# US 9,039,502 B2 · Air conditioner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,502 B2 - Document ID: US9039502B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/130,261 - Filed: 2009-10-22 - Published: 2011-09-22 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2008-11-20 - Assignees: Daikin Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Atsushi Matsubara - Inventors: Atsushi Matsubara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039502B2 ## CPC - F24F 11/79: for controlling the direction of the supplied air - F24F 1/0057: mounted in or on a wall - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract In the air conditioner, determination is made whether or not a “3-Dimensional Swing” or a “Left/Right Swing” relating to movement of a left/right flap is set (step S2). When it is determined that the “3-Dimensional Swing” or “Left/Right Swing” is set (step S2: Yes), a determination is made whether or not the swing range of the left/right flap is set to a part of the movable range (step S3). When it is determined in step S3 that the swing range of the left/right flap is set (step S3: Yes), the left/right flap is once returned to the reference position (step S4), and then reciprocation of the left/right flap within the swing range is started (step S5). ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air conditioner, comprising: a wind direction changing flap which changes, to the left or right, the direction of the wind from an outlet port of an indoor unit by reciprocating with in a movable range; and a controller which controls a movement of the wind direction changing flap, the controller configured to determine, upon receipt of a command to start movement of the wind direction changing flap, whether a swing range has been set for the wind direction changing flap, the swing range being a subset of the movable range; move, responsive to a determination that the swing range has been set, the wind direction changing flap to a reference position prior to reciprocating the wind direction changing flap within the set swing range; and allow, responsive to a determination that a swing range has not been set, the wind direction changing flap to reciprocate within the movable range; wherein, when the wind direction changing flap is to be moved to the reference position, the controller starts movement of the wind direction changing flap so that the wind direction changing flap starts to move in a direction in which the wind direction changing flap has been moving at the end of the previous movement, when an initial moving direction of the wind direction changing flap is a direction away from the reference position, the controller moves the wind direction changing flap to an end of the set swing range opposite to the reference position, and then returns the wind direction changing flap to the reference position, and when the initial moving direction of the wind direction changing flap is a direction towards the reference position, the controller directly returns the wind direction changing flap to the reference position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the swing range is set based on a distance from the reference position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the reference position is set at a position corresponding to an end of the movable range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein a right-side reference position and a left-side reference position are provided on both a right side and a left side of the swing range, respectively, and one of the right-side reference position and the left-side reference position closer to the swing range is set as the reference position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein at the start of operation of the indoor unit, the controller returns the wind direction changing flap of the indoor unit to the reference position if the swing range has been set. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the controller returns the wind direction changing flap to the reference position when the swing range is set to a part of the movable range. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the swing range of the wind direction changing flap is set based on an installation position of the indoor unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the reference position is set at a position corresponding to an end of the movable range. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein a right-side reference position and a left-side reference position are provided on both a right side and a left side of the swing range, respectively, and one of the right-side reference position and the left-side reference position closer to the wind direction changing flap is set as the reference position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein a right-side reference position and a left-side reference position are provided on both a right side and a left side of the swing range, respectively, and one of the right-side reference position and the left-side reference position closer to the wind direction changing flap is set as the reference position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein a right-side reference position and a left-side reference position are provided on both a right side and a left side of the swing range, respectively, and one of the right-side reference position and the left-side reference position closer to the wind direction changing flap is set as the reference position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein at the start of operation of the indoor unit, the controller returns the wind direction changing flap of the indoor unit to the reference position if the swing range has been set. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein at the start of operation of the indoor unit, the controller returns the wind direction changing flap of the indoor unit to the reference position if the swing range has been set. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the controller returns the wind direction changing flap to the reference position when the swing range is set to a part of the movable range. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the controller returns the wind direction changing flap to the reference position when the swing range is set to a part of the movable range. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the swing range of the wind direction changing flap is set based on an installation position of the indoor unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 4) The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the swing range of the wind direction changing flap is set based on an installation position of the indoor unit.