Air-conditioning apparatus

Abstract

An infrared sensor is installed to one of the corners of a decorative panel to face different directions at the respective corners. A controller controls one of several air direction vanes and thus airflow out of one of air outlets and an air-conditioning apparatus to perform an operation, makes a determination of the installation position of the infrared sensor from one of several divided areas in which a temperature difference in floor surface between before and during an operation of the one of the air direction vanes equals or exceeds a specified value, a disposition position of the one of the air direction vanes, and an installation direction of the infrared sensor, and makes the one of the divided areas in which the temperature difference equals or exceeds the specified value correspond to the one of the air direction vanes to be controlled.

1 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet including therein a heat exchanger and a fan, having a lower surface with an opening, and installed to a ceiling;   a square decorative panel larger than the opening of the cabinet, having an air inlet in a central part thereof, and installed to cover the opening of the lower surface of the cabinet;   air outlets disposed at four places around the air inlet along four sides of the decorative panel;   air direction vanes provided in the air outlets, and independently adjustable in angle for the respective air outlets;   an infrared sensor capable of detecting a floor surface temperature for each of divided areas quartered in a circumferential direction; and   a controller,   wherein the infrared sensor is installed to one of four corners of the decorative panel, and configured such that a facing direction of an installation reference integrally provided with the infrared sensor varies depending on each of four corners installed with the infrared sensor, and   wherein the controller   controls one of the air direction vanes so as to blow out an airflow toward a floor surface from one of the air outlets and the air-conditioning apparatus to perform a heating operation or a cooling operation,   performs a determination to determine an installation position of the infrared sensor from one of the divided areas in which a temperature difference between the floor surface temperature before an operation of the one of the air direction vanes and the floor surface temperature during the operation of the one of the air direction vanes detected with the infrared sensor equals or exceeds a specified value, a disposition position of the one of the air direction vanes set to blow out the airflow toward the floor surface, and the facing direction of the installation reference of the infrared sensor, and   makes the one of the divided areas in which the temperature difference equals or exceeds the specified value correspond to the one of the air direction vanes to be controlled.   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller further performs a control another one or two of the air direction vanes in the air outlets to blow out the airflow toward the floor surface. 
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, if the temperature difference is below the specified value, the controller again performs to detect the floor surface temperature with the infrared sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, after performing the determination, the controller further performs a control to blow out the airflow toward the floor surface from one or more of the air direction vanes different from the one of the air direction vanes controlled in the determination,
 performs a redetermination to redetermine the installation position of the infrared sensor from one or more of the divided areas in which a temperature difference between the floor surface temperature during the operation of the one of the air direction vanes used in the determination and the floor surface temperature during a current operation detected with the infrared sensor equals or exceeds a specified value, a disposition position or disposition positions of the one or more of the air direction vanes set to blow out the airflow toward the floor surface, and the facing direction of the installation reference of the infrared sensor,   makes each of the divided areas correspond to each of the air direction vanes to be controlled if a result of the determination and a result of the redetermination match, and   repeats each process again from detecting the floor surface temperature of the divided areas if the result of the determination and the result of the redetermination do not match.   
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the infrared sensor is provided with a human body detection function.