JP7837166B2 - Air conditioner and radiant air conditioning system using the same - Google Patents

Description

One embodiment of the present invention relates to the structure of an air conditioner (hereinafter also referred to as "air conditioner") and a radiant air conditioning system using the same.

Air-cooled heat pump type heating and cooling systems (also known as air conditioners, or simply "air conditioners") used in homes and some commercial settings consist of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit blows cooled (or heated) air from its vents to regulate the room temperature. In contrast, a radiant air conditioning system has been disclosed that regulates the room temperature using radiant panels cooled (or heated) by water or air, rather than blowing temperature-controlled air (see Patent Document 1).

The radiant air conditioning system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an air conditioner and a flat, hollow case mounted on the ceiling. The flat, hollow case is composed of a moisture-permeable radiant panel and an insulating panel facing each other with a gap between them. An air passage is formed in the gap between these two panels, and cooled (or heated) air is supplied from the air conditioner.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-217630

Air conditioners used in homes and some commercial settings typically have an air intake on the top of the indoor unit and an air outlet on the lower front. Their design prioritizes aesthetics while maintaining functionality. However, the radiant air conditioning system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is positioned near the ceiling, and because it circulates temperature-controlled air between the insulation panel and the radiant panel, the relative position of the air outlet and intake differs from that of a normal air conditioner, which presents a problem. In other words, while the ceiling-mounted air conditioning system disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be applied to new buildings, it is unsuitable for existing buildings. Furthermore, in radiant air conditioning systems, reducing the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan to minimize wind noise reduces airflow, decreasing the amount of heat obtained from the heat exchanger and thus reducing cooling and heating capacity.

This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one of its objectives is to provide an air conditioner that can reduce wind noise while preventing a decrease in cooling and heating capacity.

An air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing having an air intake and an air outlet, a heat exchanger located inside the housing between the air intake and the air outlet, a cross-flow fan between the heat exchanger and the air outlet, and an insulating material that forms a flow path between the cross-flow fan and guides the air blown by the cross-flow fan to the air outlet. The air intake is located on the front of the housing, and the air outlet is located on the top surface of the housing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the heat exchanger is positioned at an angle toward the front air intake with respect to the horizontal plane, and the heat exchanger may be tilted at an angle of 15 to 45 degrees. The thermal insulation material may include a first thermal insulation material that wraps around from the bottom of the housing to the back of the cross-flow fan and forms a flow path that curves along the outer circumference of the cross-flow fan so as to connect to the air outlet, and a second thermal insulation material that faces the first thermal insulation material with the cross-flow fan in between and is positioned to block the space between the air intake and the air outlet.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a cover panel is provided to cover the air intake port, and the cover panel may be positioned away from the housing so as to form a flow path for air to enter the air intake port. The upper end of the cover panel may be positioned away from the housing to form an opening through which air flows, while the lower end of the cover panel may be in contact with the housing.

A radiant air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an air conditioner equipped with the cover panel described above, an insulating panel mounted on the ceiling surface extending from above the air outlet of the air conditioner to the front of the housing, and radiant panels positioned opposite and separated from the insulating panel to form a flow path for the air blown out from the air outlet. Preferably, the air conditioner is mounted on a wall adjacent to the ceiling surface to which the insulating panel is attached.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, by providing insulation material inside the housing so as to sandwich the cross-flow fan, and forming a curved airflow path through which air flows from an air intake on the front of the housing to an air outlet on the top, the heat exchanger and cross-flow fan can be compactly housed, enabling miniaturization of the air conditioner and preventing a sense of oppression even when mounted on a wall.

The structure of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown, with (A) being a front view and (B) being a top view. This shows a schematic cross-sectional structure of an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention. This diagram illustrates the configuration of a heat exchanger used in an air conditioner according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows the configuration of a heat exchange unit and (B) shows the configuration of a heat exchanger in which heat exchange units are stacked. A top view of a radiant air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. A side view of a radiant air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described below. The drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc., of each part compared to the actual embodiments in order to clarify the explanation, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. Furthermore, in this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those described above in previously shown drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the letters "First," "Second," etc., attached to each element are convenient indicators used to distinguish each element and have no further meaning unless specifically explained.

[First Embodiment]
This embodiment shows the configuration of an air conditioning device (also referred to as "air conditioner" in this specification) used in a radiant air conditioning system. In this embodiment, the air conditioner refers to a device installed indoors and is equivalent to the indoor unit of an air conditioner used for household and some commercial purposes. An air conditioner includes a device equivalent to the outdoor unit of an air conditioner, but in this embodiment, the description of the device equivalent to the outdoor unit is omitted.

Figures 1(A) and 1(B) show the configuration of an air conditioner 102 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, (A) shows a front view of the air conditioner 102, and (B) shows a top view of the air conditioner 102.

The air conditioner 102 includes a housing 104 and a cover panel 110. The housing 104 is provided with an air intake 106 and an air outlet 108. The housing 104 also houses a heat exchanger and a cross-flow fan (not shown). An air filter is provided at the air intake 106 to remove dust and other debris. The air intake 106 is located on the front of the housing 104, and the air outlet 108 is located on the top surface (ceiling side) of the housing 104. The air conditioner 102 operates by drawing in air from the air intake 106 via the rotation of the cross-flow fan, regulating the temperature of the air in the heat exchanger, and then blowing out the temperature-regulated air from the air outlet 108.

Conventional air conditioners have an air intake on the top of the indoor unit and an air outlet on the lower front. That is, the indoor unit of an air conditioner is configured to draw in air from the top (ceiling-facing) side of the unit and blow out temperature-controlled air from the lower front. In contrast, the air conditioner 102 of this embodiment is configured to draw in air from the front of the housing 104 and blow out temperature-controlled air from the top (ceiling-facing) side. To minimize air resistance when drawing in air, the air conditioner 102 has a large air intake 106 that occupies most of the front surface of the housing 104.

As shown in Figure 1(A), when the air conditioner 102 is viewed from the front, the housing 104 has a horizontally elongated shape and has height and depth to accommodate equipment such as a heat exchanger and a cross-flow fan. When the air conditioner 102 is installed on a room wall, the front of the housing 104 faces inward. If a large air intake 106 is provided on the front of the housing 104, the air filter will be exposed to the outside; therefore, a cover panel 110 is provided to conceal the air intake 106. The cover panel 110 is not provided in close contact with the housing 104, but rather a gap is formed between it and the housing 104, allowing air to flow into the air intake 106 through this gap.

In the examples shown in Figures 1(A) and (B), the side opposite to the side on which the cover panel 110 is installed is mounted facing the wall. In this specification, the side on which the cover panel 110 is installed is sometimes referred to as the "front," and the direction the "front" faces is sometimes referred to as the "forward." The side opposite the cover panel 110 (the side mounted to the wall) is sometimes referred to as the "back," and the direction the "back" faces is sometimes referred to as the "rear." Furthermore, the side between the front and back that faces the ceiling is sometimes referred to as the "top," and the direction the "top" faces is sometimes referred to as "upward." The side between the front and back that faces left or right is sometimes referred to as the "side," and the direction the "side" faces is sometimes referred to as the "lateral."

Figure 1(A) illustrates a structure in which the cover panel 110 is positioned to cover the front of the housing 104 and attached to the housing 104 at four points (top, bottom, left, and right) by fasteners 120. There are no limitations on the type of fasteners 120; pins, hooks, screws, etc., can be used. Although not shown in detail in Figures 1(A) and (B), a hook mechanism 1201 may be used as the upper fastener 120 of the cover panel 110, and a push latch mechanism 1202 may be provided as the lower fastener 120. The cover panel 110 is not limited to the shape shown in Figures 1(A) and (B), as long as it can cover the air filter and form a flow path for introducing air into the air intake port 106. In Figures 1(A) and (B), the width of the cover panel 110 is approximately equal to the width of the housing 104, but the width of the cover panel 110 may be wider than the width of the housing 104. The cover panel 110 may, for example, have a shape that covers the front and a portion of the sides of the housing 104.

Figure 2 shows the schematic cross-sectional structure between A and B shown in Figures 1(A) and (B). Furthermore, Figure 2 is...
The arrangement of the components that constitute the radiant air conditioning system together with the air conditioner 102 is shown by a dashed line. Specifically, it shows the insulation panel 154 (first insulation panel 154a, second insulation panel 154b) installed on top of the air conditioner 102, and a portion of the radiant panel 156 installed opposite the insulation panel 154.

The air conditioner 102 has an air intake port 106 on the front of the housing 104 and an air outlet port 108 on the top surface. The housing 104 houses equipment such as a heat exchanger 112, a cross-flow fan 114, and a motor 115 that rotates the cross-flow fan 114. An air filter 107 is attached to the air intake port 106 to prevent dust and dirt from being drawn in. The heat exchanger 112 is positioned behind the air filter 107 attached to the air intake port 106, and the cross-flow fan 114 is positioned behind the heat exchanger 112. Insulation material 124 is placed inside the housing 104. The insulation material 124 is positioned to surround the heat exchanger 112 and the cross-flow fan 114. A drain pan 116 is installed below the heat exchanger 112 to receive condensed water, and a drain hose 118 is provided to discharge the water that accumulates in the drain pan 116. The drain pan 116 is provided to be housed within the insulation material 124, thereby preventing condensation from forming in the drain pan 116.

The cover panel 110 is attached to the housing 104 so as to cover the air intake port 106. The fasteners 120 for attaching the cover panel 110 to the housing 104 are preferably provided on the back surface of the cover panel 110 so as not to be visible. There are no limitations on the configuration of the fasteners 120, but for example, a hook mechanism 1201 may be used as the upper fastener 120 of the cover panel 110, and a push latch mechanism 1202 may be used as the lower fastener 120. The hook mechanism 1201 has a configuration in which a hook provided on the back surface of the cover panel 110 engages with a pin provided on the housing 104, and the push latch mechanism 1202 has a configuration in which a latch provided on the back surface of the cover panel 110 fits into a latch receiver provided on the housing 104. By using such fasteners 120 (hook mechanism 1201 and push latch mechanism 1202), the cover panel 110 can be detachably attached to the housing 104. The fasteners 120 may include magnets, screws, etc., and the cover panel 110 may be detachably attached to the housing 104 using these fasteners 120.

The cover panel 110 is a plate-shaped component, with its lower side mounted close to or touching the housing 104, and its upper side mounted so as to tilt forward of the housing 104. This arrangement of the cover panel 110 creates a gap between it and the housing 104, forming a passage 128 through which air is introduced to the air intake 106. Furthermore, the upper end of the cover panel 110 forms an opening 126 through which air flows.

Conventional household and some commercial air conditioners regulate room temperature by blowing out cool or warm air. In contrast, the air conditioner 102 according to this embodiment does not require a large airflow because it only needs to control the temperature by flowing air between the heat-insulating panel 154 and the radiant panel 156. Therefore, even when an air passage 128 is formed between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104, it is not a problem if the passage is relatively narrow. A suitable distance between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104 can be 10 mm or more and 300 mm or less, for example, 20 mm or more and 300 mm or less, preferably 40 mm or more and 300 mm or less. For example, it is preferable that the cover panel 110 is positioned at a distance of about 20 mm to 40 mm from the housing 104 at the opening 126. If the distance between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104 is smaller than the above range and the distance is narrow, the air conditioner 102 will be overloaded and will have to increase its rotation speed in order to blow a predetermined amount of air onto the radiant panel. On the other hand, if the distance between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104 is increased beyond the above range, it will only enlarge the cover panel 110 and will not contribute to performance improvement, so this is undesirable. By positioning the cover panel 110 at the above-mentioned distance from the housing 104, an airflow path 128 is formed for the air to flow into the air intake port 106, while also concealing the air intake port 106 from view, thus preventing any sense of incongruity from the viewer.

When the air conditioner 102 is operated, the cross-flow fan 114 rotates, and refrigerant gas is supplied to the heat exchanger 112 from the outdoor unit (not shown). As the cross-flow fan 114 rotates, as shown in Figure 2, (A) air flows in from the opening 126, (B) through the flow path 128 formed between the cover panel 110 and the housing 104, flows into the air intake 106, passes through the air filter 107, and is drawn into the housing 104. The air drawn into the housing 104 is (C) heat-exchanged and its temperature adjusted by the heat exchanger 112 located behind the air filter 107, (D) is drawn into the cross-flow fan 114, and (E) the drawn-in air is discharged towards the air outlet 108.

Figure 3(A) shows a front view of the heat exchange unit 11201. The heat exchange unit 11201 has a structure in which a refrigerant pipe 11203 passes through a plurality of fins 11202 arranged at narrow intervals in the vertical direction. The heat exchange unit 11201 has the function of controlling the temperature of the air passing between the plurality of fins 11202 by conducting the temperature of the refrigerant to the plurality of fins 11202 by passing the refrigerant through the inside of the refrigerant pipe 11203. The heat exchanger 112 used in the air conditioner 102 of this embodiment has a configuration in which the heat exchange unit 11201 is stacked in multiple layers, as shown in Figure 3(B). For example, the heat exchanger 112 has a configuration in which the heat exchange units 11201a, 11201b, and 11201c are stacked in three layers. By having a multi-layered configuration of heat exchange units 11201 in the heat exchanger 112, the contact area of the air passing through the heat exchanger 112 with the fins is increased. This allows the cooling and heating capacity to be maintained even when the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 114 is reduced to decrease the airflow and eliminate wind noise. It is preferable that the heat exchanger 112 has three or more layers of heat exchange units 11201. Furthermore, even when the heat exchange units 11201 are multi-layered in the heat exchanger 112, the wind pressure resistance decreases at low wind speeds, allowing the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 114 to be reduced without putting a load on the motor 115.

As shown in Figure 2, the heat exchanger 112 is not positioned vertically within the housing 104, but rather at an angle from the vertical position. Specifically, the upper part of the heat exchanger 112 is tilted towards the air intake port 106 (forward).

The heat exchanger 112 is positioned at an angle of 15 to 45 degrees, for example, 30 degrees, from a vertical position toward the air intake port 106 (forward). By positioning the heat exchanger 112 at this angle, an airflow toward the cross-flow fan 114 can be formed, as schematically shown by the dotted arrow superimposed on the heat exchanger 112 in Figure 2.

The cross-flow fan 114 shown in Figure 2 has a cylindrical external shape when viewed in three dimensions, and its blades are arranged axially along the outer circumference of the cylinder. The cross-flow fan 114 generates airflow by rotating this cylindrical impeller around its axis using a motor 115. However, for example, if the cross-flow fan is rotated in a windless space, it cannot generate airflow in the intended direction. Therefore, the insulating material 124 forms a flow path through which air flows from the air intake 106 to the air outlet 108.

In this embodiment, the air conditioner 102 draws in air from the front and blows it out from the top, so a first heat insulating material 124a and a second heat insulating material 124b are provided inside the housing 104 so as to sandwich the cross-flow fan 114. The first heat insulating material 124a wraps around from the bottom of the housing 104 to the rear of the cross-flow fan 114, has a curved surface shape that curves along the outer circumference and connects to the air outlet 108, and the second heat insulating material 124b faces the first heat insulating material 124a with the cross-flow fan 114 in between, and forms a curved surface diagonally upward on the front side of the cross-flow fan 114.
Furthermore, it is provided to block the space between the air intake port 106 and the air outlet port 108.

As shown in Figure 2, in a cross-sectional view, the first insulating material 124a and the second insulating material 124b are provided so as to sandwich the cross-flow fan 114, thereby forming an airflow path from the air intake port 106 to the air outlet port 108. More specifically, the first insulating material 124a and the second insulating material 124b form an intake port 12401 on the air intake port 106 side of the cross-flow fan 114, and an outlet port 12402 on the air outlet port 108 side. The surface of the flow path formed by the first insulating material 124a and the second insulating material 124b may be reinforced with a coating material such as resin. By forming the intake port 12401 and the outlet port 12402 with the first insulating material 124a and the second insulating material 124b, and rotating the cross-flow fan 114 counterclockwise, the air that has flowed into the air intake port 106 can be discharged from the air outlet port 108. In other words, by forming a bent airflow path with the first insulation material 124a and the second insulation material 124b, and by placing the cross-flow fan 114 in the bent portion of this path, it is possible to blow air with different inflow and outflow directions.

The insulation material 124 (first insulation material 124a and second insulation material 124b) is manufactured using various materials. For example, the insulation material 124 (first insulation material 124a and second insulation material 124b) is formed from insulation materials such as expanded polystyrene (expanded styrene), expanded polyurethane, ABS resin, resin, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, glass wool, rock wool, gypsum, or a combination of multiple types of these insulation materials. Examples of dienes include 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, dicyclopentadiene, and 1,4-hexadiene. The outer surfaces of the first insulation material 124a and the second insulation material 124b may be covered with a coating material made of resin such as ABS resin or metal, and the inner surface facing the cross-flow fan 114 may also be covered with a similar coating material.

The first insulation material 124a and the second insulation material 124b form an insulated space, and an airflow path is formed inside the housing 104 so that air drawn in from the front of the housing 104 is blown out from the top. Furthermore, because the cover panel 110 is provided, the air inlet (opening 126) for air flowing into the air intake port 106 is located relatively close to the top surface of the housing 104. Therefore, in conventional household and some commercial air conditioners, a problem arises where air blown out from the air outlet 108 flows into the opening 126, a so-called short circuit in air circulation. However, as shown in Figure 2, an airflow path is formed beyond the air outlet 108, sandwiched between the insulation panel 154 and the radiating panel 156, thus preventing excessive short circuits in air circulation.

In a radiant air conditioning system, the radiant panel 156 converts the thermal energy from the cooled or heated air blown from the air conditioner 102 into infrared radiation. The opening 126 formed by the cover panel 110 is directed toward the radiant panel 156 and is located close to it. Since the indoor air flows into the air intake 106 passing near the cooled or heated radiant panel 156, the air flowing into the air intake 106 can be cooled or heated. Furthermore, the parts of the cover panel 110 and housing 104 facing the radiant panel 156 are cooled or heated by the action of the radiant panel 156, thereby cooling or heating the air flowing into the air intake 106 from the opening 126. As a result, compared to a case where the capacity of the heat exchanger 112 is constant, the temperature of the air blown out from the air outlet 108 can be made lower during cooling operation and higher during heating operation. Therefore, there is no need to enlarge the heat exchanger 112 to increase its capacity, and the size of the housing 104 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the air conditioner 102 is provided with an insulating material 124 sandwiching the cross-flow fan 114 inside the housing 104, and the air intake port 106 provided on the front of the housing 104
By forming a curved airflow path through which air flows from the top surface to the air outlet 108, the heat exchanger 112 and cross-flow fan 114 can be compactly housed, the air conditioner 102 can be made smaller, and even when mounted on a wall, it does not create a sense of oppression. Furthermore, even when using a heat exchanger 112 in which heat exchange units 11201 are arranged in multiple layers, when blowing air at a low wind speed that does not produce wind noise, the wind pressure resistance is reduced, so the rotation speed of the cross-flow fan 114 can be reduced without putting a load on the motor 115 that drives the cross-flow fan 114.

[Second Embodiment]
This embodiment shows an example of a radiant air conditioning system 100 in which the air conditioner 102 shown in the first embodiment is used. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

Figure 4 shows a plan view of the radiant air conditioning unit 100 as seen from the ceiling, and Figure 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the radiant air conditioning unit 100. The following explanation will refer to both of these figures. Note that since the radiant air conditioning unit 100 is installed on the wall and ceiling, the structure shown in Figure 4 is not directly visible.

The radiant air conditioning system 100 includes an air conditioner 102, an insulating panel 154, and a radiant panel 156. The air conditioner 102 is mounted to the wall 202 by mounting brackets 122. The air conditioner 102 has an air intake 106 facing the front of the housing 104 and an air outlet 108 facing the top (ceiling side). A cover panel 110 is attached to the front of the housing 104 to cover the air intake 106, so that the air intake 106 is not visible when the air conditioner 102 is installed on the wall 202.

The air conditioner 102 is mounted on the wall 202, and the insulation panel 154 is mounted on the ceiling 204. The insulation panel 154 may be divided into multiple sections before being mounted on the ceiling. For example, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, it may be divided into three sections: a first insulation panel 154a above the air conditioner 102, a second insulation panel 154b in front of it, and a third insulation panel 154c further in front of that.

The air conditioner 102 is mounted on the wall 202 such that a predetermined gap is formed between it and the ceiling 204. The first insulation panel 154a is inserted into the gap between the air conditioner 102 and the ceiling 204, and is mounted so that its tip protrudes forward from the air conditioner 102. The second insulation panel 154b is provided based on the position of the first insulation panel 154a, and then the third insulation panel 154c is provided. The first insulation panel 154a is held in place while inserted between the air conditioner 102 and the ceiling 204, and the second insulation panel 154b and the third insulation panel 154c are attached by fasteners 152 that are pre-installed on the ceiling. The fasteners 152 are metal frames, positioned to abut against the tip of the first insulation panel 154a, and are attached to the ceiling 204 in front of the air conditioner 102. By attaching the fastener 152 using the tip of the first insulation panel 154a as a reference, the positions of the second insulation panel 154b and the third insulation panel 154c can be aligned with the first insulation panel 154a, allowing for assembly that forms a single continuous insulation panel 154.

As shown in the inset of Figure 5, the first insulation panel 154a is composed of a flat plate portion 15401a that abuts against the ceiling 204 and a side wall portion 15402a that surrounds the outer periphery of the flat plate portion. Air from the air vent 108 flows into the space enclosed by the flat plate portion and the side wall. There is no side wall in front of the first insulation panel 154a, allowing the air blown out from the air vent 108 to flow forward. The second insulation panel 154b and the third insulation panel 154c are similarly composed of a flat plate portion and a side wall portion, with side walls on both sides of the flat plate portion, and no side walls in front of or behind the flat plate portion connected to the first insulation panel 154a.

The insulation panels 154 (first insulation panel 154a, second insulation panel 154b, third insulation panel 154c) are configured to include, for example, insulation materials such as expanded polystyrene (styrofoam), expanded polyurethane, resin, glass wool, rock wool, gypsum, or a combination of multiple types of these insulation materials. The insulation panels 154 (first insulation panel 154a, second insulation panel 154b, third insulation panel 154c) are attached to the ceiling surface by fasteners 152 attached to the ceiling surface.

The radiant panel 156 is provided to cover the entirety of the second insulation panel 154b and the third insulation panel 154c. The radiant panel 156 is, for example, made of fabric and has a structure stretched over the frame so as to spread out in a flat shape. Such a radiant panel 156 is detachably attached to the fastener 152 by mounting members 158 (first mounting member 158a, second mounting member 158b).

An airflow path is formed between the side walls of the first insulation panel 154a, the second insulation panel 154b, and the third insulation panel 154c and the radiant panel 156. The air that flows between the side walls of the first insulation panel 154a, the second insulation panel 154b, and the third insulation panel 154c and the radiant panel 156 flows out in front of the third insulation panel 154c. The radiant air conditioning system 100 flows cooled or heated air supplied from the air conditioner 102 into this airflow path, converting the thermal energy of the air into infrared rays at the radiant panel 156, and directly cooling or heating objects or living beings placed below the radiant panel 156 through the effect of infrared rays. The radiant air conditioning system 100 does not directly adjust the room temperature using only cooled or heated air; it also directly cools or heats the target object through the action of the radiant panel 156. Therefore, even with a small airflow from the air conditioner 102, it can achieve sufficient air conditioning effectiveness.

As shown in Figure 4, the radiant panel 156 is positioned so that at least a portion of it overlaps the cover panel 110 in a plan view. Also, as shown in Figure 5, the opening 126 formed by the cover panel 110 is provided relatively close to the radiant panel 156. As explained in the first embodiment, the indoor air flows into the air intake 106 passing near the cooled or heated radiant panel 156, thus cooling or heating the air flowing into the air intake 106. Furthermore, the cover panel 110 and a portion of the housing 104 that are close to the radiant panel 156 are cooled or heated by the action of the radiant panel 156, so they can indirectly cool or heat the air flowing into the air intake 106. This airflow is realized by the configuration of the air conditioner 102 shown in the first embodiment. As a result, compared when the capacity of the heat exchanger 112 is constant, the temperature of the air blown out from the air outlet 108 can be made lower during cooling operation and higher during heating operation. In other words, because a large temperature difference can be maintained between the air blown out from the air outlet 108 and the room air, the heat exchanger 112 can be made smaller. Therefore, when the air conditioner 102 is installed on a wall, the size that protrudes downward from above (towards the ceiling) can be reduced, thus suppressing the feeling of being cramped.

100: Radiant air conditioning unit, 102: Air conditioner, 104: Housing, 106: Air intake, 108: Air outlet, 110: Cover panel, 112: Heat exchanger, 11201: Heat exchange unit, 11202: Fins, 11203: Refrigerant pipe, 114: Cross-flow fan, 115: Motor, 116: Drain pan, 118: Drain hose, 120: Fastener, 1201: Hook mechanism, 1202: Push latch mechanism, 122: Mounting bracket, 124: Insulation material, 152: Fixing device, 154: Insulation panel, 154a: First insulation panel, 154b: Second insulation panel, 154c: Third insulation panel, 15401a: Flat plate section, 15402a: Side wall section, 156: Radiant panel,
158: Mounting member, 158a: First mounting member, 158b: Second mounting member, 202: Wall, 204: Ceiling

Claims (8)

A housing having an air intake and an air outlet,
Inside the housing, a heat exchanger between the air intake and the air outlet,
A cross-flow fan between the heat exchanger and the air outlet,
The system includes a heat insulating material that sandwiches the cross-flow fan and forms a flow path that guides the air blown by the cross-flow fan to the air outlet,
The air intake port is located on the front of the housing, and the air outlet is located on the top surface of the housing .
The air intake, the heat exchanger, and the cross-flow fan are arranged in the front-to-back direction of the housing.
An air conditioner characterized in that air taken in from the air intake flows linearly through the heat exchanger to the cross-flow fan, and is blown out from the air outlet by the cross-flow fan . The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is positioned at an angle from a vertical position toward the air intake. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat exchanger is composed of heat exchange units through which refrigerant pipes are passed, and the heat exchange units are arranged in three or more layers. The aforementioned insulating material,
A first thermal insulation material having a surface that curves along the outer circumference of the cross-flow fan, wrapping around from the lower side of the housing to the back of the cross-flow fan and connecting to the air outlet,
A second insulating material is positioned opposite the first insulating material with the cross-flow fan in between, and is arranged to block the space between the air intake and the air outlet.
An air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having the following features. It has a cover panel that covers the air intake port,
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover panel is arranged away from the housing so as to form a flow path through which air flows to the air intake. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the upper end of the cover panel forms an opening through which air flows in, away from the housing, and the lower end of the cover panel is in contact with the housing. An air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An insulating panel extending from above the air outlet of the air conditioner to the front of the housing and attached to the ceiling surface,
A radiating panel is positioned opposite and at a distance from the insulating panel so as to form a flow path for the air blown out from the aforementioned air outlet,
A radiant air conditioning system characterized by having the following features. The radiant air conditioning system according to claim 7, wherein the air conditioner is mounted on a wall adjacent to the ceiling on which the insulation panel is attached.