TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a climate control unit and a climate control system, which will find application in the field of thermal engineering and in particular they will be used for heating and cooling of closed or open spaces for domestic, public, agricultural, industrial and other needs.

BACKGROUND ART

In some of the conventional climate control systems, known as air conditioners, the heat exchange is between a working fluid and air. In these systems, by means of an air-conditioning unit with a fan, convection delivers heat or cold, which are distributed in the spaces by air flow. They create an airflow with a temperature, different from the room air temperature. This airflow causes discomfort and health risks, as well as the spread of viruses and bacteria. This is one of the reasons, a climate control unit and a climate control system to be created, which will serve to heat and cool the space through another type of heat exchange, such as radiant heat transfer, which is based on thermally active surfaces.

A climate control unit and a climate control system are known from FR937670, which work on the principle of radiant heat transfer. The climate control unit from FR937670 is a lamella with top and bottom surface, and the climate control system is including many climate control units. The lamellae are movably attached directly to working fluid supply lines, from which their surfaces are heated or cooled. In the known system, the lamellae are arranged next to each other with non-automatic and individual rotation. The climate control system, known from FR937670, is designed for installation to the upper surface of rooms. This climate control system does not provide means for condensate drainage, that may form during the cooling process. The tempering of the lamellae is intended to be supported by means of a single pipe, which can lead to an uneven temperature distribution on the surface of the lamella.

A climate control unit and a climate control system are also known from US4679617. The known system includes climate control units in the form of lamellae, which are mounted next to each other in a frame. The climate control system, known from US4679617, is also intended for mounting to the upper surface of the rooms. In this system, the tempering of the lamellae is also supported by means of a single working fluid supply line, which again can lead to an uneven temperature on the surface of the lamella. The climate control unit and the climate control system, known from US4679617, do not provide means for condensate drainage, which may be formed during the cooling process.

A climate control system is known from US3048375A, which includes climate control units in the form of lamellae, which are rotatably mounted in a frame. The lamellae are hollow and have a chamber for working fluid circulation. The lamellae are connected sequential via working fluid supply line. The sequential connection of the lamellas can lead to deterioration of the heat exchange properties of the system, because during the sequential passing of the working fluid through the lamellae, its temperature equalizes with the room air temperature. The known invention does not provide means for condensate removing, which may be formed during the cooling process. All lamellae rotate parallel to each other, remaining in open or closed end position. The climate control system, known from US3048375A, is designed to replace the vertical blinds for windows, therefore the lamellae are installed vertically and can be considered as different type.

The closest technical solution from the state of the art, in which a climate control unit and a climate control system are disclosed, is known from US4993630. This climate control system is intended for installation on the upper surface of premises. This climate control system includes multiple climate control units, which in one embodiment are lamellas with top and bottom surface. In this embodiment, the lamellas have a lateral incline and a gutter for condensate capturing, which is facing toward the top surface and is located along one of the edges of the lamella. The lamellae are mounted on central tubes. Inlet and outlet tubes are connected to the central tube of each lamella. The inlet tube of each climate control unit is connected to a working fluid supply line, and the outlet tube of each climate control unit is connected to a working fluid return line. Tempering the lamella in parallel through a single working fluid supply line helps to maintain the temperature of the working fluid along all lamellae, but the central pipe for each lamella can again lead to an uneven distribution of the temperature on its surfaces. Due to the lateral inclination of the lamellae, only the condensate on the top surface of the lamellae is drained through a gutter on the lower edge. The bottom surface is partially insulated with a semi- permeable coating, increasing the temperature relative to the top surface, as a result - preventing the formation of condensate on the bottom surface. As a result, the radiant effect of the bottom surface is significantly reduced, which is of great importance in cooling mode. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a climate control unit with improved thermal exchange in reversible operating modes, having condensate drainage in cooling mode with no efficiency loss.

Another object of the present invention is to create a climate control system, based on the climate control unit, which provides improved heating and cooling of the spaces with ensured condensate drainage in cooling mode.

The main object of the present invention is solved by creating a climate control unit, including a lamella with top and bottom surface, having a gutter for condensate capturing, which is mounted along one of the edges of the lamella. According to the present invention, the lamella is hollow and across its length it is divided into chambers for working fluid circulation. The gutter is oriented towards the bottom surface of the lamella. The ends of the chambers are connected to inlet manifold and outlet manifold, which are mounted at both ends of the lamella. The inlet manifold has a condensate container, which is connected to the gutter. The inlet manifold is mounted perpendicular to first hanger and the outlet manifold is mounted perpendicular to second hanger. The inlet and outlet manifolds are rotatably mounted to the first and second hangers by couplers.

In one embodiment of the climate control unit, according to the present invention, the first hanger is higher than the second hanger and is divided into a lower section and an upper section. The inlet manifold is mounted to the lower section and the outlet manifold is mounted directly to the second hanger. The lamella has a longitudinal inclination in the direction of the lower section of the first hanger.

In a preferred embodiment of the climate control unit, according to the present invention, a protruding section in the form of a spur gear is formed on the inlet manifold before the coupler. To the lower section of the first hanger is mounted an additional spur gear with a pair of openings, located opposite to each other relative to the center of the additional spur gear. The additional spur gear is connected to the spur gear of the inlet manifold by a flexible element.

In embodiments of the climate control unit, according to the present invention, the flexible element may be a chain or a belt, or preferably a toothed belt, also the top surface of the lamellae may be covered with a thermal insulation material, and the condensate container may have a round or elliptical cross-section.

The other object of the present invention is solved by creating a climate control system, including at least one climate control unit. In the climate control system, an inlet tube and an outlet tube are connected to the lamella of each climate control unit. The inlet tube of each climate control unit is connected to a working fluid supply line, and the outlet tube of each climate control unit is connected to a working fluid return line. According to the present invention, the inlet tube is connected through the coupler to the inlet manifold of each lamella, and the outlet tube is connected through the coupler to the outlet manifold of each lamella. To the condensate container of each lamella is connected a drainage tube, which is connected to a condensate drainage line via a valve.

In one embodiment of the climate control system, according to the present invention, the climate control units are arranged next to each other at equal distances in at least one pair in such a way that in each pair the first climate control unit is mirrored opposite the second climate control unit. The first hangers are arranged in a straight line on one side of the lamellae, and the second hangers are arranged parallel to the first hangers on the opposite side of the lamellae. The gutters of each pair of climate control units are positioned against each other.

In another embodiment of the climate control system, according to the present invention, the climate control units are connected to each other by means of two pairs of parallel drive rods. The first pair of parallel drive rods is joined to the pair of openings of the additional spur gears of each odd climate control unit, and the second pair of parallel drive rods is joined to the pair of openings of the additional spur gears of each even climate control unit.

In embodiments of the climate control system, according to the present invention, the lamellae in each pair of climate control units have a variable transverse incline relative to the first and second hangers and are arranged V-shaped relative to each other.

The climate control unit and the climate control system are having improved and highly- efficient operation with reversible operating modes. The thermally active surface ensures radiant, convective and latent heat transfer. The climate control unit is suitable particularly for cooling spaces, because it eliminates the problem of condensate formation and its drainage. The climate control system eliminates the discomfort caused by the air-draft in the room from the conventional air-conditioning systems, prevents the health risks of the users, as well as the forced aerosol spread of viruses and bacteria. The climate control unit and the climate control system allow maintaining the thermal conditions according to the preferences of the users by controlling both the temperature of the working fluid and the direction of the radiant energy flow. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The climate control unit and system, according to the present invention, are disclosed in the accompanying figures, of which:

Figure 1 shows a bottom isometric view of the climate control unit;

Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of the bottom surface of the lamella;

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section of the climate control unit;

Figure 4 shows a top isometric view of an embodiment of the climate control unit;

Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of one side of the climate control unit;

Figure 6 shows a top isometric view of climate control system, having a single climate control unit;

Figure 7 shows an enlarged view of one side of the climate control system, having a single climate control unit;

Figure 8 is a bottom isometric view of a climate control system, having more than one climate control unit;

Figure 9 shows a bottom isometric view of the climate control system with lamellae, arranged V-shaped relative to each other;

Figure 10 shows a top isometric view of the climate control system with lamellae, arranged V-shaped relative to each other.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show an embodiment of a climate control unit 1, which includes a lamella 2 with a top and a bottom surface. The top surface of the lamella 2 can be covered with thermal insulation material. The lamella 2 is hollow and divided across its length into chambers 3 for working fluid circulation. On one edge of the lamella 2 a gutter 4 for condensate capturing is mounted, which is oriented towards the bottom surface of the lamella 2. The ends of the chambers 3 are connected to an inlet manifold 5 and an outlet manifold 6, which are mounted to both ends of the lamella 2. The inlet manifold 5 has a condensate container 7, which is connected to the gutter 4. The condensate container 7 may have a circular or elliptical cross section. The inlet manifold 5 is mounted perpendicular to a first hanger 8, and the outlet manifold 6 is mounted perpendicular to a second hanger 9. The inlet and outlet manifold 5, 6 are rotatably mounted to the first and second hangers 8, 9 by couplers 10.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the climate control unit 1, in which the first hanger 8 is elongated and is higher than the second hanger 9. The first hanger 8 is divided into a lower section 8.1 and an upper section 8.2, wherein the inlet manifold 5 is mounted to the lower section 8.1, and the outlet manifold 6 is mounted directly to the second hanger 9. In this embodiment, the lamella 2 is longitudinally inclined in the direction of the lower section 8.1 of the first hanger 8.

In a preferred embodiment of the climate control unit 1 (shown in Fig. 5), a protruding section in the form of a spur gear 11 is formed on the inlet manifold 5 before the coupler 10. To the lower section 8.1 of the first hanger 8 an additional spur gear 12 is mounted, having a pair of openings 13, located opposite to each other relative to the center of the additional spur gear 12. The additional gear 12 is connected to the spur gear 11 of the inlet manifold 5 by a flexible element 14. The flexible element 14 can be a chain or a belt, preferably a toothed belt.

Figures 6 and 7 show an exemplary embodiment of a climate control system, comprising at least one climate control unit 1. In the climate control system, an inlet tube 17 and an outlet tube 18 are connected to the lamella 2 of each climate control unit 1. The inlet tube 17 of each climate control unit 1 is connected to a working fluid supply line 20, and the outlet tube 18 of each climate control unit 1 is connected to a working fluid return line 21. The inlet tube 17 is connected through the coupler 10 to the inlet manifold 5 of each lamella 2, and the outlet tube 18 is connected through the coupler 10 to the outlet manifold 6 of each lamella 2. To the condensate container 7 of each lamella 2 a drainage tube 19 is connected, which via a valve 23 is connected to a condensate drainage line 22.

In one embodiment of the climate control system (shown in Fig. 8), the climate control units 1 are arranged next to each other at equal distances in at least one pair in such a way that in each pair the first climate control unit 1 is mirrored opposite the second climate control unit 1. The first hangers 8 are arranged in a straight line on one side of the lamellae 2, and the second hangers 9 are arranged parallel to the first hangers 8 on the opposite side of the lamellae 2. The gutters 4 of each pair of climate control units 1 are positioned against each other. The lamellae 2 in each pair of climate control units 1 have a variable transverse inclination relative to the first and second hangers 8, 9 and can be arranged V-shaped relative to each other (shown in Fig. 9).

In a preferred embodiment of the climate control system (shown in Fig. 10), the climate control units 1 are connected to each other by two pairs of parallel drive rods 15, 16. The first pair of parallel drive rods 15 is joined to the pair of openings 13 of the additional spur gears 12 of each odd climate control unit 1, and the second pair of parallel drive rods 16 is joined to the pair of openings 13 of the additional spur gears 12 of each even climate control unit 1.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it should be noted that other embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art that will achieve the desired effects by the features disclosed herein that are not depart from the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF INVENTION

The climate control unit and system provide the opportunity to perform radiant, convective and latent thermal exchange. The climate control unit and the climate control system itself are intended to be mounted to a mounting surface in the space above the users, which surface in enclosed spaces can be the ceiling of the room.

The operation of the present invention is based on the climate control units 1 or the climate control system, which shall be mounted above the spaces. The climate control unit 1 has a lamella 2, which has a hollow core, divided into chambers 3 for circulation of working fluid inside (water, antifreeze, etc.). Charging the working fluid with heat or cold can be ensured by any known thermal system such as an air conditioner, heat pump, heat exchanger, thermal aggregate, or other. The climate control system can be supported by circulation pumps to facilitate the working fluid flow through the system and for the passage of the working fluid through the chambers 3 of the lamellae 2. The ends of the chambers 3 are connected to an inlet manifold 5 and an outlet manifold 6, which are mounted at both ends of the lamella 2. The inlet manifold 5 is mounted perpendicular to the first hanger 8, and the outlet manifold 6 is mounted perpendicular to the second hanger 9. The inlet and outlet manifold 5, 6 are rotatably mounted to the first and second hangers 8, 9 by means of couplers 10, which allow the transverse inclination of the lamellae 2 to be adjusted to the preferences of the users. Each lamella 2 has a top surface, which is oriented to the mounting surface and a bottom surface, which is oriented towards the space, above which the climate control units 1 of the climate control system are mounted. In cooling mode of the climate control system, due to the latent heat exchange, moisture condensation from the room air occurs onto the thermally active surface of the lamellae 2. The top surface of the lamellae 2 can be covered with thermal insulation material, as this limits the temperature of the surface and prevents formation of condensate during operation of the climate control system in cooling mode. The insulation of the top surface of the lamella 2 determines the dominance of the bottom surface as thermally active. Along one edge of the lamella 2 a gutter 4 is mounted, which is oriented towards the thermally active bottom surface of the lamella 2. By means of the transverse inclination of the climate control units 1, the accumulated condensate onto the bottom surface during cooling flows transversely along the lamellae 2 and is captured in the gutters 4. The inlet manifold 5 has a condensate container 7, which is connected to the gutter 4 to collect condensate. By means of the longitudinal inclination of the climate control unit 1, the condensate in the gutters

4 flows to the end of the lamellae 2 and falls into the condensate containers 7. Preferably, the condensate container 7 has a circular or elliptical cross section, which will facilitate the drainage of the condensate from the condensate container 7. If the mounting surface is horizontal, it is preferable the first hanger 8 to be higher than the second hanger 9. In that case the first hanger is divided into a lower section 8.1 and an upper section 8.2. In this embodiment, the inlet manifold

5 is mounted to the lower section 8.1 of the first hanger 8 and the outlet manifold 6 is mounted directly to the second hanger 9, wherein the second hangers 9 are in a plane that is at an angle to the mounting surface. The fastening of the first hangers is performed so that the upper section 8.2 is perpendicular to the mounting surface and the lower section 8.1 is inclined at an angle to it, whereby the lamella 2 has a constant longitudinal inclination towards the lower section 8.1 of the first hanger 8.

The climate control system comprises at least one climate control unit 1. Each climate control unit 1 can be mounted independently to the mounting surface or, preferably, the climate control units 1 are arranged at equal distances from each other in at least one pair in such a way that the first climate control unit 1 of each pair is mirrored opposite to the second climate control unit 1 in the same pair. In this preferred embodiment, the attachment points of the second hangers 9 to the mounting surface are in a straight line and are equidistant from each other. The first hangers 8 are also attached at equal distances from each other, which is equal to the distances between the second hangers 9. The first hangers 8 are also attached to the mounting surface in a straight line parallel to the line in which the second hangers 9 are attached. In this type of attachment to the mounting surface, all first hangers 8 are arranged in a straight line on one side of the lamellae 2, and all second hangers 9 are arranged parallel to the first hangers 8 on the opposite side of the lamellae 2. The gutters 4 of each pair of adjacent climate control units 1 are located opposite to each other. The lamellae 2 in each pair of climate control units 1 can be rotated relative to the first and second hangers 8, 9 and can be positioned in a vertical, horizontal, or inclined position. The inclination of the lamellae 2 can be varied by rotating the lamellae 2 around their longitudinal axis. The lamellae 2 of all odd climate control units 1 rotate in one direction, while all other lamellae 2 rotate in the opposite direction. In this way, the lamellae 2 of each pair are oriented either in a plane or in a "V"-shaped configuration under a certain transverse inclination. The adjustment of the transverse inclination is done by means of two pairs of parallel drive rods 15, 16, through which the climate control units 1 are connected. On the inlet manifold 5 before the coupler 10 a protruding section in the form of a spur gear 11 is formed. To the lower section 8.1 of the first suspension 8 an additional spur gear 12 is attached, which has a pair of openings 13 located opposite to each other relative to the center of the additional spur gear 12. The additional spur gear 12 is connected to the spur gear 11 of the inlet manifold 5 by means of a flexible element 14. The flexible element 14 can be a belt or a chain, preferably a toothed belt, which is more suitable for performing the rotary transmission between the spur gear 11 and the additional spur gear 12. The first pair of parallel drive rods 15 is joined to the pair of openings 13 of the additional gear 12 of each odd climate control unit 1, and the second pair of parallel drive rods 16 is joined to the pair of openings 13 on the additional spur gear 12 of each even climate control unit 1.

In the climate control system, the working fluid is supplied to the climate control unit 1 via workingfluid supply line 20, which is connected via an inlettube 17 to the lamella 2 of each climate control unit 1. The inlet tube 17 of each climate control unit 1 is connected to the inlet manifold 5, which distributes the working fluid into the chambers 3 in the core of the lamellae 2. After passing through the chambers 3, the working fluid reaches the other end of the lamellae 2, where the outlet manifold 6 is mounted, which combines the flow from the chambers 3 of the lamellae 2 and directs it to an outlet tube 18. The outlet tube 18 of each climate control unit 1 is connected to a working fluid return line 21. To prevent twists, breaks or other mechanical damage, when turning the lamellae 2, the inlet tubes 17 and the outlet tubes 18 are connected respectively to the inlet manifold 5 and the outlet manifold 6 through couplers 10. To the condensate container 7 of each lamella 2 of the climate control units 1 a drainage tube 19 is connected. The drainage of condensate from the condensate container 7 of each lamella 2 is carried out by a common condensate pump, which creates sub-pressure in a condensate drainage line 22, which has connection to the drainage tube 19 of each climate control unit 1. A valve 23 is mounted on the drainage tube 19 of each climate control unit 1, which periodically passes the condensate to the condensate drainage line 22. To protect against twists, breaks or other mechanical damage during the rotation of the lamellae 2, each drainage tube 19 consists of four parts.

The first part of the drainage tube 19 is connected to the condensate container 7 of the inlet manifold 5. The first part of the drainage tube 19 has a first straight section, a curved section and a second straight section. The first straight section is perpendicular to the central axis of the condensate container 7. The curved section of the drainage tube 19 is next, which has a 90° angle to end up coaxially with the central axis of the condensate container 7 and continues with the second straight section to pass through the wall of the condensate container 7. The first part of the drainage tube 19 is movably placed through the wall of the condensate container 7, so that the first straight section always retains its orientation when the lamellae 2 are turning. The second part of the drainage tube 19 continues from the end of the first part, following the wall of the inlet manifold 5, bypassing the flexible element 14 and the first hanger 8. The second part of the drainage tube 19 is fixed to the inlet manifold 5. The third part of the drainage tube 19 extends from the end of the second part by a flexible connection. The flexible connection surrounds the inlet tube 17 and is oriented parallel to it. By means of the flexible connection, the end of the third part of the drainage tube 19 can be fixed when the lamellae 2 are rotated. The fourth part of the drainage tube 19 extends from the end of the third, following the inlet tube 17 of the inlet manifold 5 until the valve 23. Compared to the conventional air conditioning systems, the climate control system provides more powerful total cooling per unit area and more powerful radiant heat transfer, which significantly improves customer's comfort. In addition, the climate control system performs significant latent heat exchange, which reduces or eliminates the need for additional dehumidifiers, fans or alike. The climate control system according to the present invention can find application for cooling or heating of indoor spaces (residential premises, sport halls, food and beverage outlets, any type of clubs, as well as specialized in the industry production workshops, factories, etc.) and outdoor spaces (gardens, pavilions, sheds, gazebos, parking lots, etc.), as it is equally efficient in terms of radiant heat exchange, and in terms of convective energy exchange it is similar in efficiency when used indoors and outdoors. When installed outdoors, the radiant heat exchange is not affected by the external environment and retains its efficiency, and the convective energy exchange is evenly distributed over the entire area. In production workshops and large sport halls, the local installation of the climate control system over key areas eliminates the need to condition the entire room, which realizes energy savings. The system can be easily integrated into the interior design of the spaces by means of different types and colors of coatings on the surfaces of the lamellae 2. The main applications of the climate control system are in several different types of rooms and spaces, whereas the climate control units 1 are mounted above the occupants covering either the entire area of the living space, or part of the area - locally above key occupied sub-areas.