Indoor Unit of Air Conditioner and Air Conditioner Including the Same

Abstract

An indoor unit of an air conditioner of the present invention includes a cabinet; an air inlet through which air is sucked into the cabinet; a centrifugal fan which blows the air sucked in to the surrounding portions; and an a heat exchanger which is provided in the direction of air supply of the centrifugal fan and allows heat exchange between the air and a refrigerant flowing thereinside, in which the following equation is satisfied: 0.16≦L/D≦0.19, where D is an outer diameter of the centrifugal fan and L is a distance between the centrifugal fan and the heat exchanger in their closest positions. Thus, a variation in a velocity distribution created in the heat exchanger can be suppressed, and the indoor unit of the air conditioner which achieves an improved energy saving property due to a reduced pressure loss and an improved heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger can be provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An indoor unit of an air conditioner comprising:
 a cabinet;   an air inlet through which air is sucked into the cabinet;   a centrifugal fan which blows the air sucked in to the surrounding portions; and   an a heat exchanger which is provided in the direction of air supply of the centrifugal fan and allows heat exchange between the air and a refrigerant flowing thereinside,   wherein the following equation is satisfied:
   0.16≦ L/D≦ 0.19,
 
   where D is an outer diameter of the centrifugal fan and L is a distance between the centrifugal fan and the heat exchanger in their closest positions.   
     
     
         2 . The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the following equation is satisfied:
   835 mm≦ W≦ 845 mm,
 
   where W is an external dimension of the cabinet.   
     
     
         3 . The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the outer diameter D of the centrifugal fan satisfies the following equation:
   440 mm≦ D ≦470 mm.
 
   
     
     
         4 . The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the outer diameter D of the centrifugal fan satisfies the following equation:
   440 mm≦ D ≦470 mm.
 
   
     
     
         5 . The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the following equation is satisfied:
   0.3 ≦b 2 /H≦ 0.5, 
   where b 2  is a height of a discharge port of the centrifugal fan and H is a height of the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         6 . The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein the following equation is satisfied:
     A/W   2 ≧0.21,
 
 where W is an external dimension of the cabinet, and A is an area of a region enclosed by an outer peripheral line of the centrifugal fan, an inner peripheral line of a face through which air flows into the heat exchanger, and straight lines connecting peripheral ends of the heat exchanger and a rotational center of the centrifugal fan in a cross section perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the centrifugal fan. 
 
     
     
         7 . The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the following equation is satisfied:
   0.52≦ D/W≦ 0.56,
 
   where W is an external dimension of the cabinet.   
     
     
         8 . The indoor unit of the air conditioner according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a bell mouth which guides the air flowing from the air inlet to the centrifugal fan,   wherein the bell mouth has a curved surface portion which curves in such a direction that its opening area expands towards the air inlet, and an inclined plane having a shape which is inclined in such a direction that its opening area further expands from the curved surface portion.   
     
     
         9 . An air conditioner comprising:
 the indoor unit according to  claim 1 ;   an outdoor unit; and   pipes connecting these.