mixed air layer is present as described above, thus a problem arises in that the air in the mixed air layer containing pollutants is caught in the blow-out supply air.

[0053]Such a problem can be addressed to a certain extent by reducing the wind speed of the blow-out supply air blown out through the lower end port 21, but as the wind speed of the blow-out supply air decreases, the time during which the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer increases. Therefore, when the temperature difference is large between the air in the mixed air layer and the blow-out supply air, the blow-out supply air is more likely to be affected by the temperature of the mixed air layer.

[0054]In contrast, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 having the above-described configuration, the problem can be addressed by blowing out the blow-out supply air with different wind speeds in the outer portion and the inner portion. In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1, the blow-out supply air blown out through the lower end port 21 of the opening 20 has the average wind speed in the outer portion of the air passage pipe portion 23 lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion of the air passage pipe portion 23. For example, in the blow-out supply air, the average wind speed (the second average wind speed) in the outer portion is 0.2 m/s to 1 m/s, and the average wind speed (the first average wind speed) in the inner portion is higher than or equal to 1 m/s. Here, the average wind speed is the numerical value obtained by dividing the measurement results at N points by N.

[0055]In this way, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to 1 m/s and slow, and thus, during the time since the air is blown out through the lower end port 21 until the air falls to the floor of the room R, when passing through the mixed air layer, pollutants being caught in the blow-out supply air are prevented or reduced.

[0056]Since the average wind speed in the inner portion of the blow-out supply air is higher than or equal to 1 m/s, the time during which the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer can be reduced, thus it is possible to reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible.

[0057]FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a simulation result of measurement of the wind speed of the blow-out supply air through the lower end port 21 in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 shows the wind speed by light and shade, and a lighter area indicates a faster wind speed.

[0058]As seen from FIG. 4, the blow-out supply air blown out through the lower end port 21 of the indoor unit 100 has distinct light and shade contrast at the boundary (see the arrow in FIG. 4) between the air layer in the inner portion of the air passage pipe portion 23 and the air layer in the outer portion of the air passage pipe portion 23, and the air layer in the outer portion and the air layer in the inner portion have different wind speeds. It can be identified that the air layer in the inner portion is brighter and higher in wind speed than the air layer in the outer portion. In FIG. 4, the wind speed in the air layer in the inner portion is 1.3 m/s, and the wind speed in the air layer in the outer portion is 0.7 m/s.

[0059]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1, as described above, the size of the lower end port 21 is sufficiently larger than the size of the lateral wall through hole 11. Thus, it is possible to prevent or reduce an excessively high initial speed of the blow-out supply air blown out vertically downward from the lower end port 21.

[0060]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1, as described above, the duct 300 is connected to one lateral wall of the housing 10, and the opening 20 is connected to the lower wall of the housing 10. Thus, the indoor unit 100 can also be installed in the loft of the ceiling 200 with a height restriction.

EMBODIMENT 2

[0061]In Embodiment 1, an example has been described in which the opening 20 has the air passage pipe portion 23 including the plurality of air passage pipes 231 extending in a vertical direction, and the plurality of air passage pipes 231 are adjacently disposed horizontally in a honeycomb pattern in the same plane; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an opening 20 of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 2. For the purpose of illustration, FIG. 5 illustrates only the opening 20. The indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 2 also includes a plurality of air passage pipes 231, and the dimensions of the plurality of air passage pipes 231 in a direction intersecting the blow-out direction of the blow-out supply air are different in the outer portion and the inner portion. In the following, an example will be described.

[0062]The opening 20 has a cylindrical shape, and the inside of the opening 20 is provided with the air passage pipe portion 23 through which the supply air from the housing 10 passes. The air passage pipe portion 23 has the plurality of cylindrical air passage pipes 231 extending in a vertical direction. For example, the inner portion of the air passage pipe portion 23 is provided with one, or two or more inner air passage pipes 231, and the outer portion of the air passage pipe portion 23 is provided with one, or two or more outer air passage pipes 231. In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 2, the air passage pipes 231 have the same vertical dimensions and different diameters, and are disposed on the same axis. In other words, the plurality of air passage pipes 231 are adjacently disposed in a multi-cylindrical shape. The diameter of each inner air passage pipe 231 is greater than the distance between radially adjacent inner air passage pipe 231 and outer air passage pipe 231. The plurality of air passage pipes 231 are disposed with their lower ends aligned with the lower end port 21 of the opening 20. When the supply air from the housing 10 passes between the air passage pipes 231, or between the lateral wall of the opening 20 and the air passage pipes 231, the wind direction is guided vertically downward, and the supply air is blown out through the lower end port 21 into the room R. In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 2, as described above, the diameter of each inner air passage pipe 231 is greater than the distance between radially adjacent inner air passage pipe 231 and outer air passage pipe 231, and thus the average wind speed of the air blown out from the inner portion of the air passage pipe portion 23 is faster than the average wind speed of the air blown out from the outer portion of the air passage pipe portion 23.

[0063]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 3

[0064]In Embodiment 1, an example has been described in which the air passage pipe portion 23 has the plurality of air passage pipes 231 in a hexagonal tube shape extending in a vertical direction, and the plurality of air passage pipes 231 are adjacently disposed horizontally in a honeycomb pattern in the same plane; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an opening 20 of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 3. For the purpose of illustration, FIG. 6 illustrates only the opening 20.

[0065]The opening 20 has a cylindrical shape, and the inside of the opening 20 is provided with an air passage pipe portion 23 through which the supply air from the housing 10 passes. The air passage pipe portion 23 is provided at an upper portion (upstream side) of the opening 20, apart from a lower end port 21. The air passage pipe portion 23 has a plurality of rectangular tube air passage pipes 231 extending in a vertical direction. In the air passage pipe portion 23, a plurality of air passage pipes 231 are adjacently disposed in a lattice pattern. Specifically, the plurality of air passage pipes 231 have the same dimension, and are adjacently disposed horizontally in the same plane. When the supply air from the housing 10 passes through the air passage pipes 231, the wind direction is guided vertically downward, and the supply air is blown out through the lower end port 21 into the room R.

[0066]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 4

[0067]FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 4. As in Embodiment 1, the indoor unit 100 is connected to the duct 300, provided above the room R, and blows out the supply air supplied through the duct 300 to the floor from an upper region of the room R. The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 and an opening 20.

[0068]The opening 20 has a cylindrical shape, and the inside of the opening 20 is provided with an air passage pipe portion 23 through which the supply air from the housing 10 passes. The air passage pipe portion 23 is provided at an upper portion (upstream side) of the opening 20, apart from a lower end port 21. The indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 4 also includes a plurality of air passage pipes 231, and the dimensions of the plurality of air passage pipes 231 in the blow-out direction of the blow-out supply air are different. In the following, an example will be described.

[0069]The air passage pipe portion 23 has a plurality of hexagonal tube air passage pipes 231 extending in a vertical direction. In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 4, the air passage pipe portion 23 includes air passage pipes 231 with different vertical dimensions h, and has a recessed shape in vertical sectional view. Specifically, in the air passage pipe portion 23, air passage pipes 231b (inner air passage pipes) in the inner portion, in other words, in the vicinity of the axis of the opening 20, and air passage pipes 231a (outer air passage pipes) in the outer portion, in other words, in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface of the opening 20 have different vertical dimensions h. The air passage pipes 231b in the central portion are shorter in vertical dimension h than the air passage pipes 231a in the outer portion. In the air passage pipes 231a in the outer portion, the aspect ratio (h/1) of the vertical dimension to the horizontal dimension is greater than or equal to 1. Also, in the air passage pipes 231b in the inner portion, the aspect ratio (h/1) is less than 1. In the following, the air passage pipes 231a and the air passage pipes 231b are collectively referred to as the air passage pipes 231.

[0070]The plurality of air passage pipes 231 are adjacently disposed horizontally in a honeycomb pattern in the same plane with aligned lower end positions. The supply air from the housing 10 passes through the air passage pipes 231, and blows out through the lower end port 21 into the room R.

[0071]FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a simulation result of measurement of the wind speed of the blow-out supply air through the lower end port 21 in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 8 illustrates the wind speed by light and shade.

[0072]As seen from FIG. 8, the blow-out supply air blown out through the lower end port 21 of the indoor unit 100 has distinct light and shade contrast at the boundary (see the arrow in FIG. 4) between the air layer in the inner portion and the air layer in the outer portion, and the air layer in the outer portion and the air layer in the inner portion have different wind speeds. Also, it is seen that in the air layer in the inner portion, the closer to the center, the more distinct contrast, and the wind speed varies. In FIG. 8, the wind speed in the air layer in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is 0.7 m/s, and also, in the air layer in the inner portion, the closer to the center, the faster the wind speed, and the wind speed in the center is 2 m/s. In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 4, as compared to the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1, the wind speed in the air layer in the inner portion is significantly increased.

[0073]As described above, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 4, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, during the time in which the blow-out supply air falls after blowing out through the lower end port 21, when passing through the mixed air layer, the time during which the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer is reduced while preventing or reducing pollutants being caught, thus it is possible to reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible.

[0074]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 5

[0075]FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 5. As in Embodiment 1, the indoor unit 100 is connected to the duct 300, provided above the room R, and blows out the supply air supplied through the duct 300 to the floor from an upper region of the room R. The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 and an opening 20.

[0076]The opening 20 has a cylindrical shape, and the inside of the opening 20 is provided with an air passage pipe portion 23 through which the supply air from the housing 10 passes. The air passage pipe portion 23 is provided at an upper portion (upstream side) of the opening 20, apart from a lower end port 21.

[0077]The air passage pipe portion 23 has a plurality of hexagonal tube air passage pipes 231 extending in a vertical direction. In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 5, the air passage pipe portion 23 includes air passage pipes 231 with different vertical dimensions h, and has an inverted recessed shape in vertical sectional view. That is, in the air passage pipe portion 23, air passage pipes 231b (inner air passage pipes) in the inner portion are shorter in vertical dimension h than air passage pipes 231a (outer air passage pipes) in the outer portion. In the air passage pipes 231a in the outer portion, the aspect ratio (h/1) of the vertical dimension to the horizontal dimension is greater than or equal to 1, and in the air passage pipes 231b in the inner portion, the aspect ratio (h/1) is less than 1.

[0078]The plurality of air passage pipes 231 are adjacently disposed horizontally in a honeycomb pattern in the same plane with aligned upper end positions. The supply air from the housing 10 passes through the air passage pipes 231, and blows out through the lower end port 21 into the room R.

[0079]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 5 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, during the time in which the blow-out supply air falls, when passing through the mixed air layer, it is possible to prevent or reduce pollutants being caught, and reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible.

[0080]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 6

[0081]FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 6. As in Embodiment 1, the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 6 includes a housing 10 and an opening 20.

[0082]The opening 20 has a cylindrical shape, and the inside of the opening 20 is provided with an air passage pipe portion 23 through which the supply air from the housing 10 passes. The air passage pipe portion 23 is provided at an upper portion (upstream side) of the opening 20, apart from a lower end port 21. The indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 6 also includes a plurality of air passage pipes 231, and the dimensions of the plurality of air passage pipes 231 in a direction intersecting the blow-out direction of the blow-out supply air are different in the outer portion and the inner portion. In the following, an example will be described.

[0083]The air passage pipe portion 23 has a plurality of hexagonal tube air passage pipes 231 extending in a vertical direction, and the air passage pipes 231 have the same vertical dimension h. In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 6, the air passage pipe portion 23 includes air passage pipes 231 with different horizontal dimensions 1. In the air passage pipe portion 23, the air passage pipes 231 (inner air passage pipes) in the inner portion among the plurality of air passage pipes 231 are longer in horizontal dimension 1 than the air passage pipes 231 in the outer portion. Specifically, in the air passage pipes 231 in the outer portion, the aspect ratio (h/1) of the vertical dimension to the horizontal dimension is greater than or equal to 1, and the aspect ratio (h/1) of the air passage pipes 231 in the inner portion is smaller, and the aspect ratio (h/1) of the air passage pipes 231 in the center is less than 1.

[0084]The plurality of air passage pipes 231 are adjacently disposed horizontally in a honeycomb pattern in the same plane. The supply air from the housing 10 passes through the air passage pipes 231, and blows out through the lower end port 21 into the room R.

[0085]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 6 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, during the time in which the blow-out supply air falls, when passing through the mixed air layer, it is possible to prevent or reduce pollutants being caught, and reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible.

[0086]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 7

[0087]FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 7. In FIG. 11, the dashed line arrows indicate the flow of air.

[0088]As in Embodiment 1, the indoor unit 100 is connected to the duct 300, provided above the room R, and blows out the supply air supplied through the duct 300 to the floor from an upper region of the room R. The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 and an opening 20.

[0089]The inside of the housing 10 is provided with a guide 13 that guides the supply air flowed into the housing 10 to the opening 20. The guide 13 includes a plurality of guide members 131 that prevent or reduce collision between the supply air flowed into the housing 10 and the inner wall surface of the housing 10. In the following, an example will be described in which the guide 13 has four guide members 131; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0090]The guide members 131 are preferably disposed above the opening 20 at vertical and horizontal positions corresponding to the lateral wall through hole 11 of the housing 10 to which air is supplied, and at horizontal positions corresponding to the opening 20. The guide members 131 have a rectangular plate shape, and are adjacently disposed at predetermined intervals in a thickness direction that is the axial direction (see the arrows in FIG. 11) of the duct 300, in other words, the penetration direction of the lateral wall through hole 11. Each guide member 131 has grooves (not illustrated) extending in a vertical direction on both major surfaces opposed in the direction of adjacent disposition.

[0091]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 7 having such a configuration, the supply air flowed through the duct 300 (the lateral wall through hole 11) into the housing 10 collides with the guide members 131, and the wind direction is guided to the opening 20 by the grooves formed in the guide members 131. The air flowed through the duct 300 has a wind speed distribution in which the wind speed is faster in the center of the duct 300 than in the vicinity of the wall surface of the duct 300 due to frictional resistance with the inner peripheral surface of the duct 300.

[0092]Therefore, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 7, the supply air flowed into the housing 10 is guided to the opening 20 while preventing or reducing collision between the supply air and the inner wall surface of the housing 10, thus the air flows through the opening 20 with the above-described wind speed distribution maintained.

[0093]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 7 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, during the time in which the blow-out supply air falls, when passing through the mixed air layer, it is possible to prevent or reduce pollutants being caught, and reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible. The inner portion and the outer portion have been described in Embodiment 1; thus, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0094]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 8

[0095]FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 8. In FIG. 12, the dashed line arrows indicate the flow of air.

[0096]As in Embodiment 1, the indoor unit 100 is connected to the duct 300, provided above the room R, and blows out the supply air supplied through the duct 300 to the floor from an upper region of the room R. The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 and an opening 20.

[0097]The inside of the housing 10 is provided with a guide 14 that guides the supply air flowed into the housing 10 to the opening 20. The guide 14 includes one or more curved plates 141 that prevent or reduce collision between the supply air flowed into the housing 10 and the inner wall surface of the housing 10, and guides the supply air to the opening 20.

[0098]The curved plates 141 are preferably disposed above the opening 20 at vertical and horizontal positions corresponding to the lateral wall through hole 11 of the housing 10 to which air is supplied, and at horizontal positions corresponding to the opening 20. When a plurality of curved plates 141 are provided, the plurality of curved plates 141 are preferably disposed adjacently at predetermined intervals along a diagonal direction from the lower side of one lateral wall in which the lateral wall through hole 11 is formed to the upper side of the lateral wall opposed to the one lateral wall.

[0099]The curved plates 141 are each made of a strip-shaped plate extending in the direction intersecting the depth direction of the drawings, in other words, the direction intersecting the axial direction of the duct 300 and the axial direction of the opening 20, and are curved around the center at the lower side of the one lateral wall. In other words, the curved plates 141 are adjacently disposed so that the inner surfaces face the lower side of the one lateral wall.

[0100]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 8 having such a configuration, the supply air flowed through the duct 300 into the housing 10 collides with the curved plates 141, and flows to the opening 20 along the curved inner surfaces of the curved plates 141 with the wind direction changed. The air flowed through the duct 300 has a wind speed distribution in which the wind speed is faster in the center of the duct 300 than in the vicinity of the wall surface of the duct 300 due to frictional resistance with the inner peripheral surface of the duct 300.

[0101]Therefore, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 8, the supply air flowed into the housing 10 is guided to the opening 20 while preventing or reducing collision between the supply air and the inner wall surface of the housing 10, thus the air flows through the opening 20 with the above-described wind speed distribution maintained.

[0102]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 8 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, when the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer, it is possible to prevent or reduce pollutants being caught, and reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible. The inner portion and the outer portion have been described in Embodiment 1; thus, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0103]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 9

[0104]FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 9. In FIG. 13, the dashed line arrows indicate the flow of air.

[0105]As in Embodiment 1, the indoor unit 100 is connected to the duct 300, provided above the room R, and blows out the supply air supplied through the duct 300 to the floor from an upper region of the room R. The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 and an opening 20.

[0106]The inside of the housing 10 is provided with a guide member 15 that guides the supply air flowed into the housing 10 to the opening 20. The guide member 15 prevents or reduces collision between the supply air flowed into the housing 10 and the inner wall surface of the housing 10, and guides the supply air to the opening 20.

[0107]The guide member 15 is provided above the opening 20, and at a position corresponding to the opening 20 in a vertical direction. The guide member 15 has a rectangular plate shape, and is provided diagonally opposed to the axial direction of the duct 300 and the axial direction of the opening 20. Specifically, the guide member 15 is diagonally provided along a diagonal direction from the lower side of one lateral wall in which the lateral wall through hole 11 is formed to the upper side of the lateral wall opposed to the one lateral wall.

[0108]The guide member 15 is a so-called punching panel, and the guide member 15 is provided with a plurality of through holes 151 that penetrate in the thickness direction. The plurality of through holes 151 are formed, for example, in a lattice pattern.

[0109]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 9 having such a configuration, the supply air flowed through the duct 300 into the housing 10 collides with the guide member 15, and subsequently, flows to the opening 20 through the through holes 151. Thus, the guide member 15 guides the supply air to the opening 20. The air flowed through the duct 300 has a wind speed distribution in which the wind speed is faster in the center of the duct 300 than in the vicinity of the wall surface of the duct 300 due to frictional resistance with the inner peripheral surface of the duct 300.

[0110]Therefore, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 9, the supply air flowed into the housing 10 is guided to the opening 20 while preventing or reducing collision between the supply air and the inner wall surface of the housing 10, thus the air flows through the opening 20 with the above-described wind speed distribution maintained.

[0111]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 9 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, when the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer, it is possible to prevent or reduce pollutants being caught, and reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible. The inner portion and the outer portion have been described in Embodiment 1; thus, a detailed description will be omitted. Note that when the diameters of the through holes 151 in the center of the guide member 15 are large, the air flow is faster in the center, and when the diameters of the through holes 151 are uniform, an increase of the flow speed in the back of the housing 10 can be prevented by preventing collision with the inner wall surface of the housing 10.

[0112]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 10

[0113]FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 10. In FIG. 14, the dashed line arrows indicate the flow of air.

[0114]As in Embodiment 1, the indoor unit 100 is connected to the duct 300, provided above the room R, and blows out the supply air supplied through the duct 300 to the floor from an upper region of the room R. The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 and an opening 20.

[0115]The inside of the housing 10 is provided with a guide member 16 that guides the supply air flowed into the housing 10 to the opening 20. The guide member 16 includes a bent pipe 161 that prevents or reduces collision between the supply air flowed into the housing 10 and the inner wall surface of the housing 10, and guides the supply air to the opening 20.

[0116]The bent pipe 161 is provided above the opening 20, and at a position corresponding to the opening 20 in a vertical direction. The bent pipe 161 has a cylindrical shape, and is bent in an L-character shape. One end port 162 of the bent pipe 161 is connected to the duct 300 via the lateral wall through hole 11 of the housing 10. One end 161a of the bent pipe 161 including the one end port 162 gradually decreases in diameter as the distance increases from the one end port 162, then increases in diameter again. At the one end 161a closer the one end port 162, e.g., through holes 161b in a slit shape extending in the axial direction are formed along a circumferential direction.

[0117]The other end port 163 of the bent pipe 161 is open above the air passage pipe portion 23. The other end port 163 of the bent pipe 161 is opposed to the air passage pipe portion 23, and is disposed to come into contact with the upper ends of the air passage pipes 231 in a central portion of the air passage pipe portion 23. Note that the other end port 163 of the bent pipe 161 may be disposed above the air passage pipes 231 in the central portion, apart from the air passage pipe portion 23.

[0118]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 10 having such a configuration, part of the supply air flowed through the duct 300 into the housing 10 passes through the bent pipe 161, and the other part flows into the housing 10 through the through holes 161b. The supply air flowing in the bent pipe 161 is guided by the bent pipe 161, and quickly flows toward the opening 20, and flows through the inner portion of the air passage pipe portion 23. Also, the supply air flowed through the through holes 161b into the housing 10 also flows toward the opening 20, and flows through the outer portion of the air passage pipe portion 23. The air in the vicinity of the wall surface of the duct 300 among the air flowed through the duct 300 has a lower wind speed due to frictional resistance with the inner peripheral surface of the duct 300. However, the inner portion of the air flowed through the duct 300 flows along the guide member 16 to the opening 20, thus the wind speed is faster, and a wind speed distribution is produced.

[0119]Therefore, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 10, the supply air can be guided to the opening 20 while preventing collision between the supply air flowed into the housing 10 and the inner wall surface of the housing 10. Also, the air flows through the opening 20 with the above-described wind speed distribution maintained.

[0120]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 10 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, when the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer, it is possible to prevent or reduce pollutants being caught, and reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible. The inner portion and the outer portion have been described in Embodiment 1; thus, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0121]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 11

[0122]FIG. 15 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 11. In FIG. 15, the dashed line arrows indicate the flow of air.

[0123]As in Embodiment 1, the indoor unit 100 is connected to the duct 300, provided above the room R, and blows out the supply air supplied through the duct 300 to the floor from an upper region of the room R. The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 and an opening 20.

[0124]The housing 10 is made of, e.g., metal, and has a hexahedron shape extending in a horizontal direction. In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 11, the housing 10 is connected to two ducts 300.

[0125]In one of four lateral walls of the housing 10, a lateral wall through hole 11 (air intake port) is formed, which has a size corresponding to the size of the vertical section of one of the ducts 300. The lateral wall through hole 11 is connected to one end of the one duct 300. Also, in the housing 10, in the lateral wall opposed to the one lateral wall, a lateral wall through hole 17 (air intake port) is formed, which has a size corresponding to the size of the vertical section of the other duct 300. The lateral wall through hole 17 is connected to one end of the other duct 300.

[0126]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 11 having such a configuration, the one duct 300 and the other duct 300 are opposed and open. Thus, the supply air flowed through the one duct 300 into the housing 10, and the supply air flowed through the other duct 300 into the housing 10 collide with each other above the opening 20 in the housing 10. The supply air through both ducts 300 is rectified by such a collision, for example, the momentum thereof is reduced, and the supply air flows to the opening 20.

[0127]Therefore, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 11, the supply air flowed into the housing 10 is guided to the opening 20 while preventing or reducing collision between the supply air and the inner wall surface of the housing 10, thus the supply air can enter the opening 20 with a uniform wind speed.

[0128]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 11 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, when the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer, it is possible to prevent or reduce pollutants being caught, and reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible.

[0129]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 12

[0130]FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 12. In FIG. 16, the dashed line arrows indicate the flow of air.

[0131]The indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 12 is provided above the room R, and performs air conditioning processes such as temperature adjustment, dehumidification, and a cleaning process on the indoor air sucked from the room R, then blows out the supply air to the floor from an upper region of the room R. In the following, the indoor air that has undergone air conditioning processes such as temperature adjustment, dehumidification, and a cleaning process is referred to as the supply air.

[0132]The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 that temporarily stores the indoor air and the supply air, and an opening 20 that blows out the supply air into the room R. The housing 10 is made of, e.g., metal, and has a hexahedron shape. The housing 10 includes an air blower 30, heat exchangers 40, and cleaning processing units 50.

[0133]A circular lower wall through hole 12 is formed in a central portion of a lower wall 121 of the housing 10. In the lower wall 121 of the housing 10, a suction port 18 (air intake port) is formed between each side and the lower wall through hole 12. The suction port 18 is, e.g., a through hole in a strip shape extending along the side of the lower wall 121.

[0134]Inside the housing 10, the air blower 30 is disposed on the center side. The air blower 30 sucks the indoor air from the room R through the suction port 18. The air blower 30 is provided at a position corresponding to the lower wall through hole 12 in a vertical direction. In other words, the rotational axis of the fan of the air blower 30 is aligned with the central axis of the lower wall through hole 12. Note that the greatest dimension of the air blower 30 (fan) in a horizontal direction is smaller than the diameter of the lower wall through hole 12.

[0135]Inside the housing 10, each cleaning processing unit 50 is provided in the vicinity of a suction port 18, between the suction port 18 and the air blower 30. The cleaning processing unit 50 is in a thick plate shape, and provided upright so as to block the housing 10 in a vertical direction. The cleaning processing units 50 are provided so that the air blower 30 is interposed therebetween.

[0136]Furthermore, each heat exchanger 40 is provided between the air blower 30 and a cleaning processing unit 50, which is in the vicinity of the cleaning processing unit 50. In other words, each heat exchanger 40 is disposed to be opposed to a cleaning processing unit 50. The heat exchangers 40 are provided so that the air blower 30 is interposed therebetween.

[0137]A guide plate 19 is provided between each heat exchanger 40 and an air blower 30. The guide plate 19 is provided upright above the lower wall 121 of the housing 10 and in the vicinity of the lower wall through hole 12. The guide plate 19 diagonally extends from an edge of the lower wall through hole 12 upward above the air blower 30. In other words, the guide plate 19 is provided so that the distance from the heat exchanger 40 is greater at a position closer to the upper end thereof. The guide plate 19 guides the supply air sent by the heat exchanger 40 over the air blower 30.

[0138]Therefore, when the fan of the air blower 30 rotates, the indoor air of the room R flows through the suction port 18, the cleaning processing unit 50, and the heat exchanger 40 in that order. In other words, the suction port 18 is provided upstream of the cleaning processing unit 50, and the heat exchanger 40 is provided downstream thereof.

[0139]The outer surface of the lower wall 121 of the housing 10 is provided with the opening 20. As with the housing 10, the opening 20 is made of, e.g., metal, and has a cylindrical shape extending in a vertical direction. The opening 20 has a diameter larger than that of the lower wall through hole 12, and the lower end port 21 is open toward the floor. Specifically, the opening 20 is disposed on the same axis as that of the lower wall through hole 12, and the upper end of the opening 20 is adjacently disposed at the edge of the suction port 18, closer to the lower wall through hole 12. For example, the housing 10 and the opening 20 are integrally formed. The opening 20 is disposed at a position opposed to a central portion of the floor.

[0140]The inside of the opening 20 is provided with an air passage pipe portion 23 through which the supply air from the housing 10 passes. The air passage pipe portion 23 is provided at an upper portion (upstream side) of the opening 20, apart from the lower end port 21. The air passage pipe portion 23 has been already described, thus a detailed description will be omitted.

[0141]Also, as described above, the diameter of the lower wall through hole 12 is smaller than the diameter of the opening 20. Thus, the lower wall 121 of the housing 10 is present above the air passage pipes 231 in the outer portion of the air passage pipe portion 23, and the air passage pipes 231 in the outer portion are covered by the lower wall 121.

[0142]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 12, the rotation of the fan of the air blower 30 causes the indoor air from the room R to be sucked into the housing 10 through the suction port 18. The indoor air sucked through the suction port 18 flows through the cleaning processing unit 50. At this point, the cleaning processing unit 50 performs a cleaning process on the sucked indoor air. For example, the cleaning processing unit 50 performs collection, ultraviolet irradiation, stream discharge or electric dust collection on the dust, foreign materials included in the indoor air through the suction port 18 to disinfect viruses or the like.

[0143]The indoor air that has undergone the cleaning process by the cleaning processing unit 50 flows through the heat exchanger 40. The heat exchanger 40 performs temperature adjustment for cooling, heating, and humidity adjustment for humidification, dehumidification on the indoor air. The indoor air that has undergone the temperature adjustment and the humidity adjustment by the heat exchanger 40 is guided over the air blower 30 by the guide plate 19, and is sent to the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23) by the air blower 30. The supply air flows into the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23) through the lower wall through hole 12.

[0144]The supply air from the housing 10 passes through the air passage pipe portion 23 of the opening 20, and is blown out into the room R through the lower end port 21. When the supply air passes through the plurality of air passage pipes 231 of the air passage pipe portion 23, the wind direction of the supply air is guided in the extension direction of the air passage pipes 231, that is, vertically downward from the lower end port 21.

[0145]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 12 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, during the time in which the blow-out supply air falls after blowing out through the lower end port 21, when passing through the mixed air layer, the time during which the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer is reduced while preventing or reducing pollutants being caught. Thus, it is possible to reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible.

[0146]In the above, an example has been described in which the supply air passing through the air blower 30 directly flows into the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23); however, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the guide member as in Embodiments 7 to 9 may be provided between the air blower 30 and the opening 20. Specifically, the air blower 30 may be disposed between the suction port 18 and the guide member, and the supply air that has passed through the air blower 30 may flow into the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23) through the guide member.

[0147]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 13

[0148]FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 13. In FIG. 17, the dashed line arrows indicate the flow of air.

[0149]The indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 13 is provided above the room R, and performs air conditioning processes such as temperature adjustment, dehumidification, and a cleaning process on the indoor air sucked from the room R, and then blows out the supply air to the floor from an upper region of the room R.

[0150]The indoor unit 100 includes a housing 10 that temporarily stores the indoor air and the supply air, and an opening 20 that blows out the supply air into the room R. The housing 10 is made of, e.g., metal, and has a hexahedron shape extending in a horizontal direction. The housing 10 includes an air blower 30, a heat exchanger 40, and a cleaning processing unit 50.

[0151]The suction port 18 is formed in one of two lateral walls of the housing 10 that are opposed in the extension direction thereof. The suction port 18 is, e.g., rectangular, and is a through hole that penetrates inside and out of the housing 10. Also, a circular lower wall through hole 12 is formed in a lower wall 121 of the housing 10, in the vicinity of the other lateral wall.

[0152]Inside the housing 10, the cleaning processing unit 50, the air blower 30 and the heat exchanger 40 are adjacently disposed from the suction port 18 in this order in the extension direction of the housing 10. Specifically, the heat exchanger 40 and the cleaning processing unit 50 are provided on both sides of the air blower 30 in the extension direction of the housing 10.

[0153]The cleaning processing unit 50 is provided in the vicinity of a suction port 18, between the suction port 18 and the air blower 30. The cleaning processing unit 50 is in a thick plate shape, opposed to the suction port 18, and provided upright with a thickness direction that is the penetration direction of the suction port 18.

[0154]The air blower 30 sucks the indoor air from the room R through the suction port 18, and sends the indoor air passing through the cleaning processing unit 50 to the heat exchanger 40.

[0155]In addition, the heat exchanger 40 is disposed between the other lateral wall of the housing 10 and the air blower 30 and at the edge of the lower wall through hole 12. The heat exchanger 40 is provided diagonally with respect to the vertical direction. Specifically, the distance to the other lateral wall of the housing 10 is smaller at a point closer to the upper end of the heat exchanger 40. Thus, the heat exchanger 40 partially overlaps with an air passage pipe portion 23 in a vertical direction.

[0156]A plurality of curved plates 60 are provided between the heat exchanger 40 and the other lateral wall of the housing 10. The curved plates 60 guide the supply air from the heat exchanger 40 to the opening 20. The plurality of curved plates 60 are provided above the opening 20, at positions corresponding to the opening 20 in a vertical direction. The plurality of curved plates 60 are adjacently disposed in a diagonally downward direction from the upper side of the other lateral wall of the housing 10 to the lower end of the heat exchanger 40. The plurality of curved plates 60 are adjacently disposed at predetermined intervals.

[0157]The curved plates 60 are each made of a strip-shaped plate extending in the depth direction of the drawings, in other words, in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the housing 10 and the axial direction of the opening 20, and the curved plates 60 are adjacently disposed so that the inner surfaces face the lower end of the heat exchanger 40.

[0158]When the fan of the air blower 30 rotates, the indoor air of the room R flows through the suction port 18, the cleaning processing unit 50, and the heat exchanger 40 in that order. In other words, the cleaning processing unit 50 is provided upstream of the air blower 30, and the heat exchanger 40 is provided downstream thereof.

[0159]As described above, the outer surface of the lower wall 121 of the housing 10 is provided with the opening 20. As with the housing 10, the opening 20 is made of, e.g., metal, and has a cylindrical shape extending in a vertical direction. The opening 20 has substantially the same outer diameter as that of the lower wall through hole 12, and the lower end port 21 is open toward the floor. For example, the housing 10 and the opening 20 are integrally formed. The opening 20 is disposed at a position opposed to a central portion of the floor.

[0160]The inside of the opening 20 is provided with the air passage pipe portion 23 through which the supply air from the housing 10 passes. The air passage pipe portion 23 has been already described, thus a detailed description will be omitted.

[0161]In the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 13, the rotation of the fan of the air blower 30 causes the indoor air from the room R to be sucked into the housing 10 through the suction port 18. The indoor air sucked through the suction port 18 flows through the cleaning processing unit 50, and undergoes a cleaning process by the cleaning processing unit 50. The indoor air after the cleaning process flows through the heat exchanger 40, and undergoes temperature adjustment and humidity adjustment by the heat exchanger 40. The supply air that has undergone the temperature adjustment and the humidity adjustment by the heat exchanger 40 is guided by the curved plates 60, and flows to the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23). The supply air flows into the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23) through the lower wall through hole 12.

[0162]After that, the supply air passes through the air passage pipe portion 23 of the opening 20, and blows out through the lower end port 21 into the room R. When the supply air passes through the plurality of air passage pipes 231 of the air passage pipe portion 23, the wind direction of the supply air is guided in the extension direction of the air passage pipes 231, that is, vertically downward from the lower end port 21.

[0163]Also, in the indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 13 having such a configuration, the average wind speed in the outer portion of the blow-out supply air is lower than or equal to the average wind speed in the inner portion. Thus, during the time in which the blow-out supply air falls, when passing through the mixed air layer, the time during which the blow-out supply air passes through the mixed air layer is reduced while preventing or reducing pollutants being caught, thus it is possible to reduce the effect of the mixed air layer on the temperature of the blow-out supply air as much as possible.

[0164]In the above, an example has been described in which the indoor unit 100 performs an air conditioning process on the indoor air sucked from the room R through the suction port 18, then blows out the supply air to the floor from an upper region of the room R; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The suction port 18 may open in the loft of the ceiling, and air may be sucked from the loft of the ceiling, or the outdoor air may be sucked through a duct.

[0165]In the above, an example has been described in which the supply air passing through the heat exchanger 40 directly flows into the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23); however, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the guide member as in Embodiments 7 to 9 may be provided between the heat exchanger 40 and the opening 20. Specifically, the air blower 30 may be disposed between the suction port 18 and the guide member, and the supply air that has passed through the air blower 30 may flow into the opening 20 (the air passage pipe portion 23) through the guide member.

[0166]The same components as in Embodiment 1 are labeled with the same symbol, and a detailed description will be omitted.

[0167]The technical characteristics (constituent features) described in Embodiments 1 to 13 may be combined with each other, and new technical characteristics may be formed by combining the same. The embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects, and should be understood as non-limiting. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0168]The matters described in the embodiments may be combined with each other. Also, the independent claim and the dependent claims described in the claims may be combined with each other in all possible combinations regardless of the citation style. In addition, the claims adopt a format (multi-claim format) in which two or more other claims are cited; however, without being limited to this, claims may be described using a format in which multi-claims (multi-multi-claims) cite at least one of multi-claims.