JPH11304188A - Air conditioner light receiving section structure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To improve the design by simplifying the light receiving portion structure of an air conditioner. Further, the receivable range is improved. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a part of a front panel is thinned so that an effect similar to that of a light receiving portion filter which has been conventionally a separate component can be obtained. By integrally molding, the structure becomes simple, the number of assembly steps is reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a wireless remote control infrared signal receiving section in an air conditioner, and more particularly, to a light receiving section structure having good appearance, improved design effect, and good assembling workability and receiving performance. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 4A and 4B show a conventional structure.
This will be described below. Reference numeral 6 denotes a substrate on which the light receiving sensor 5 is mounted. Reference numeral 7 denotes a filter formed by a plate-like molded product attached to the front panel. As a technique of the structure shown in FIG. 4, a technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-7185 is known.
As a problem related to reception performance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-140041 is known as a technique for receiving an infrared signal from a remote controller in a wide range.

[0003]

However, the conventional example shown in FIG. 4 has a structure in which the plate-shaped molded product above the light receiving sensor is fixed to the front panel by bonding or hooking with a pawl, so that the number of assembling steps is increased and the cost is increased. It was a factor of up.

Further, there is a problem that dust or the like is clogged at the joint between the front panel and the plate-shaped molded product on the upper part of the light receiving sensor, thereby deteriorating the aesthetic appearance. Further, in order to receive the infrared signal from the remote controller in a wide range, the size of the filter formed by the plate-shaped molded product above the light receiving sensor may be increased, but there is a problem in design.

In the case of a wireless remote controller using radio waves instead of infrared rays, a light receiving unit is not required, but an expensive wireless device must be mounted on the remote controller and the air conditioner, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. There was a problem of getting high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an air conditioner having a light receiving filter capable of receiving an infrared signal from a remote controller in a wide range with good assembling workability and excellent design. Machine.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a part of the front panel is made thin so that the same effect as that of a light-receiving filter which has been conventionally a separate component can be obtained. Furthermore, a light receiving filter is provided in an indoor unit, wherein the light receiving portion of the thin-walled filter has a convex rear surface in a lens shape and a rough rear surface. By integrally molding, the structure becomes simple and the number of assembling steps is reduced, thereby enabling cost reduction. In addition, since there is no seam between the parts, the design effect can be improved. Further, an infrared signal from a remote controller can be received in a wide range by a lens effect due to the convex shape of the back surface of the light receiving unit and irregular reflection or diffusion of light due to fine irregularities on the convex surface.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to (a) and (b).

FIGS. 1A and 1B are detailed views showing the structure of a remote controller receiving section of the air conditioner 1. FIG. FIG.
The light receiving section 3 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B is formed by thinning a part of the front panel 2, and the light receiving sensor 5 is arranged on the back side. Further, the light receiving section 3 is not visible from the front side from the aspect of design.

The back surface of the light receiving portion 3 has a convex shape such as a cubic curve, and the front surface is a rough surface. When light is emitted, diffused reflection and diffusion cause light receiving sensor 5 to emit light.
Some of the light that deviates from this will also reach. The light that cannot be collected even if the rough surface is convex on the back surface 4 of the light-receiving unit 5
It is a means to reach.

The thickness of the thin portion of the light receiving section 3 is desirably 1 mm or less in order to obtain the same performance as the light receiving filter which has been conventionally a separate component. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be 1 mm or more depending on the material, color tone, and the like of the portion where the light receiving section is formed. It is effective that the roughened surface state of the back surface 4 of the light receiving unit is uniform and the surface roughness is 5 μm or more, preferably 10 μm to 50 μm.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C show cross sections of the light receiving portion in which the shape of the back surface 4 of the light receiving portion is flat, convex, or rough.

In the case of FIG. 2A, the light ray o of the infrared signal reaches the light receiving sensor 5, but the light ray p does not.
In the case of (b), not only the light ray o but also the light ray p reaches the light receiving sensor 5 by the convex surface of the light receiving unit back surface 4, but may not reach the light receiving sensor 5 like the light ray q. However, even in the case of the light ray q, in the case of (c), when light is emitted from the back surface by the rough convex surface, in addition to the light q refracted by the curvature of the convex shape, it is diffused on the rough surface, for example, the light q1, q2 and the like exist, and here a part q1 can reach the light receiving sensor 5.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the light receiving working distance in the above (a), (b) and (c). Here, the light receiving working distance is a distance from the remote control to the light receiving surface of the indoor unit when the indoor unit is operated by the remote control operation.

As described above, not only the light converging effect by the convex back surface but also the diffusion effect by the rough surface greatly improves the light receiving performance.

FIG. 2 shows the light incident at a right angle to the light receiving filter. However, in actual use, various incident angles are conceivable, and this effect can be sufficiently expected. Further, the light receiving unit back surface 4
Can be expected to have some effect by roughening the plane.

According to the present embodiment, in an electric product such as an air conditioner that operates with an infrared signal, the infrared signal transmitted through the light receiving section 3 of the filter constituting the receiving section is formed on the back surface 4 of the light receiving section. In addition to being condensed by the convex shape of the cubic curved surface, even if the light is condensed and does not reach the light receiving sensor 5 depending on its incident angle, the light can be diffused and diffused and diffused by the rough surface of the light receiving unit back surface 4 to be received. The effect is as follows.

[0018]

According to the present invention, a light receiving filter formed of a plate-shaped molded product of a remote controller receiving portion of an air conditioner is integrated with the front panel by thinning a part of the front panel. Performance can be improved. Further, the design effect can be greatly improved without showing the joint between the components in front of the air conditioner. Further, the reception performance of the wireless remote controller can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b) are a front view showing a light receiving portion structure of an air conditioner according to the present invention, and an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG. 1 (a).

FIGS. 2A to 2C are explanatory diagrams for comparing the light receiving performances of the light receiving filter portions of FIGS. 1A and 1B according to cross-sectional shapes.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a light receiving working distance according to the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a front view showing a structure of a light receiving unit of the air conditioner according to the related art, and a cross-sectional view showing the light receiving unit of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Air conditioner, 2 ... Front panel, 3 ... Light receiving part, 4 ... Light receiving part back surface, 5 ... Light receiving sensor, 6 ... Substrate, 7 ... Light receiving filter, 8 ... Filter fixing nail.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A light receiving portion of an air conditioner having a function of receiving an infrared signal transmitted from a wireless remote controller and performing an operation based on the signal. A light receiving part structure of an air conditioner, wherein a part of an upper part of a light receiving sensor of a panel is thinned.