BACKGROUND

Present air conditioning apparatus are designed to heat or cool the air circulated within a room. Where persons are seated at a desk for long periods of time, as may be the case in many commercial offices, the heating or cooling of the air not immediately surrounding the person is both unnecessary and constitutes a waste of energy.

OBJECTIVES

The present invention aims to alleviate the above disadvantages and to provide an air conditioning apparatus which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

NATURE OF THE INVENTION With the foregoing and other objects in view, this

SUBSTITUTE SHEET

invention in one aspect resides broadly in an air conditioning apparatus including: air distribution means for delivering air to a zone to be conditioned; air collection means for collecting air from said zone, and ducting means for transferring air from said air collection means to said air distribution means. Preferably said apparatus also includes fans adapted to drive air through said air distribution means.

The air collection means or air distribution means in one embodiment may include a first opening preferably located in the ceiling of a room. However, an opening may be provided in a wall of the room preferably adjacent to the ceiling and the region to be supplied with air. The opening, in one embodiment, may include a housing and a fan mounted within the housing. The fan is preferably adapted to drive air through the housing thereby generating a flow of air through the ducting. The housing may also include a cooling element adapted to cool the air passed therethrough. The housing may also include a funnel shaped extension dependent therefrom having an access opening positioned above the localized region and wherein use, the funnel may assist in the collection and passage of air through the housing.

The funnel may be integral with or attached to the housing and may include a continuous side wall or a plurality

of side walls. The walls may be manufactured from a metal plastics, paper, cotton or synthetic material and may b constructed so as to permit the folding or retraction of th wall or walls toward the ceiling. In one embodiment th funnel may include four walls each constructed from a sheet o flexible plastics material. The lower edges of each sheet ar preferably connected to a draw string or the like which may b used to raise the lower edges of the walls. The walls ma each include a number of horizontally orientated fold line which permit the folding of the wall in a concertina fashion.

The air collection means or the air distribution mean in yet another embodiment may include a second opening locate in a wall of the room adjacent to the floor or alternatively, in the floor immediately below the region to be supplied with air or from which air is to be extracted. The second opening, in one embodiment, may include a housing and a fan mounted within the housing. The fan is preferably adapted to drive air through the housing. The housing may also include a heating element fitted thereto.

In an alternative embodiment, the floor may include any number of tubular passageways in which are formed inlet or outlet ports through which air may pass to or from the localized region. The passageways are preferably arranged so as to form a network of inlet or outlet ports which may supply air to or collect air from a number of localized regions in a room and which may be selectively opened and closed.

The ducting in one embodiment may include a length of tubing connecting the first opening and the second opening. The tubing may be manufactured from a metal, plastics or paper material. In one embodiment, the tubing may extend between external fittings fluidly connected to the first and second openings respectively. Preferably the ends of the ducting are releasably connected to the external fittings thereby enabling the ducting to be removed when not required.

In an alternative embodiment, the ducting may include lengths of tubing or a number of passageways contained behind walls or within columns located within the room. In one embodiment, the passageways connecting the first and second openings are defined by the region separating the ceiling and a floor above, and an internal wall of the room or of the ducting and an external wall of the office or dwelling.

The ducting may also be fluidly connected to a source of fresh air thereby enabling fresh air to be introduced into the localized region. To force the flow of air through the ducting, the ducting may include one or more fans positioned therealong. The ducting may also include a heating element and/or a cooling element contained therein which may be used to condition the air flowing through the ducting. However, in alternative embodiments, both heating and cooling elements may be attached to the first and second openings or positioned in the room in front of the first and second openings.

The actuation means may control the extent to which th openings are opened or closed and the volume of fresh ai which may be introduced into the apparatus. Where th apparatus is used to either heat or cool the air circulatin within the localized region, the actuation means preferabl enables the apparatus to be reversed enabling the apparatus t be used to selectively heat or cool the air supplied to th localized region.

DRAWINGS In order that this invention may be more easil understood and put into practical effect, reference will no be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:-

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an air conditionin apparatus constructed in accordance with the presen invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus illustrated in figure 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another air conditionin apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention and wherein the apparatus is adapted to supply cool air to a localized region;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the apparatus illustrated in figure 3 and wherein the apparatus is adapted to supply warm air to a localized region;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a floor vent;

FIG. 6 is an end view of a closure means used to

selectively extend the length of the floor vent;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a plurality of inverted channel shaped members belonging to the floor vent;

FIG. 8 is perspective view of alternative inverted channel shaped members;

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of an air conditioning unit adapted to heat the air circulated therethrough;

FIG. 10 is a side view of an air conditioning unit that is easy to reverse the duty from heating cycle of FIG. 9 to cooling cycle of this figure and easy to reverse the direction of air flow;

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of an alternative air conditioning unit adapted to heat or cool the air circulated therethrough; FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of another airconditioning unit, and

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternative air conditioning unit having cheap flexible and collapsible duct joining the floor components with the ceiling components.

An object of the present invention is to supply conditioned air to a localized region 10 within a room 11 illustrated in figures 1 and 2. The room 11 of a house or office includes a floor 12, a false ceiling 13 and internal and external walls 14 and 15 respectively.

The false ceiling 13 includes an opening 16 formed

therein directly above the localized region 10 through whi air may pass. The opening 16 is connected to a simil opening 17, formed in the wall 14 adjacent the floor 12, by length of ducting 18 sandwhiched between the internal a external walls 14 and 15 respectively. A flow of air may driven through the opening 16 and the ducting 18 by t actuation of a fan 28 of an air control unit 19 positioned the opening 16.

The air control unit 19, illustrated in figure 11 includes a first top axial air opening 20, a second sid radial air opening 21, and a third bottom axial air openin

22. The unit 19 includes a mounting portion 23 which ma incorporate brackets (not shown) enabling the unit 19 to b removably mounted to the ceiling 13. The unit 19 als includes a main body portion 24 which is separated from an hangs beneath the mounting portion 23 on supports 25 and 26

The body portion 24 includes a sleeve 27 which is capable o movement in a vertical direction in order to selectively ope or close the radial opening 21. The main body portion 24 als includes a fan 28 driven by a motor 29. Beneath the main bod portion 24 there is supported a heat exchanger preferably cooling unit 30 which may be used to effect cooling of ai that is driven out the third axial opening 22.

It will be appreciated that movement of the sleeve 27 i a vertical direction towards the ceiling 13 will close th radial opening 21 thereby preventing the flow of ai

therethrough.

A passageway 31, separating the false ceiling 13 and the true ceiling 32 of the building, includes a vent 33 formed in the external wall 15 through which fresh air may pass. An opening 34 formed in the ducting 18 opposite the opening 16 formed in the ceiling 13 permits fresh air to be drawn into the room or warm air to be expelled from the room as indicated by arrows 35.

A cooling element 36 intended to cool the air circulated in the localized region 10 is positioned within the ducting 18. The direction of air flowing through the ducting may be diverted around the cooling element 35a in figure 2 by the selective positioning of baffle plates 37 and 38 which are hingedly connected to a wall 39 which extends between opposing side walls, not shown, of the ducting.

An additional air control unit 19a, including a fan 28a and a heating unit 30a, is fitted to the opening 17 formed in the wall 14. The heating unit 30a may be used to effect the heating of air driven through the opening 17.

In use, the rotation of the fans 28 in a direction so as to drive air through the opening 16 in the ceiling 13 and to draw air through the opening 17 formed in the wall 14 will cause air to be conveyed along the ducting 18. The cooling of the air travelling through the ducting 18 may be effected by

9 the selective positioning of the baffle plates 37 and 38, illustrated in figure 1, so as to direct air through t cooling element during operation of same.

Due to the operation of the fans 28, fresh air will drawn through opening 34 and combined with air drawn from t room. The amount of fresh air mixed with the recycled air m be varied by introducing a valve, not shown, which m selectively open or close opening 34.

It will be appreciated that where the ambie temperature of the room is only a few degrees celsius high than the temperature of the air outside, the apparatus may used to deliver fresh air only to the localized region a wherein the air may be recycled or exhausted through door windows or exaust ports which are not shown.

To deliver warm air to the localized region 10, t rotational direction of the fans 28 are reversed there drawing warm air in through the opening 16 and driving the a along the ducting 18. The orientation of the baffle plates 3 and 38 is also reversed in order to direct the flow of a through the ducting 18 around, rather than through, t cooling element 36.

Heating of the air is effected by the heating unit 30 through which the air is driven by fan 28a. The warm air having been expelled through the opening 17 and projecte

towards the base of the region 10, rises upwardly through the region 10 whereupon the air is drawn through opening 16 and the cycle is repeated. Fresh air is permitted to enter the apparatus via the opening 34 (with fan 28 idle) and through cracks at doors and windows or fresh air inlet ports, not shown. Similarly, warm air may be expelled from the apparatus via the opening 34 in the ducting 18 with fan 28 in operation.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a similar air conditioning apparatus 40 to that illustrated in figure 1. including the addition of a vent 41 located in the floor directly below the localized region 10. The vent 41 includes a plurality of inverted channel shaped members 42 laid side by side on a supporting surface 43 such that the channel shaped members 42 and the supporting surface 43 define a plurality of tubular passageways 44 as shown in figures 5, 6 and 7. Each channel shaped member 42 includes a pair of opposing side walls 45 separated by an intermediate or upper wall 46 having a plurality of windows 47 formed in each of the side walls 45 through which columns of air, indicated by arrows 48, may pass. To prevent the interaction between columns of air expelled from the windows 47 of opposing side walls 45, the windows of opposing channel shaped members 42 are staggered or offset as illustrated in figure 7.

In addition, each channel shaped member 42 includes an upstream end 49 and a downstream end 50 as shown in figures 5,

9 and 10. Air may be prevented from passing from the upstrea end 49 to the downstream end 50 by the selective location o rectangularly shaped closure members 51 in respectiv transverse slots 52 cut into each channel shaped member 42 Link members 53, hingedly connected at locations 55 and 56 t a pair of opposed channel shaped members 42 and to a strip 5 of gate members 51 respectively, enable the gate members 51 t be lifted from a position where they block the flow of ai passing through the various channel shaped members 42, to position wherein air may flow from the upstream end 49 to th downstream end 50 of each channel shaped member 42 as illustrated in figure 6.

The upstream ends 49 of the channel shaped members 42 are connected to the air control unit 19a by a length of ducting 71 of figures 9 and 10. The downstream ends 50 of each channel shaped members 42 are each closed by a seal or stop 57.

It will be appreciated that the channel shaped members

42a, 42b, 42c and 42d as illustrated in figure 8, having a profile some what different to the members 42 may be substituted for the members 42 in the embodiments described above.

The apparatus illustrated in figure 3 may be utilized to cool the air delivered to the localized region 10 in a manner similar to that described in relation to the apparatus

illustrated in figure 1. Similarly, the apparatus illustrated in figure 4 may be used to heat the air delivered to the localized region 10 in a manner similar to that described in figure 1. Furthermore, it will be appreciated the inclusion of the collector 80 positioned directly above a person seated in the localized region will result in the capture of the warm air as it rises. The collector 80 will reduce the amount of warm air which is lost to the remainder of the room and will thereby contribute to the overall efficiency of the apparatus. The walls of the collector 80 may be raised by pulling on the draw string provided thereby enabling the person to walk about the room unhindered. It will also be appreciated that the positioning of the vent below the region will result in the delivery of greater volumes of warm air to the region or a more efficient collection of cool air than the apparatus illustrated in figure 1.

Figure 9 illustrates an air control unit 58 intended to heat air circulated therethrough including a blower 59 and a floor vent 60 interconnected by a length of ducting 71. The blower 59 includes a body portion 61 having an inlet port 62, an outlet port 63 and a fan 64 positioned therebetween. The fan 64 is driven by an electric motor 65 shown mounted to the body portion 61 by struts 66. The blower 59 also includes a detachable heating element 67 that can be detached from or attached to the blower quite easily. The heating element 67 is positioned intermediate the fan 64 and the outlet port 63.

The body portion 61 also includes a pair of roun symmetrical shoulders 68 and wherein one side of each shoulde rests upon the inclined round opening 69 surrounding the inle port 70 of the ducting 71. The shoulders 68 and the roun opening 69 have the same angle of bevelling such that, afte resting the shoulders on the opening, there does not exist passage between the blower and the ducting through which ai might escape. The ducting 71 also includes a neck portion 7 having an outlet port 73 which is connected to the upstrea ends 49 of the channel shaped members 42 from which the floo vent 60 is constructed. A seal 57a positioned intermediat the neck portion 72 and the external surfaces of th respective channel shaped members 42 prevents any leakage o air therebetween.

The unit 58 may be modified easily in order to also cool the air circulated therethrough as illustrated in figure 10. In particular, the orientation of the fan has been reversed and a cooling element 75 is positioned on top of the fan at the port 63. Coolant is supplied to the cooling element 75 by way of supply lines 76.

The particular airconditioning apparatus illustrated in figure 4 also includes a collector 80 suspended from the false ceiling 13 immediately below the opening 16 formed therein. The collector 80 includes an upper funnel shaped portion 81, a cylindrical portion 82 and an inside funnel shaped portion 83. All of these are constructed from preferably a flexible

material like plastics of the same diameter and folded to form the funnel shapes at both ends. To maintain the cylindrical shape or funnel shapes of the side walls 81, 82 and 83, an annular support member 84 is attached to the intermediate section between the walls 81 and 82 and a smaller annular support member 85 is attached to the end of wall 83; the otehr end of wall 81 is attached to the ceiling annular support member (not shown) .

THe collector 80 also includes a length of rope 87 having both ends tied to smaller annular support member 85 while the rope passing through the pulleys 86 attached to the ceiling annular support member (not shown) attached to the opening 16 at the false ceiling 13. By pulling at the middle of the rope 87, the lower edge 88 can be raised toward the false ceiling 13.

Figure 13 illustrates yet another airconditioning apparatus 95 intended to circulate air within a localized region intermediate the ceiling components 96 and the floor components 97. The ceiling components 96 include an air box 98 having mounting means, not shown, for the mounting of the box to the ceiling. The air box 98 includes an inlet port 99, having an outwardly directed peripheral flange 102, and an outlet port 100 formed therein and wherein there is provided a fan 101 positioned across the outlet port 100.

The floor components 97 include an air box 104 having

mounting means, not shown, for the mounting of the box to th floor. The air box 104 includes an inlet port, obscured which is fluidly connected to a floor vent 41. The air bo 104 also includes a fan 106 contained within the box an positioned below an outlet port 105 having an outwardl directed peripheral flange 107.

A length of tubing 108 is used to connect the inlet por

99 and the out let port 105. The ends 109 of the tubing 10 are positioned over and secured to the peripheral flanges 10 and 107 by rubber bands 110.

The apparatus 95 may be easily installed in existin rooms and does not require walls to be removed in order tha ducting may be placed therebehind as may be the case with th apparatus illustrated in figures 1 to 4. In use, actuation o the fans 101 and 106 causes air to be drawn through the floo vent 41, driven along the length of the tubing 108 an expelled through the outlet port 100 in the direction of the localized region 10. Arrows 140 indicate the flow of air around the apparatus 95.

Figure 12 illustrates an air control unit 111 similar to that illustrated in figure 11. The unit 111 includes a body portion 115 located within and suspended from the opening 16 formed in the false ceiling 13. Mounting brackets 11, being affixed to the ceiling 13 by fasteners 116, are used to support the body portion within the opening 16. The body

portion is retained in position by bolts 134 which engage the body portion as illustrated.

It will be appreciated that the unit 111 may be positioned substantially above the false ceiling 13 by raising the body portion and again using bolts 134 to retain the body portion in the desired position indicated by arrow 135.

The body portion 115 includes a continuous side wall 113 positioned intermediate a first or top axial opening 112 and a second or bottom axial opening 114. The side wall 113 includes a plurality of slots 117 formed therein which may be selectively opened or closed by the rotation of a sleeve 118, having corresponding slots 117a formed therein, within the body portion 115.

The sleeve 118 includes a pulley 119 supported coaxially within the sleeve 118 by arms 120. Two lengths of rope 121 and 122 are attached to and are wound around the pulley 119 in opposite directions and which are supported by pulleys 125 and 126. Rotation of the sleeve 118 is achieved by pulling upon the ends 123 and 124 of the ropes 121 and 122 respectively.

The body portion 115 also includes a fan 127 driven by a motor 128 which is coaxially supported above the opening 114 by arms 129.

^{i iμμμiβ} PCT/AU90/00451

17

The body portion also includes a removable top openi

130 positioned on top of the body portion. The top openi

130 includes a shutter mechanism, similar to that contained most cameras, which may be selectively opened and closed pulling ropes 131 and 132, shown supported by a pulley 133.

In use, actuation of the fan 127 will draw fresh ai through axial opening 112 and air present in the room throug slots 117. The air will in turn be expelled through openin 114. It will be appreciated that the closure of the shutte mechanism of the unit 130 will prevent the flow of fresh ai through the unit. Similarly, the closure of slots 117, due t the rotation of sleeve 118, will prevent the flow of room ai through the unit. By selectively adjusting the opening created by the shutter mechanism and the sleeve 118, the use may vary both the volume and the mixture of the air delivere to the room by the unit.

It will of course be realised that the above has bee given only by way of illustrative example of the presen invention and that all such modifications and variation thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art ar deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of thi invention as is herein defined in the appended claims.