Spot air-conditioner

• US 5,097,672 A
• Filed: 07/18/1990
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Ohashi, Ryutaro, Takigawa, Ken, Takenaka, Naofumi, Sagara, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOLLECITO, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US07/555,125
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 62/186, 62/177, 236/49.1, 236/49.3, 236/47, 236/1 B, 236/51, 165/16, 165/11.1, 98/121.2, 98/40.25, 98/40.18, 98/40.24
• US Class Current: 62/186
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/00 Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/022 comprising a compressor cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/04 Arrangements for portability
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2003/1446 by condensing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/12 transportable
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/125 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/54 Heating and cooling, simultaneously or alternatively
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/56 Cooling being a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

A blow-off duct is rotatably mounted on an air-conditioner. A human body detection device is provided at the blow-off duct in order to detect the presence of a person to be air-conditioned and then to identify the moving direction thereof. Comfortable localized air-conditioning can be realized since a wind direction control device controls a duct drive device of the blow-off duct in response to a human body detected signal and movement signal outputted by the human body detection device, and thus rotating the blow-off duct in accordance with the movement of the person to be air-conditioned.

Claims

1. A spot air-conditioner for drawing in room air and generating conditioned air;

a blow-off duct rotatably mounted on said air-conditioner for blowing off said conditioned air;

duct drive means for rotating said blow-off duct relative to said air-conditioner in order to change the wind direction of said duct;

means for detecting a body of a person to be cooled in an area which is cooled by said conditioned air; and

wind direction control means, responsive to a human body detected signal outputted from said human body detection means, for controlling said duct drive means to direct said blow-off duct toward the person to be cooled;

said human body detection means including a human body detection device which detects the presence of a person to be air-conditioned in a plane detection region against a background, said human body detection means including

a pair of radiation means for alternately radiating infrared rays, each having a fixed radiation directional angles in said detection region and disposed at a certain opening angle so that said radiation directional angles do not overlap each other;

single radiation receiving means interposed between the radiation means in said detection region for receiving reflection of the infrared rays radiated from said radiation means, said radiation receiving means having a fixed radiation receiving directional angle which partially overlaps with the radiation directional angles of each radiation; and

human body detection and determination means responsive to the output from said radiation receiving means for outputting a human body detected signal when the amounts of reflection of infrared rays radiated from each radiation means both exceed a set value.

2. A spot air-conditioned as defined in claim 1 wherein said human body detection means (72) is a single human body detection sensor which scans said air-conditioning area to detect the person to be air-conditioned.

3. A spot air-conditioner comprising:

an air-conditioner (12) for sucking room air and generating conditioned air;

air-conditioning control means (8) for controlling the air-conditioning operation of said air-conditioner (12);

a blow-off duct (16) rotatably mounted on said air-conditioner (12) for blowing off said conditioned air;

duct drive means (2) for rotating said blow-off duct (16) against said air-conditioner (12) in order to change the wind direction;

human body detection means (72) for outputting a human body detected signal when detecting a person to be air-conditioned, and for outputting a human body undetected signal when the person to be air-conditioned cannot be found in an air-conditioning area which is air-conditioned by said conditioned air, as well as for outputting a movement signal when identifying any movement of the person to be air-conditioned; and

wind direction control means (75a), responsive to said human body detected signal and said movement signal outputted from said human body detection means (72), for controlling said duct drive means (2) to direct said blow-off duct (16) toward the person to be air-conditioned in accordance with the movement thereof.

4. A spot air-condition as defined in claim 3 wherein said human body detection means (72) is a human body detection device which detects the presence of a person to be air-conditioned in a plane detection region against a background, said human body detection means (72) comprising:

a pair of radiation means (H₁), (H₂) for alternately radiating infrared rays, each having a fixed radiation directional angles (±

θ

_H), (±

θ

_H) in said detection region and disposed at a certain opening angle so that said radiation directional angles (±

θ

_H), (±

θ

_H) do not overlap each other;

single radiation receiving means J interposed between the radiation means (H₁), (H₂) in said detection region for receiving reflection of the infrared rays radiated from said radiation means (H₁), (H₂), said radiation receiving means (J) having a fixed radiation receiving directional angle (±

θ

_J) which partially overlaps with the radiation directional angles (±

θ

_H), (±

θ

_H) of each radiation means (H₁), (H₂);

human body detection and determination means (75h), responsive to the output from said radiation receiving means (J), for outputting a human body detected signal when the amounts of reflection of infrared rays radiated from each radiation means (H₁), (H₂) both exceed a set value, and for outputting a human body undetected signal when the amounts of reflection of infrared rays radiated from each radiation means (H₁), (H₂) are both not more than a set value or either one is not more than a set value; and

human body movement determination means (75i) for outputting a movement signal upon determining that the person to be air-conditioned moves to a directional angle (±

θ

_H) area of the other radiation means (H₂) or (H₁) when, after receiving the human body detected signal from said human body detection and determination means (75h), the amount of reflection of infrared rays radiated from either radiation means (H₁) or (H₂) becomes lower than a set value.

5. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 wherein said human body detection means (72) is provided at the head portion of said blow-off duct (16).

6. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 wherein said wind direction control means (75a) controls said duct drive means (2) so that said blow-off duct (16) follows the movements of the person to be air-conditioned in said air-conditioning area having a predetermined angle which is set with a mounting point thereof as a central axis.

7. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 further comprising drive delay means (75m), responsive to a movement signal from said human body detection means (72), for outputting said movement signal to said wind direction control means (76a) after a fixed time (t₁) corresponding to the time which is required for the slight movement of the person to be air-conditioned passes.

8. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 further comprising position detection means (7) for detecting a rotation limit position of said blow-off duct (16) corresponding to the end portions of said air-conditioning area, and duct stop means (75n), responsive to a position signal from said position detection means (7) and a movement signal from said human body detection means (72), for controlling said duct drive means (2) to stop said blow-off duct (16) at said rotation limit position when the person to be air-conditioned moves out of said air-conditioning area.

9. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 further comprising short standby means (75j), responsive to said human body undetected signal outputted by said human body detection means (72) after the output of the human body detected signal therefrom, for controlling said air-conditioning control means (8) to stand by for a fixed time (t₂) in such a state of the air-conditioning operation before said human body undetected signal is outputted.

10. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 9 further comprising long standby means (75l) for controlling said air-conditioning control means (8) and said duct drive means (2), when a fixed time (t₂) set by said short standby means (75j) passes without any detection signal from the human movement operation and to stand by for a fixed time (t₃) in such a state that said air-conditioning means (8) and said duct drive means (2) automatically resume operation in response to the human body detected signal from said human body detection means (72).

11. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 10 wherein said long standby means (75l) carries out the system-down of said air-conditioning control means (8) in such a state that the air-conditioning operation cannot be resumed automatically when a predetermined standby time (t₃) passes without any detection signal from said human body detection means (72).

12. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 10 wherein said long standby means (75l) controls said duct drive means (2) to stop and stand by said blow-off duct (16) at the center of said air-conditioning area.

13. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 further comprising human body search means (75k), responsive to said human body undetected signal from said human body detection means (72), for searching a person to be air-conditioned by scanning said air-conditioning area with said human body detection means (72).

14. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 13 wherein said human body search means (75k) controls said duct drive means (2) so that said blow-off duct (16) automatically swings within said air-conditioning area, thereby scanning said air-conditioning area with said human body detection means (72) which is mounted at the head portion of said blow-off duct (16).

15. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 13 wherein said human body search means (75k) searches a person to be air-conditioned in the state of air-conditioning operation before the output of said human body undetected signal from said human body detection means (72).

16. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 further comprising:

mode stitching means (76) for switching the control mode of said blow-off duct (16) by manually selecting a suitable mode from a stationary mode, an sutomatic swing mode, and a human body tracking mode;

position detection means (7) for detecting rotation limit positions of said blow-off duct (16) on both ends thereof and for outputting a position signal when said blow-off duct (16) is in the rotation limit position;

stationary control means (75b) for controlling said duct drive means (2) to hold said blow-off duct (16) in the stationary state when said blow-off duct (16) is set in the stationary mode by said mode switching means (76);

automatic swing means (75c), responsive to said position signal from said position detection means (7), for controlling said duct drive means (2) to reverse said blow-off duct (16), and thereby initiating the reciprocating pivotal movement of said blow-off duct (16), when said blow-off duct (16) is set in the automatic swing mode by said mode switching means (76); and

said wind direction control means (75a) for controlling said duct drive means (2) to follow a movement of the person to be air-conditioned when said blow-off duct (16) is set in the human body tracking mode by said mode switching means (76).

17. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 16 further comprising air-conditioning stop means (75d) for controlling said air-conditioning control means (8), when a predetermined air-conditioning time (t₅) passes without any human body detected signal from said human body detection means (72) during the output of the stationary mode signal or automatic swing mode signal of said mode switching means (76), to stop the air-conditioning operation in such a state that the air-conditioning operation can be resumed in response to the human body detected signal from said human body detection means (72).

18. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 17 further comprising system stop means (75e) for controlling said air-conditioning control means (8), when a predetermined air-conditioning stop time (t₆) passes without any human body detected signal from said human body detection means (72) after said air-conditioning stop means (75d) outputs a stop signal, to carry out the system-down in such a state that the air-conditioning operation cannot be resumed automatically.

19. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 17 further comprising switching means for automatic stopping (84) for ON/OFF controlling said sir-conditioning stop means (75d).

20. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 further comprising:

mode switching means (76) for manually selecting a suitable mode of said blow-off duct (16) between a stationary mode and a human body tracking mode;

stationary control means (75b) for controlling said duct drive means (2) to hold said blow-off duct (16) in the stationary state when said blow-off duct (16) is set in the stationary mode by said mode switching means (76); and

said wind direction control means (75a) for controlling said duct drive means (2) to follow a movement of a person to be air-conditioned when the human body tracking mode is selected by said mode switching means (76).

21. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 20 further comprising air-conditioning stop means (75d) for controlling said air-conditioning control means (8), when a predetermined air-conditioning time (t₆) passes without any human body detected signal from said human body detection means (72) during the output of the stationary mode signal of said mode switching means (? 6, to stop the air-conditioning operation is such a state that the conditioning operation can be resumed in response to the human body detected signal from said human body detection means (72).

22. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 further comprising:

mode switching means (76) for switching the control mode of said blow-off duct (16) by manually selecting a suitable mode from an automatic swing mode and a human body tracking mode;

position detection means (7), for detecting rotation limit positions of said blow-off duct (16) on both ends thereof and for outputting a position signal when said blow-off duct (16) is in the rotation limit position;

automatic swing means (75c), responsive to the position signal from said position detection means (7), for controlling said duct drive means (2) to reverse said blow-off duct (16), and thereby initiating the reciprocating pivotal movement of said blow-off duct (2), when said blow-off duct (16) is set in the automatic swing mode by said switching means (76); and

said wind direction control means (75a) for controlling said duct drive means (2) to follow the movement of a person to be air-conditioned when the human body tracking mode is selected by said mode switching means (76).

23. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 22 further comprising air-conditioning stop means (75d) for controlling said air-conditioning control means (8), when a predetermined air-conditioning time (t₆) passes without any human body detected signal from said human body detection means (72) during the output of the automatic swing mode signal of said mode switching means (76), to stop the air-conditioning operation is such a state that the air-conditioning operation can be resumed in response to the human body detected signal from said human body detection means (72).

24. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 further comprising:

angular position member (170) wherein a plurality of projected portions (172) and recessed portions (173) of both having a fixed width are alternately formed in the outer periphery of said blow-off duct (16) corresponding to rotation angular positions of said blow-off duct (16);

position detection means (174) for detecting said projected portions (172) and said recessed portions (173) of said angular position member (170) without making contact therewith;

central position determining means (182b), responsive to the output signal from said position detection means (174), for determining a central position of said angular position member (170); and

rotation control means (182c), responsive signals from said position detection means (174) and said central position determining means (182b), for determining a rotational angle of said blow-off duct (16), and for controlling said duct drive means (2) so that said blow-off duct (16) pivotally moves within a fixed rotation range.

25. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 24 further comprising:

initial drive means (182e) for controlling said duct drive means (2) to rotate said blow-off duct (16) in either one direction at the initial stage of the rotation control of said blow-off duct (16); and

side end position control means (182f), responsive to the output signal from said position detection means (174), for determining side end positions of said angular position member (170) with the rotation of said blow-off duct (16) by said initial drive means (182e), thereby controlling said duct drive means (2) to reverse said blow-off duct (16).

26. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 25 wherein side end recessed portions (173c) located on both side ends among said recessed portions (173) of said angular position member (170) are formed to have relatively large width, while other intermediate recessed portions (173b) and a central recessed portion (173a) are formed to have smaller width than said side end recessed portions (173c), and central projected portions (172a) located on both sides of said central recessed portion (173a) among said projected portions (172) are formed to have a relatively large width, while other side projected portions (172b) are formed to have smaller width than said central projected portions (172a),

said central position determining means (182b) comprises:

counting means (TMd) having a predetermined counting time which is set shorter than a detection output time of said central projected portions (172a) by said position detection means (174) and longer than a detection output time of said side projected portions (172b); and

determining means (182d) for determining central position when said position detection means (174) outputs the recessed portion detection signal after continuously outputting the projected portion detection signal exceeding a set period counted by said counting means (TMd),

said side end position control means (182f) comprises;

counting means (TMe) having a predetermined counting time which is set longer than the detection output time of said intermediate recessed portions (173b) by said position detection means (174); and

determining means (182g) for determining side end positions when said position detection means (174) continuously outputs the recessed portion detection signal exceeding a set period counted by said counting means (TMe).

27. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 26 further comprising abnormal counting means (TMc) having a predetermined abnormal time which is set longer than a set time counted by each counting means (TMd). (TMe) respectively of said central position determining means (182b) and said side end position control means (182f), and abnormality detection means (182h) for determining abnormality when said position detection means (174) continuously outputs a single recessed portion detected signal or projected portion detected signal exceeding the abnormal time counted by said abnormal counting means (TMc).

28. A spot air-conditioner as defined in claim 3 wherein said human body detection mean (72) is a human body detection device which detects the presence of a person to be air-conditioned in a plane detection region against a background having a fixed amount of infrared rays, said human body detection means (72) comprising:

a pair of radiation means (H₁), (H₂) disposed at a fixed opening angle for alternately radiating infrared rays;

radiation receiving means (J) interposed between said radiation means (H₁), (H₂) for detecting the infrared rays input value by receiving the reflection of infrared rays radiated from said radiation means (H₁), (H₂);

human body detection means (101), responsive to the output from said radiation receiving means (J). for outputting a human body detected signal when an input value of infrared rays radiated from each radiation means (H₁), (H₂) both exceed a fixed first set value;

comparing means (102) for comparing an input value of infrared rays radiated from the pair of said radiation means (H₁), (H₂) with a second set value after receiving the human body detected signal from the human body detection means (101), in order to determine whether it is lower than the second set value which is lower than a first set value by a fixed amount; and

human body movement detection means (103), responsive to the output from said comparing means (102), for determining the movement of the person to be air-conditioned to a side of the other radiation means (H₂) or H₂) and for outputting a human body movement signal when an input value from either one radiation means (H₁) or H₂) becomes lower than the second set value.