Modular air conditioning system

Abstract

A climate control system coupled within an opening of a structure, with the opening separating an internal area within the structure and an exterior area external to the structure with the climate control system straddling the opening. The system consists essentially of: an interior unit disposed at the opening within the internal area; an exterior unit disposed at the opening in the exterior area; and a connector between the interior unit and the exterior unit that extends through the opening, the connector including: a circulation hose that extends through the opening to connect the exterior unit and the interior unit.

Claims

1. A climate control system coupled within an open window of a building, with the window separating an indoor area within the building and an outdoor area external to the building, the climate control system straddling a sill of the window and consisting essentially of: an interior unit disposed at the window within the indoor area below a horizontal level of the sill, the interior unit including: a fluid-to-air heat exchanger disposed proximate to an external face of the interior unit, and a fan disposed behind the fluid-to-air heat exchanger internally within the interior unit, the fan configured to blow air through the fluid-to-air heat exchanger proximate to the external face of the interior unit, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades extending radially and perpendicularly from a central rotating hub; an exterior unit disposed at the window in the outdoor area below the horizontal level of the sill, the exterior unit including: a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, and a system for supplying a working fluid that undergoes a pressure drop to cool the working fluid, the working fluid within a first circulation loop, the cooled working fluid being directed to a first side of the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger; and no more than a single unitary circulation hose, comprising a plurality of separate supply lumens, that extends through the window and over the sill to connect the exterior unit and the interior unit, the single unitary circulation hose connected between a fluid side of the fluid-to-air heat exchanger and a second side of the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, the single unitary circulation hose allowing a circulating fluid, that is maintained separate and apart from the working fluid, within a second circulation loop, to transport heat between the interior unit and the exterior unit such that the cooling of the working fluid and the cooling of the circulating fluid are temporally decoupled from one another such that the climate control system only operates the exterior unit when the temperature of the circulating fluid rises above a certain set point and the interior unit increases and decreases fan speed and fluid circulation rate independently of operation of the exterior unit.

2. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the single unitary circulation hose comprises: a first lumen to supply circulating fluid to the interior unit, a second lumen to return circulating fluid to the exterior unit, and a third lumen to provide power to the exterior unit.

3. The climate control system of claim 2, wherein the interior unit includes a condensate pump and the single unitary circulation hose includes a fourth lumen to transport condensate to the exterior unit.

4. A climate control system coupled within an open window of a building, with the window separating an indoor area within the building and an exterior area external to the building, the climate control system straddling a sill of the window and consisting essentially of: an interior unit disposed at the window within the indoor area below a horizontal level of the sill, the interior unit comprising a fan having a plurality of fan blades extending radially from a central rotating hub, the fan disposed behind a heat exchanger that is proximate to an external face of the interior unit; an exterior unit disposed at the window in the exterior area below the horizontal level of the sill; and a connector between the interior unit and the exterior unit that extends through the window and over the sill, the connector including: a circulation hose that extends through the window and over the sill to connect the exterior unit and the interior unit, wherein the circulation hose allows a circulating fluid to transport heat between the interior unit and the exterior unit such that cooling of a working fluid and cooling of the circulating fluid are temporally decoupled from one another such that the climate control system operates the exterior unit when the temperature of the circulating fluid rises above a certain set point and the interior unit changes fan speed and fluid circulation rate independently of operation of the exterior unit.

5. The climate control system of claim 4, wherein the heat exchanger of the interior unit comprises: a fluid-to-air heat exchanger, and wherein the fan is configured to circulate air across the fluid-to-air heat exchanger.

6. The climate control system of claim 4, wherein the exterior unit comprises: a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, and a system for supplying a working fluid that undergoes a pressure drop to cool the working fluid, the working fluid within a first circulation loop, the cooled working fluid being directed to a first side of the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger.

7. The climate control system of claim 4, wherein the circulation hose is connected between a fluid side of the heat exchanger of the interior unit and a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger of the exterior unit.

8. The climate control system of claim 4, wherein the working fluid is maintained in a first circulation loop and wherein the circulating fluid is within a second circulation loop that is separate and apart from the first circulation loop and the working fluid.

9. A climate control system coupled within an opening of a structure, with the opening separating an internal area within the structure and an exterior area external to the structure, the climate control system straddling the opening and consisting essentially of: an interior unit disposed at the opening within the internal area and comprising a fan having a plurality of fan blades extending radially from a central rotating hub; an exterior unit disposed at the opening in the exterior area; and a connector between the interior unit and the exterior unit that extends through the opening, the connector including: a circulation hose that extends through the opening to connect the exterior unit and the interior unit, wherein the circulation hose allows a circulating fluid to transport heat between the interior unit and the exterior unit such that cooling of a working fluid and cooling of the circulating fluid are temporally decoupled from one another such that the climate control system operates the exterior unit when the temperature of the circulating fluid rises above a certain set point and the interior unit changes fan speed and fluid circulation rate independently of operation of the exterior unit.

10. The climate control system of claim 9, wherein: the interior unit is disposed at the opening within the internal area below the opening; and the exterior unit is disposed at the opening in the exterior area below the opening.

11. The climate control system of claim 9, wherein the interior unit comprises a fluid-to-air heat exchanger.

12. The climate control system of claim 11, wherein the interior unit further comprises the fan to circulate air across the fluid-to-air heat exchanger.

13. The climate control system of claim 9, wherein the exterior unit comprises a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger.

14. The climate control system of claim 9, wherein the exterior unit comprises a system for supplying a working fluid that undergoes a pressure drop to cool the working fluid, the working fluid within a first circulation loop.

15. The climate control system of claim 9, wherein the circulation hose is connected between a fluid side of a fluid-to-air heat exchanger of the interior unit and a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger of the exterior unit.

16. The climate control system of claim 9, wherein the circulation hose allows a circulating fluid to transport heat between the interior unit and the exterior unit such that cooling of a working fluid and cooling of the circulating fluid are temporally decoupled from one another such that the interior unit is configured to operate independently of operation of the exterior unit.

17. The climate control system of claim 16, wherein the working fluid is maintained in a first circulation loop and wherein the circulating fluid is within a second circulation loop that is separate and apart from the first circulation loop and the working fluid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the modular climate control system of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross section of the fluid tubing taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an exterior unit;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an interior unit; and

(6) FIGS. 5-6 are illustrations showing various configurations of interior and exterior units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) Now referring to the drawings, the modular climate control system is shown and generally illustrated in the figures. As can be seen at FIG. 1, the modular climate control system in its most general form includes at least one user positionable interior unit 10 wherein the interior unit 10 includes a fluid to air heat exchanger 12 and a fan 14 to circulate air across the fluid to air heat exchanger 12, an exterior unit 16 including a fluid to fluid heat exchanger 18 and a system 20 for supplying a working fluid having a controlled temperature to a first side of the fluid to fluid heat exchanger 18 and a circulation hose 22 connected between a fluid side of the fluid to air heat exchanger 12 and a second side of the fluid to fluid heat exchanger 18, wherein the circulation hose 22 allows a circulating fluid to transport heat between the at least one interior unit 10 and the exterior unit 16. As will be discussed in bore detail below, the circulating fluid is a non-toxic, user serviceable fluid and the circulation hose 22 is coupled to the at least one interior unit 10 and the exterior unit 16 in a releasable manner.

(8) As was stated above, the present invention provides a modular air conditioning system that is optimized for efficiently cooling the occupants of a room. Turning to the exterior unit 16 in more detail, the exterior unit contains a system 20 for controlling the temperature of a working fluid. The system 20 for controlling the temperature may be a heat pump or a traditional compressor. In the case of a heat pump the system 20 can provide add or remove heat to/from the working fluid. In contrast, if only a traditional compressor is provided, the system 20 removes heat from the working fluid. Further, the exterior unit 16 includes a fluid to fluid heat exchanger 18 that allows the exchange of heat between the working fluid on one side of the heat exchanger 18 and the circulating fluid on the other side of the heat exchanger 18. A fan and various other components such as controls may also be included in the exterior unit 16.

(9) The interior unit 10 contains at least a fan 14 and a fluid to air heat exchanger 12. More preferably, the interior unit 10 also includes a fluid pump and a circulating fluid storage tank that will operate as described below in more detail.

(10) Finally, the circulation hose 22 is a detachable hose that extends between the interior 10 and exterior units 16. Preferably, as can be seen at FIG. 2, the circulation hose 22 includes three lumens therein that act as a fluid supply 24, a fluid return 26 and wiring 28 for power and control signals between the interior 10 and exterior units 16. The circulation hose 22 may further optionally include a fourth lumen 30 to serve as a conduit to convey condensate back to the exterior unit 16 from the interior unit 10 preventing the need for a condensate drain therein.

(11) It can be appreciated by one skilled in the art that within the scope of the present invention we have described an outdoor unit, however, it should be appreciated that the outdoor unit may be positioned indoors as well at a location wherein the user is not concerned about the potential for heat gain. Further, it is anticipated within the scope of the present invention that the air-cooled condenser may be a fluid cooled condenser and more particularly a condenser that is cooled using ground source water.

(12) As illustrated at FIG. 3, in operation the outdoor unit 16 operates using a traditional heat pump/air conditioning cycle to reduce the temperature of the working fluid 32 or coolant, which in turn extracts heat from a circulating fluid 34 via the fluid to fluid heat exchanger 18. As the details of the remainder of this process are known in the art they will not be further discussed herein.

(13) The cooled circulating fluid 34 is then circulated, via the circulation hose 22, between the exterior 16 and interior 10 units. As was illustrated at FIG. 1, the circulating fluid 34 may be directed through the fluid to air heat exchanger 12 in the interior unit 18 to cool the air directly. Further, as can be seen at FIG. 4, the circulating fluid 34 may be directed to reduce the overall temperature of a fluid storage tank 36 within the interior unit 10. In this embodiment, when cooling is needed in the indoor space, cold fluid from the cold fluid storage tank 36 is circulated through the fluid to air heat exchanger 12 where the fan 14 circulates room air across the heat exchanger 12 producing a cooling effect. One skilled in the art should appreciate that while the fluid storage tank 36 is shown in the interior unit 10 it could also be positioned within the exterior unit 16 or independently at an intermediate position along the circulation hose 22 as depicted in FIG. 6. This arrangement allows the room cooling function and the fluid cooling function to be decoupled from one another in a temporal sense in that the control system only operates the outdoor unit when the temperature of the circulating fluid rises above a certain set point. Similarly, the indoor unit can independently increase or decrease fan speed and fluid circulation rate in order to provide a great deal of control over the cooling effect as compared to the prior art on or off cooling systems. This decoupling of the indoor cooling loop and the outdoor cooling loop further allows the outdoor unit to cool the fluid when it is most efficient to do so. For example, the outdoor unit may cool the fluid stored in the interior insulated cold fluid storage tank at night for cooling use during the day when the outdoor ambient temperatures increase.

(14) It is of further note that the circulating fluid is a non-toxic, low freezing point coolant such as salt brine of water mixed with polyethylene glycol. This can be contrasted with the prior art systems that circulated a refrigerant such as Freon or R-10 between the indoor and outdoor units. The arrangement of the present invention allows a user to selectively connect an indoor unit with an outdoor unit using a modular hose arrangement thereby eliminating a great deal of complexity and cost. Further, this arrangement allows for freedom in placing the indoor unit as need for maximum cooling effect and occupant comfort. More preferably, the circulation hoses 22 are attached to the indoor 10 and outdoor 16 units using a quick release style coupler 42. Still more preferably the quick release couplers 42 include a valving therein that prevents leakage of circulating fluid 34 when the circulation hoses 22 are disconnected.

(15) To further enhance the modularity of the system, the indoor and/or outdoor units are arranged such that they include multiple hose connection points so that multiple indoor units can be connected to a single outdoor unit. Such connections may be parallel or made directly from each of the indoor units 10 to the outdoor unit 16 as shown in FIG. 5. Alternately the indoor units 10 may be connected in series or in a daisy chain arrangement with the outdoor unit 16 as shown at FIG. 6. Turning back to FIG. 4, the indoor unit 10 may include such functionality as heat sensors 38 and servo directed louvers 40 to direct cooling airflow to hotspots in a room (read here room occupants). Further, the indoor unit 10 may be configured to collect condensate and deposit it back into the circulating fluid 34 loop. The outdoor unit 16 can then be configured to eject some fluid from the loop should the fluid capacity of the loop be exceeded by the addition of condensate.

(16) It should be further appreciated by one skilled in the art that the arrangement of the present invention could operate equally well as a heating system. In operation the only change that would need to be made is that the outdoor unit would be run as a heat pump rather than as an air conditioner. In this manner rather than cooling the circulating fluid, the outdoor would heat the circulating fluid. Optionally, the indoor units may instead include a supplemental heating arrangement such as an electrical heating coil.

(17) It can therefore be seen that the present invention provides a modular air conditioner that operates on the basic principal of a split system yet allows user serviceability and modular components such that the system is flexible. Further the present invention provides a modular air conditioning system that includes at least one indoor cooling unit that has an integrated cold storage therein such that the temperature of the cold store is maintained by a circulating coolant fluid through user serviceable hose connections with an outdoor heat dissipation unit. For these reasons, the present invention is believed to represent a significant advancement in the art, which has substantial commercial merit.

(18) While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.