AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a system for air-conditioning a plurality of rooms in a building.

BACKGROUND TECHNIQUE

To realize an energy-saving and comfortable life of a housing, high airtight and high heat-insulation are increasingly required. As optical air-conditioning for such a high airtight and heat-insulation housing, there is an entire air-conditioning system for sending air conditioned by an air-conditioning machine to an entire house.

As an air-conditioning system of this kind, there is conventionally known a system in which an air-conditioning room having an air-conditioning machine is provided in a building, conditioned air is created therein, and the air is sent to each of the rooms. However, when there is no space for providing the air-conditioning room in the building or when it is unnecessary to air-condition most of the rooms in the building, such a system is not employed, and the air-conditioning machine is provided only in a room where air-conditioning is required in many cases. However, this system has many problems, such as a problem of uncomfortableness caused by temperature difference between rooms, a problem of power consumption caused by operating a plurality of air-conditioning machines, a problem of a located space of a plurality of air-conditioning machines.

Also in a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed, to realize a comfortable living space, a plurality of patent documents disclose simple air-conditioning systems for sending air of a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed to a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed.

In one of the air-conditioning systems, a suction port provided in a ceiling of a room where an air-conditioning machine is placed and an air supply port provided in a floor of a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed are connected to each other through a duct, an air blower and a damper, and a suction port provided in a floor of the room where the air-conditioning machine is placed and an air supply port provided in a ceiling of the room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed are connected to each other through the duct, the air blower and the damper. This air-conditioning system has an air-conditioning function for indirectly heating the room where the air-conditioning machine is placed by transferring air in the vicinity of the ceiling heated by the air-conditioning machine in a habitable room in the housing to a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed such as a washroom, and by blowing out the air from the floor, and an air-conditioning function for indirectly cooling the room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed by transferring air in the vicinity of the floor cooled by the air-conditioning machine in the habitable room in the housing to a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed such as the washroom and by blowing out the air from the ceiling (see patent document 1 for example).

Another air-conditioning system includes a first habitable room, a second habitable room, a circulation wind passage for circulating air, and an air blower for the circulation wind passage, and this air-conditioning system can send conditioned air in the first habitable room to the second habitable room through the circulation wind passage, and can send air in the second habitable room to the first habitable room through the circulation wind passage (see patent document 2 for example).

In yet another air-conditioning system, an air-conditioning machine and an air blower having an air cleaning section are placed in one of rooms in a building, conditioned air is sucked by the air blower to clean to the air, the air is sent out to a pipe portion together with outside air which exchanges heat with indoor air by a heat exchanging device, the conditioned air is introduced to each of the rooms by the pipe portion, and air quality environment in the respective rooms can be adjusted (see patent document 3 for example).

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

Patent Documents

• • [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6657057
  • [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2020-8246
  • [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-101600

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

According to the air-conditioning system described in patent document 1, in a general housing, relatively warm air is sucked from a suction port of a ceiling in the habitable room where the air-conditioning machine is placed at the time of heating operation, relatively cool air is sucked from the suction section of the floor at the time of cooling operation, the air is transferred to a wash room or the like where the air-conditioning machine is not placed, and the room can indirectly be warmed or cooled. However, a purpose of this air-conditioning system is to warm or cool the bathroom or the like where the air-conditioning machine is not placed while suppressing power consumption of the air blower by utilizing a difference in density caused by temperature of air. However, temperatures in the rooms where the air-conditioning machines are placed are not uniform due to shapes and sizes of the rooms where the air-conditioning machines are placed, a positional relation between the air-conditioning machine and the suction port connected to the air blower through a duct, an operation state such as a blowing direction of the air-conditioning machine, and blast volume of the air blower, and the ununiform air is transferred. Therefore, temperatures in the rooms where the air-conditioning machines are not placed are not also uniform, and the rooms are not warmed or cooled. For example, a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed is too hot and a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed is cold in winter, and a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed is too cold and a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed is hot in summer, and there is a possibility that any of the rooms become uncomfortable, there is a problem that temperatures in the respective rooms is left to nature. Further, if the temperature is forced to be brought close to set temperature, operations of the air-conditioning machine and the air blower become non-efficient, and there is a possibility that power consumption becomes large as a result. Further, when means for returning from a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed to a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed is unclear and there is no returning wind passage, and when a door is closed, wind volume which is transferred to the room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed becomes insufficient, and power consumption and noise of the air blower are only increased and there is a problem that the room is not warmed or cooled.

According to the air-conditioning system described in patent document 2, it is possible to indirectly warm or cool a room where an air-conditioning machine is not placed, but there is a possibility like patent document 1 that temperatures of any of the rooms become ununiform and uncomfortable because installation places and positional relation of the air-conditioning machine, the air blower, a blowout port and a suction port are unclear. Even if wind volume of the air blower is increased, a temperature difference between temperature of the room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed and set temperature of the air-conditioning machine is large and for example, there is a possibility that a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed is too hot and a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed is cold in winter, and a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed is too cold and a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed is hot in summer, and if temperature in the room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed is forced to be brought close to set temperature, there is a problem that power consumption becomes large.

In the air-conditioning system described in patent document 3, although air quality environment of each room can be adjusted, there is a problem that air quality of the room becomes ununiform and uncomfortable and the power consumption is increased like patent documents 1 and 2. There is also a problem that means for returning from each room to the air-conditioning machine and wind passages of the respective air cleaning sections are unclear, wind volume transferred of another room is insufficient and air cleaning is insufficient. Further, there is also a problem that transferring means of heat-exchanged outside air to each room is unclear, and outside air introducing amount to each room is insufficient.

The present invention has been accomplished to solve such conventional problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide an energy-saving air-conditioning system which can adjust also temperature of a room where an air-conditioning machine is not placed with a system of a relatively config8uration in a high airtight and high heat insulation building, can clean air at the same time, can reliably reduce powder dust amount of a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed, and can reliably reduce CO₂ density by carrying out heat exchange and ventilation, and can improve air quality.

Means for Solving Problem

To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides an air-conditioning system wherein an air-conditioning machine and a suction port C are provided in a space A in a high airtight and high heat insulative building, a blowout port is provided in a space B, a return air section forming a return air wind passage leading from the space B to the space A is provided between the space A and the space B, the suction port C, an air blower and the blowout port are connected to one another through an air-supply wind passage, air sucked by the suction port C is brown out from the blowout port by the air blower, the suction port C is provided below the air-conditioning machine, temperature and wind volume of a blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine are adjusted by setting of room temperature of the space A, and an operation mode, set temperature and wind volume of the air-conditioning machine, an angle of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is adjusted by setting of a wind direction louver of the air-conditioning machine, and blast volume of the air blower is adjusted, thereby making it possible to adjust temperature of the air sucked by the suction port C within 20K at time of heating operation and within 10K at time of cooling operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A. According to this means, temperature and wind volume of a blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine are stabilized, and it is possible to set an angle of the blowout air current and blast volume of the air blower, adjust temperature of air which is sucked through the suction port C, and adjust temperature in the space B to which the air is transferred.

At that time, to make it possible to adjust the temperature of air sucked through the suction port C within 20K at the time of the heating operation and within 10K at the time of the cooling operation with respect to room temperature of the space A, the suction port C which adjusts the angle of the wind direction louver is provided below the air-conditioning machine so that more blowout air current flows into the suction port C. Therefore, even if the wind direction louver does not lead to the direction of the suction port C at the time of the cooling operation, the wind direction louver leads to the lower suction port C by density of air, and if the wind direction louver leads to the direction of the suction port C, more blowout air current can be sucked into the suction port C more efficiently. However, since the wind direction louver leads upward by the density of air at the time of the heating operation, the wind direction louver vertically leads downward, the wind direction louver leads to the direction of the suction port C, the wind volume is strong, and more blowout air current flows into the suction port C.

For example, when it is desired to heat/cool the space B quickly, since the space A is not air-conditioned, the room temperature is low/high, set temperature of the air-conditioning machine is normal, the wind volume is set to a strong/medium level, heating/cooling operation is carried out, the blast volume of the air blower is strong, and the direction of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is set to a direction of the suction port C which is provided below the air-conditioning machine. According to this, wind speed of the blowout air current is reduced in the vicinity of the suction port C, more blowout air current is sucked into the suction port C, the temperature of the air becomes higher by about 20K at the time of the heating operation and becomes lower by about 10K at the time of the cooling operation and thus, the room temperature of the space B rises/lowers quickly.

When it is desired to heat/cool the space B also while heating/cooling the space A, since the space A is air-conditioned, room temperature of the space A is stabilized at the set temperature, temperature of the air-conditioning machine is slightly higher/lower than the set temperature, wind volume is medium/medium, heating/cooling operation is carried out, blast volume of the air blower is strong, and a direction of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is set to a direction of the suction port C which is provided below the air-conditioning machine. According to this, wind speed of the blowout air current is reduced in the vicinity of the suction port C, more blowout air current is sucked into the suction port C, the temperature of the air is higher by about 20K at the time of the heating operation and lower by about 10K at the time of the cooling operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A, but the wind volume of the air-conditioning machine is small. Therefore, variation in the room temperature of the space A is small, and room temperature of the space B rises/lowers.

Further, when the space A is heated/cooled and the heating/cooling operation of the space B may be left to nature, the space A is air-conditioned, the room temperature is stabilized at the set temperature, the set temperature of the air-conditioning machine is high/low, the wind volume is a medium/weak level, the heating/cooling operation is carried out, the blast volume of the air blower is medium, a direction of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine leads downward at the time of the heating operation and leading horizontally at the time of the cooling operation for comfortableness of the space A. According to this, air at the room temperature of the space A is sucked instead of blowout air current into the suction port C. Therefore, temperature of the air comes close to zero K at the time of the heating operation and close to zero at the time of the cooling operation with respect to the ROOM TEMPERATURE of the space A. Hence, the room temperature of the space A is not varied almost at all, and the room temperature of the space B slightly rises/lowers is left to nature.

When only the space A is heated/cooled and the space B is not heated/cooled, the air blower may be stopped.

In any of the spaces, as described above, its temperature can be adjusted and can be comfortable depending upon one's preference, and the air-conditioning machine and the air blower are operated efficiently. Therefore, an air-conditioning system having small power consumption can be obtained as a result.

Further, means for returning from a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed to a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed is clear, even if the door is closed, blast volume of the air blower is stable, temperature of the sucked air of the air-conditioning machine is stable, and the temperature of the blowout air current is also stable. Therefore, power consumption and noise of the air blower are not increased, and it is possible to obtain an air-conditioning system which reliably heats/cools.

According to another means, the air-conditioning system further includes an electric dust collecting section or an HEPA filter for cleaning the air sucked by the suction port C, and the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from front of the suction port C.

According to this means, concerning not only the above-described adjustment of temperature but also air cleaning such as removal of powder dust, the air blower is operated, air in the space A is transferred to the space B, and the air is circulated through a return air passage. Therefore, air in the spaces A and B can be cleaned, and air quality can be improved.

Further, since the suction port C is provided below the air-conditioning machine, it is easy to suck the powder dust which is accumulated unevenly in a lower portion of the space A, and suction efficiency of the suction port C is also enhanced by directing the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine downward and by slightly bringing powder dust upward.

Further, since the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from front of the suction port C located below the air-conditioning machine, it is possible to easily carry out periodical maintenance without providing an inspection port or without using a ladder.

Another means provides an air-conditioning system wherein an air-conditioning machine, a suction port D and a suction port E are provided in a space A in a high airtight and heat insulative building, a blowout port is provided in a space B, a return air section for forming a return air wind passage leading from the space B to the space A is provided between the space A and the space B, the suction port D, the suction port E, an air blower and the blowout port are connected to one another through a duct to form an air-supply wind passage, air sucked by the suction port D and the suction port E is blown out from the blowout port by the air blower, the suction port D is provided below the air-conditioning machine, the suction port E is provided above the air-conditioning machine, dampers capable of adjusting respectively amounts of the airs sucked by the suction port D and the suction port E are provided, temperature and wind volume of a blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine are adjusted by setting of room temperature of the space A, and an operation mode, set temperature and wind volume of the air-conditioning machine, an angle of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is adjusted by setting of a wind direction louver of the air-conditioning machine, blast volume of the air blower is adjusted, and the dampers respectively adjust the amounts of the airs sucked by the suction port D and the suction port E, thereby making it possible to adjust temperature of the airs sucked by the suction port D and the suction port E within 20K at time of heating operation and within 10K at time of cooling operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A.

According to this means, temperature and wind volume of the blowout air current if the air-conditioning machine are stabilized, it is possible to set the angle of the blowout air current and the blast volume of the air blower, adjust amounts of air sucked by the suction port D and the suction port E, respectively, adjust temperature of air sucked by the suction port D and the suction port E, and adjust temperature of the space B to which the air is transferred.

At that time, the temperature of air sucked by the suction port D and the suction port E can be adjusted within 20K at the time of the heating operation and within 10K at the time of the cooling operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A. Therefore, the damper is adjusted and the angle of the wind direction louver is adjusted such that, much blowout air current flows into the suction port D and the suction port E. At the time of the cooling operation, the amount of air sucked from the suction port D is set to 100%, the amount of air sucked from the suction port E is set to 0%, and the suction port D is provided below the air-conditioning machine. Therefore, even if the wind direction louver does not lead to the direction of the suction port D at the time of the cooling operation, the wind direction louver leads to the suction port D located at a low position due to density of the air. Thus, if the wind direction louver leads to the direction of the suction port D, much blowout air current can be sucked into the suction port D more efficiently. At the time of the heating operation, the amount of air sucked from the suction port D is set to 0%, the amount of air sucked from the suction port E is set to 100%, and the suction port E is provided above the air-conditioning machine. Therefore, even if the wind direction louver does not lead to the direction of the suction port E at the time of the heating operation, since the wind direction louver leads to the suction port E located at a high position due to density of the air, if the wind direction louver leads to the direction of the suction port E, much blowout air current can be sucked into the suction port E more efficiently.

For example, when it is desired to heat the space B quickly, since the space A is not yet air-conditioned, the room temperature is low, the set temperature of the air-conditioning machine is normal, the wind volume is strong, the heating operation is carried out, the blast volume of the air blower is strong, the amount of air sucked from the suction port D is set to 0%, the amount of air sucked from the suction port E is set to 100%, and the direction of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is set to the direction of the suction port E which is provided above the air-conditioning machine. According to this, the wind speed of the blowout air current is reduced in the vicinity of the suction port E, much blowout air current is sucked into the suction port E, and the temperature becomes higher by about 20K at the time of the heating operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A. Therefore, the room temperature of the space B rises quickly.

When it is desired to carry out the heating operation also in the space B while carrying out the heating operation in the space A, since the space A is air-conditioned, the room temperature is stable at the set temperature, the temperature of the air-conditioning machine is slightly higher than the set temperature, the wind volume is medium and the heating operation is carried out, the blast volume of the air blower is strong, the amount of air sucked from the suction port D is set to 0%, the amount of air sucked from the suction port E is set to 100%, and the direction of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is set to the direction of the suction port E which is provided above the air-conditioning machine. According to this, the wind speed of the blowout air current is reduced in the vicinity of the suction port E, much blowout air current is sucked into the suction port E, and the temperature becomes higher by about 20K at the time of the heating operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A, but since the wind volume of the air-conditioning machine is small, variation of the room temperature of the space A is small, and the room temperature of the space B rises.

Further, when the space A is heated and the space B may be heated depending upon nature, the space A is air-conditioned, the room temperature is stable at the set temperature, the set temperature of the air-conditioning machine is high, the wind volume is medium, the blast volume of the air blower is medium, the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine leads downward for comfortableness of the space A, the amount of air sucked from the suction port D is 50% and the amount of air sucked from the suction port E is 50%. According to this, a temperature difference in the space A can be reduced by sucking the air which rises due to density of the air from the suction port D.

When the space A is cooled and the space B may be cooled depending upon nature, the space A is air-conditioned, the room temperature is stable at the set temperature, the set temperature of the air-conditioning machine is low, the wind volume is weak, the blast volume of the air blower is medium, the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine leads upward for comfortableness of the space A, the amount of air sucked from the suction port D is set to 50%, and the amount of air sucked from the suction port E is set to 50%. According to this, the temperature difference in the space A can be reduced by sucking the air which lowers due to density of the air from the suction port E.

When only the space A is heated/cooled and the space B is not heated/cooled, the air blower may be stopped.

In this manner, the temperatures in any of the spaces can be adjusted depending upon one's preference, the temperature difference in the space A can be reduced, the comfortableness can be enhanced, and the air-conditioning machine and the air blower can be operated more efficiently by utilizing the rising current caused by density of air at the time of the heating operation and the lowering current caused by density of air at the time of the cooling operation. Therefore, an air-conditioning system having small power consumption can be obtained as a result. Further, since means for returning from a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed to a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed is clear, even if the door is closed, blast volume of the air blower is stable, temperature of sucked air of the air-conditioning machine is also stable and temperature of the blowout air current is also stable. Therefore, power consumption and noise of the air blower are not increased, and it is possible to obtain an air-conditioning system which reliably heats/cools.

According to another means, the air-conditioning system further includes an electric dust collecting section or an HEPA filter for cleaning the air sucked by at least any one of the suction port D and the suction port E, and the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from front of the suction port D or the suction port E.

By this means, it is possible to adjust the temperature as described above. In addition, the air blower is operated for cleaning air such as removal of powder dust at the same time, air in the space A is transferred to the space B, air in the spaces A and B can be cleaned by circulating the air through the return air passage, and air quality can be enhanced.

In the space A, by adjusting the amount of air sucked through the suction port D and the suction port E while aiming at a place where powder dust is unevenly distributed, it is possible to efficiently clean the space A uniformly.

Further, since the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from the front of the suction port D or the suction port E, it is possible to easily carry out periodical maintenance without providing an inspection port.

According to another means, a heat-exchanging unit is provided in an outdoor air introducing passage which connects outside of a room and inside of the building to each other, the heat-exchanging unit is provided in an indoor air discharging passage which connects the inside of the building and the outside of the room to each other, by the heat-exchanging unit, outdoor air is introduced into the building while discharging indoor air to the outside of the room, and the indoor air and the outdoor air are heat-exchanged with each other.

According to this means, not only the above-described adjustment of temperature and cleaning of air, heat can be exchanged with heat of outdoor air while discharging indoor air by this means, fresh air introduced into the building can be supplied to the space A and the space B by operating the air blower, moisture and smell in the building can be discharged and CO₂ can be reduced while saving energy.

According to another means, the air-conditioning system is provided on each floor of the building.

According to this means, operation/stop and an operating state of the air-conditioning system can be set for each of floors in corresponding to distribution of temperature, a powder dust amount and CO₂ in the building. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly enhance the air quality more efficiently in the building.

Another means provides an air-conditioning system wherein an air-conditioning machine and a suction port F are provided in a space A in a high airtight and high heat insulative building, a blowout port is provided in a space B, a return air section for forming a return air wind passage leading from the space B to the space A is provided between the space A and the space B, the suction port F, an air blower and the blowout port are connected to one another through an air-supply wind passage, air sucked by the suction port F is blown out from the blowout port by the air blower, a heat-exchanging unit is provided in an outdoor air introducing passage which connects outside of a room and inside of the building to each other, the heat-exchanging unit is provided in an indoor air discharging passage which connects the inside of the building and the outside of the room to each other, by the heat-exchanging unit, outdoor air is introduced into the building while discharging indoor air to the outside of the room, and the indoor air and the outdoor air are heat-exchanged with each other, the heat-exchanged outdoor air is merged into the air-supply wind passage, temperature and wind volume of a blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine are adjusted by setting of room temperature of the space A, and an operation mode, set temperature and wind volume of the air-conditioning machine, an angle of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is adjusted by setting of a wind direction louver of the air-conditioning machine, blast volume of the air blower is adjusted, and ventilation wind volume of the heat-exchanging unit is adjusted, thereby making it possible to adjust temperature of the air sucked by the suction port F within 20K at time of heating operation and within 10K at time of cooling operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A.

According to this means, the suction port is provided in the ceiling of a room where the air conditioner is placed. Therefore, the suction port is not prominent in terms of design in the room, and the room is slimmed. A depth of a wall for placing a suction port or a duct is small in many cases, but a depth of a ceiling is sufficient as a space behind the ceiling, and a space in which the suction port and the duct are placed is wide and therefore, workability is excellent.

Normally, blowout air current of an air conditioner is prone to be downward air current due to density of air at the time of the cooling operation, and if the suction port exists in a ceiling, it is difficult to suck much blowout air current. However, in the present embodiment, the suction port is provided immediately in the vicinity of a front surface of the air conditioner, a direction of the blowout air current is set horizontally, the wind speed is reduced, wind speed of the air blower is increased, the heat-exchanged outside air introducing amount is increased, and the heat-exchanged outside air is supplied to each room. According to this, wind volume of return air current to a room where the air conditioner is placed is brought into wind-sending plus ventilation wind volume, wind speed of the return air current to the suction port is increased, temperature of the return air current is made slightly higher than room temperature, the return air current is brought into rising air current, and the blowout air current is induced or attracted by the suction port by the return air current. Therefore, much blowout air current can be sucked by the suction port even at the time of the cooling operation.

Further, wind volume of the air blower and the heat-exchanging unit is increased. Therefore, power consumption is slightly increased, but the power consumption is smaller than that of the air conditioner, and a room where the air conditioner is placed is not heated or cooled more than necessary. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a comfortable air-conditioning system capable of adjusting temperature of a room where the air conditioner is not placed.

Concerning not only the above-described adjustment of temperature but concerning also cleaning of air, fresh outside air after heat exchange is mixed with conditioned air and the mixed air is supplied directly to each room. Therefore, it is possible to reliably and quickly enhance the air quality by reducing CO₂ and smell in each room.

According to another means, the air-conditioning system further includes an electric dust collecting section or an HEPA filter for cleaning the air sucked by the suction port F, and the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from a front surface of the suction port F.

According to this means, concerning not only the above-described adjustment of temperature but also cleaning of air such as removal of powder dust, it is possible to clean air in the space A and the space B and enhance the air quality by operating the air blower and transferring air in the space A to the space B, and by circulating the air through the return air passage.

Further, since the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from the front of the suction port F of the ceiling of the room, it is possible to easily carry out periodical maintenance without providing the inspection port.

According to another means, a heat exchanger for flowing refrigerant or liquid therein is provided downstream of a heat-exchanging element of the heat-exchanging unit in the outdoor air introducing passage, and the outdoor air introduced into the building passes through the heat-exchanging element and the heat exchanger in this order.

According to this means, it is possible to more comfortably maintain temperature and moisture in a building while saving energy without additionally providing an air conditioner and a dehumidifier by changing a state of refrigerant which flows through a heat exchanger by a heat pump.

According to another means, the air-conditioning system is provided on each floor of the building.

According to this means, operation/stop and an operating state of the air-conditioning system can be set for each of floors in corresponding to distribution of temperature, a powder dust amount and CO₂ in the building. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly enhance the air quality more efficiently in the building.

Another means provides an air-conditioning system wherein an air-conditioning machine is provided in a space A in a high airtight and high heat insulative building, a suction port G is provided in front of the air-conditioning machine and at a height which is equal to or lower than an installation height of the air-conditioning machine, a blowout port is provided in a space B, a return air section for forming a return air wind passage leading from the space B to the space A is provided between the space A and the space B, the suction port G, an air blower and the blowout port are connected to one another through an air-supply wind passage, air sucked by the suction port G is blown out from the blowout port by the air blower, temperature and wind volume of a blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine are adjusted by setting of room temperature of the space A, and an operation mode, set temperature and wind volume of the air-conditioning machine, an angle of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is adjusted by setting of a wind direction louver of the air-conditioning machine, and blast volume of the air blower is adjusted, thereby making it possible to adjust temperature of the air sucked by the suction port G within 20K at time of heating operation and within 10K at time of cooling operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A.

According to this means, blowout air current of an air conditioner is normally prone to be lowering air current at the time of the cooling operation due to density of air, and if there is a suction port in a ceiling, it is difficult to suck much blowout air current. However, in this embodiment, a suction port is provided at a height which is equal to or lower than a height of a blowout port of an air-conditioning indoor unit in front of the air-conditioning indoor unit by providing a ceiling chamber or the like, a direction of the blowout air current is set horizontal, the wind speed is reduced and the air blower is operated. According to this, since wind speed of sucked air of the suction port is increased, much blowout air current can be sucked by the suction port also at the time of the cooling operation.

Further, the air-conditioning system does not depend on the operation and ventilation wind volume of the heat-exchanging unit with respect to the above-described means, it is possible to adjust also temperature of a room where the air conditioner is not placed while suppressing total power consumption including power consumption of the air conditioner without cooling or heating a room where the air conditioner is placed more than necessary, and it is possible to obtain a comfortable air-conditioning system.

Further, since a prefilter, an air blower and the like are provided in the suction port or a louver, if the louver is opened, it is possible to easily carry out the maintenance such as cleaning and exchanging.

Further, the air conditioner is embedded and placed in a ceiling room or the like, the air conditioner is not prominent in terms of design in the room, and the room is slimmed. A depth of the ceiling is sufficient as an under-ceiling space such as a space under-roof for example, a space where the air conditioner, the suction port and the duct are placed is wide and thus, workability is excellent.

According to another means, the air-conditioning system further includes an electric dust collecting section or an HEPA filter for cleaning the air sucked by the suction port G, and the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from a front surface of the suction port G.

According to this means, concerning not only the above-described adjustment of temperature but also cleaning of air such as removal of powder dust, it is possible to clean air in the space A and the space B and enhance the air quality by operating the air blower and transferring air in the space A to the space B, and by circulating the air through the return air passage.

Further, since the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from the front of the suction port G, it is possible to easily carry out periodical maintenance without providing the inspection port.

According to another means, the air-conditioning system is provided on each floor of the building.

According to this means, operation/stop and an operating state of the air-conditioning system can be set for each of floors in corresponding to distribution of temperature, a powder dust amount and CO₂ in the building. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly enhance the air quality more efficiently in the building.

Another means provides an air-conditioning system, wherein an air-conditioning machine is provided in a space A in a high airtight and high heat insulative building, a suction port H is provided above the air-conditioning machine, a blowout port is provided in a space B, a return air section for forming a return air wind passage leading from the space B to the space A is provided between the space A and the space B, the suction port H, an air blower and the blowout port are connected to one another through an air-supply wind passage, air sucked by the suction port H is blown out from the blowout port by the air blower, temperature and wind volume of a blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine are adjusted by setting of room temperature of the space A, and an operation mode, set temperature and wind volume of the air-conditioning machine, an angle of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine is adjusted by setting of a wind direction louver of the air-conditioning machine, and blast volume of the air blower is increased more than the wind volume of the blowout air current of the air-conditioning machine, thereby making it possible to adjust temperature of the air sucked by the suction port H within 20K at time of heating operation and within 10K at time of cooling operation with respect to the room temperature of the space A. According to this means, since the suction louver and the suction port are provided in a ceiling of a room where an air conditioner is placed, the suction louver is not prominent in terms of design in the room, and the room is slimmed. A depth of the wall for placing the suction port and the duct is small in many cases, but a depth of the ceiling is sufficient as an under-ceiling space such as an under-roof space for example, a space where the suction port and the duct are placed is wide and thus, workability is excellent.

Further, blowout air current of an air conditioner is prone to be lowering air current at the time of the cooling operation due to density of air, and if there is a suction louver in a ceiling, it is difficult to suck much blowout air current. However, in this embodiment, the suction louver is provided immediately in the vicinity of an upper portion of the air conditioner, a direction of the blowout air current is horizontal, wind speed is reduced, and a plurality of air blowers are operated. According to this, wind speed of sucked air of the suction louver is increased, wind speed of the return air current to the suction louver is increased, and the blowout air current can be induced or attracted by the suction louver by the return air current. Therefore, it is possible to suck much blowout air current by the suction louver also at the time of the cooling operation.

According to the above-described means, since the number of air blowers and the total blast volume are increased, power consumption thereof is slightly increased, but since it does not depend on operation of the heat-exchanging unit and ventilation wind volume, the total power consumption including power consumption of the air conditioner is suppressed, it is possible to adjust also temperature of a room where the air conditioner is not placed without cooling or heating the room more than necessary, and it is possible to obtain a comfortable air-conditioning system.

Further, since a prefilter, an air blower and the like are provided in the suction port, if the louver is opened, it is possible to easily carry out the maintenance such as cleaning and exchanging.

According to another means, the air-conditioning system further includes an electric dust collecting section or an HEPA filter for cleaning the air sucked by the suction port H, and the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from a front surface of the suction port H.

According to this means, concerning not only the above-described adjustment of temperature but also air cleaning such as removal of powder dust, the air blower is operated, air in the space A is transferred to the space B, and the air is circulated through a return air passage. Therefore, air in the spaces A and B can be cleaned, and air quality can be improved.

Further, since the electric dust collecting section or the HEPA filter can be taken out from front of the suction port H, it is possible to easily carry out periodical maintenance without providing an inspection port.

According to another means, the return air wind passage is provided with a return air blower instead of the return air section.

According to this means, when there is no space for structurally providing a return air port or when it is desired to prevent noise from an adjacent room caused by the return air port from leaking, it is possible to cope with a problem caused when it is desired to secure privacy by firmly closing a door or a problem caused when a space located on the way to the return air passage is not air-conditioned to reduce an entire air-conditioning load.

Effect of the Invention

In a high airtight and high heat insulation building, the present invention can provide, with a system of relatively simple a configuration, an energy-saving air-conditioning system capable of adjusting also temperature of a room where an air-conditioning machine is not placed, air is cleaned, reliably reducing powder dust of a room where the air-conditioning machine is not placed, reliably reducing CO₂ density while discharging moisture in the building by exchanging heat, and enhancing air quality.

Further, it is possible to uniform temperature in a room where the air-conditioning machine is placed and uniform the air quality such as powder dust, and to create more comfortable space.

It is possible to easily carry out maintenance such as an electric dust collecting section from the side of a room, and it is possible to further save energy by purposively carrying out operation of an air-conditioning machine and an air blower on each floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a room where an air-conditioning indoor unit is placed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a suction port;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the suction port;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially heated;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially heated;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially cooled;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a suction port in a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially heated;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing flows of wind when both rooms are heated;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially heated;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled;

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing flows of wind when both rooms are cooled;

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially cooled;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially cooled;

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially heated;

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing flows of wind when both rooms are heated;

FIG. 21 is an outline diagram of a in the third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a heat-exchanging unit in a fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 23 is a diagram of flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled while showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a fifth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 24 is a diagram of flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled while showing another configuration of the air-conditioning system in the fifth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 25 is a diagram of flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled in a staircase landing while showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a sixth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 26 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a seventh embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 27 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in an eighth embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 28 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a ninth embodiment of the invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, air-conditioning systems 1 and 2 are placed one-by-one on a first floor 4 and a second floor 5 of a two-story building 3 which is a high airtight and high heat insulation housing. The air-conditioning systems 1 and 2 air-condition in and ventilate rooms in the building 3.

In this embodiment, rooms mean habitable rooms, spaces mean habitable rooms and non-habitable rooms, the habitable rooms mean rooms which are continuously used for the purpose of living, working, operation, meeting, amusement and the like, and the non-habitable rooms mean rooms other than the habitable rooms, and when it is difficult to determine the use of the habitable room, the non-habitable room may be determined in accordance with actual usage.

Outer surfaces of the building 3 are covered with heat insulating material (not shown) and airtight sheet (not shown) without gaps, a roof 6 is of a roof heat insulation specification, a basis 7 is of a basis heat insulation specification, a window is a heat insulation sash 8 of triple-glass, a door is a heat insulation door (not shown), and the rooms and the spaces in the entire building 3 are heat insulation spaces.

Methods of heat insulation are broadly divided into outer heat insulation and inner heat insulation, and the method may be selected in accordance with merits and demerits, and the building 3 has no deficit of heat insulation on the outer surface of the building 3, and the building 3 passes or meets heat insulation performance requirements of at least ZEH reference.

Concerning airtight performance, although depending upon specification of the airtight sheet, the building 3 has continuity of airtight layer by pasting an airtight tape on a joint of airtight sheet, and the building 3 passes at least a C-value 1.0.

Air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 which are portions of air-conditioning machines as constituent elements of the air-conditioning systems 1 and 2 are respectively provided in an entrance hall 17 (space A) on the first floor and a staircase landing 18 (space A) on the second floor.

In this embodiment, the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 are provided in an entrance hall 17 and a staircase landing 18, but the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 may be provided in a habitable room such as a living room 20, a bedroom 21, a guest room 22 and a child's room 23, or in a non-habitable room such as an under-roof space 9, an under-floor space 10, an understairs (not shown) and a machine room (not shown).

Similarly, the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 which are portions of the air-conditioning machines are respectively connected through air-conditioning outdoor units 30 and 31, a refrigerant pipe and an electric wire 32, and systems thereof are an air conditioner (air-conditioning machine (not shown)) on the first floor and an air conditioner (air-conditioning machine (not shown)) on the second floor.

As configurations of the air-conditioning systems 1 and 2, suction ports 42 and 43 (suction ports C) provided therein with air-cleaning units 40 and 41 are placed below walls 33 and 34 in which the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 are placed, and blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53 are placed in ceilings 44, 45, 46 and 47 of the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 (space B). To blow out air which is sucked by the suction ports 42 and 43 from the blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53, air blowers 55 and 56 and bifurcated pipes 60 and 61 are placed in under-ceiling spaces 62 and 63, and ducts 70, 71, 72 and 73 pass through a wall inner space 75 and an under-ceiling space 62, and ducts 76, 77, 78 and 79 pass through a wall inner space 80 and the under-ceiling space 63. The suction port 42, the air blower 55, the bifurcated pipe 60 and the blowout ports 50 and 52 are airtightly connected to one another through the ducts 70, 71, 72 and 73. According to this, an air-supply wind passage on the first floor from the suction port 42 of the entrance hall 17 to the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22 is formed. The suction port 43, the air blower 56, the bifurcated pipe 61 and the blowout ports 51 and 53 are airtightly connected to one another through the ducts 76, 77, 78 and 79. According to this, an air-supply wind passage on the second floor from the suction port 43 of the staircase landing 18 to the blowout port 51 of the bedroom 21 and the blowout port 53 of the child's room 23 is formed.

Further, as configurations of the air-conditioning systems 1 and 2, a door (not shown) between the guest room 22 and the living room 20 is provided with a return air port 85 (return air section) such as an undercut, and a door (not shown) between the living room 20 and the entrance hall 17 is provided with a return air port 3 86 (return air section) such as an undercut. According to this, a return air wind passage on the first floor from the guest room 22 and the living room 20 to the entrance hall 17 is formed. A door (not shown) between the child's room 23 and the bedroom 21 is provided with a return air port 87 (return air section) such as an undercut, and a door (not shown) between the bedroom 21 and the staircase landing 18 is provided with a return air port 88 (return air section) such as an undercut. According to this, a return air wind passage on the second floor from the child's room 23 and the bedroom 21 to the staircase landing 18 is formed.

The air-supply wind passage on the first floor and the return air wind passage on the first floor are connected to each other. On the first floor 4, supplied air as conditioned air which is mixture of blowout air blown out from the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 of the entrance hall 17 and air of the entrance hall 17 is sucked from the suction port 42, the supplied air passes through the duct 70, the air blower 55, the duct 71, the bifurcated pipe 60 and the ducts 72 and 73, and the supplied air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22. According to this, a circulation wind passage (not shown) on the first floor is formed. Return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86 and returns to the entrance hall 17 through the circulation wind passage. The air-supply wind passage on the second floor and the return air wind passage on the second floor are connected to each other. On the second floor 5, supplied air as conditioned air which is mixture of blowout air blown out from the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 of the staircase landing 18 and air of the staircase landing 18 is sucked from the suction port 43, the supplied air passes through the duct 76, the air blower 56, the duct 77, the bifurcated pipe 61 and the ducts 78 and 79, and the supplied air is blown out from the blowout port 51 of the bedroom 21 and the blowout port 53 of the child's room 23. According to this, a circulation wind passage (not shown) on the second floor is formed. Return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 87 and 88 and returns to the staircase landing 18 through the circulation wind passage.

In the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18, when outdoor air is introduced into a room and indoor air is discharged to outside of the room, heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 for collecting entire heat of the indoor air into outdoor air are respectively provided in the under-ceiling spaces 62 and 63, and ventilation on the first floor 4 and the second floor 5 of the building 3 is carried out.

In this embodiment, in each of the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96, ventilation wind volume of 24 hours is 100 m³/h, entire heat exchanging rate is about 70% at strong notch ventilation wind volume 150 m³/h.

Ceilings of restrooms 100 and 101 in the building 3 are provided with ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103 such as discharging louvers for discharging air in the restrooms 100 and 101, and the ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103 are connected to the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96.

Through holes of an outer wall of the building 3 are provided with outdoor exhaust hoods 105 and 106, and the outdoor exhaust hoods 105 and 106 are connected to heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 through exhaust ducts 107 and 108.

The heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 include introducing fans (not shown) for introducing outdoor air, discharging fans (not shown) for discharging indoor air, motors (not shown), and heat-exchanging elements 110 and 111 for collecting entire heat of the indoor air into the outdoor air.

Since the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 are in contact with ceilings of the restrooms 100 and 101, it is possible to easily and periodically carry out maintenance such as cleaning of the heat-exchanging elements 110 and 111 and element prefilters (not shown) from the ceilings of the restrooms 100 and 101.

According to this, entire heat of the indoor air is collected by the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 from the ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103, and the indoor air is discharged to outdoor from the outdoor exhaust hoods 105 and 106 through the exhaust ducts 107 and 108.

Indoor air discharging passages on the first and second floors are formed between the ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103 and the outdoor exhaust hoods 105 and 106, and are formed by the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 and the exhaust ducts 107 and 108. Although the indoor air discharging passages are provided with discharging fans of the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96, the indoor air discharging passages may be provided with other discharging fans in addition to or together with the above-described discharging fans.

Through holes of an outer wall of the building 3 are provided with outdoor air supply hoods 115 and 116, and the outdoor air supply hoods 115 and 116 are connected to the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 through air supply ducts and 118.

The air supply ducts A 117 and 118 are provided with filter boxes 120 and 121 such that the filter boxes 120 and 121 are in contact with ceilings of the restrooms 100 and 101. Since the filter boxes 120 and 121 include outside air cleaning filters (not shown) which clean outdoor air introduced into the under-ceiling spaces 62 and 63, it is possible to easily carry out maintenance such as cleaning of the filters from the ceilings.

Ceilings of the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 are provided with ventilated air supply ports 125 and 126 for blowing out the outdoor air into the building 3, and the ventilated air supply ports 125 and 126 are connected to the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 through air supply ducts B 130 and 131.

According to this, the outdoor air is introduced from the outdoor air supply hoods 115 and 116, pass through the air supply ducts A 117 and 118 and are cleaned by the filter boxes 120 and 121, entire heat is collected by the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96, and the outdoor air is introduced into rooms from the ventilated air supply ports 125 and 126 through the air supply ducts B 130 and 131.

An outdoor air introducing passage is formed between outdoor air supply hoods 117 and 118 and the ventilated air supply ports 125 and 126, and the outdoor air introducing passage is formed by the air supply ducts A 117 and 118, the filter boxes 120 and 121, the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 and the air supply ducts B 130 and 131. The outdoor air introducing passage is provided with introducing fans of the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96, but the outdoor air introducing passage may be provided with other introducing fans in addition to or together with the above-described introducing fans.

The restrooms 100 and 101 are not provided with blowout ports from which air supply as conditioned air is brown out. Louvers 135 and 136 through which air comes in and out are provided between the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18. Air which returns to the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 and which air-conditions a room or the like is called return air. A portion of the return air flows into the restrooms 100 and 101 from the louvers 135 and 136 by operating the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96. When air-conditioning environment is stable, quality of air in the restrooms 100 and 101 is close to conditioned air (temperature, moisture, cleanness and the like).

Fresh outdoor air cleaned by the outside air cleaning filters 120 and 121 provided in the outdoor air introducing passage is introduced by the introducing fans of the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 by the operation of the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96. Portions of air contaminated by moisture in a so-called dirty zone such as the restrooms 100 and 101 and return air as air which air-conditions a room and the like pass through the indoor air discharging passage from the ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103, the portions of air enter the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 by the discharging fans of the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96, entire heat of the portions of air exchange heat with outdoor air, and the portions of air are discharged to outside of the room. Therefore, dust and mold spore do not enter the building 3 from outside of the door, moisture and smell in the restroom or the like are discharged to outside of the door, the ventilation in the building is carried out while saving energy by heat-exchanging, and it is possible to reduce dust, moisture and mold spore in the building.

In this embodiment, the restrooms 100 and 101 are provided with the ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103, but a ventilation exhaust port and louver may be provided in a so-called dirty zone which is a room or a space where smell, moisture, harmful material and the like are prone to be generated and accumulated such as in a bathroom, a shower room and a kitchen other than a restroom. In this a case, such harmful material can be discharged directly to outside of the room without through other rooms and spaces. However, when the heat-exchanging elements 110 and 111 of the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 do not easily deteriorate moisture in the shower room and oil in the kitchen, it is necessary to provide another ventilation fan.

The ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103 may be provided in a room located downstream of a circulation passage (return air passage) such as the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18. In this case, a portion of the indoor air in a room or the like is discharged to outside of the room together with dust and moisture generated by normal living in that room or the like, but it is necessary to provide a ventilation exhaust port or another ventilation fan in a dirty zone also so that moisture in the dirty zone does not enter that room or the like.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a room where an air-conditioning indoor unit is placed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air-conditioning indoor units (air-conditioning machines) 15 and 16 constituting the air-conditioning systems 1 and 2 are provided in the entrance hall 17 (space A) on the first floor and the staircase landing 18 (space A) on the second floor.

Heights of rooms of the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 are about 2.4 m, and the air-conditioning indoor units (air-conditioning machines) 15 and 16 are placed such that heights of the blowout ports 140 and 141 become about 2 m.

The suction ports 42 and 43 (suction ports C) are placed on centers of the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 in the lateral direction and below the placed walls 33 and 34 at a height of about 1 m, or lower.

The suction ports 42 and 43 are placed such that the suction louvers 150 and 151 are exposed from the walls 33 and 34 toward the rooms., and bodies 152 and 153 are placed such that they are hidden in the wall inner spaces 75 and 78, and the bodies 152 and 153 are connected to the ducts 70 and 76.

The air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 are wall hanging indoor units of separate type air conditioners in which a cross flow fan (not shown) and a heat exchanger (not shown) which heat-exchanges between refrigerant and air sucked from the suction ports 142 and 143 are accommodated in an integral casing, and the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 are connected to the outdoor units (not shown) having compressors (not shown) through refrigerant pipes and the electric wire 32. Each of the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 has such a function that operation modes of heating/cooling/dehumidifying/stopping can be selected by a remote controller (not shown), set wind volume of blowout air current can be adjusted to strong wind (about 10 m³/min), medium wind (about 7 m³/min) and weak wind (about 5 m³/min), set temperature can be adjusted between 16° C. and 30° C., and angles of blowout air currents blown out from the blowout ports 140 and 141 can be adjusted by wind direction louvers 145 and 146.

The air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 include sucked air temperature sensors (not shown), inverter driving frequency of a compressor (not shown) of the outdoor unit (not shown), an electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into heat exchangers (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 are adjusted, air-conditioning abilities exerted by the air conditioners on the first and second floors are controlled, and temperature and moisture of blowout air current of each of the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 are adjusted.

The wind direction louvers 145 and 146 can adjust angles of the blowout air currents in a range from “horizontal direction (0°)” to “15° (105°) toward wall from a vertically lower side” at the time of the heating operation, and from “horizontal direction (0°)” to “60° (60°) downward from horizontal direction” at the time of the cooling operation.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the suction port, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the suction port.

As shown in the drawings, the suction ports 42 and 43 (suction ports C) are composed of suction louvers 150 and 151 and bodies 152 and 153 of outer size of 450 mm*450 mm each having an area which is appropriate for sucking about 350 m³/h of blast volume of the air blowers 55 and 56. The suction ports 42 and 43 are provided therein with the prefilters 155 and 156, the air-cleaning units 40 and 41, power sources 157 and 158, air cleaning suction wind passages 160 and 161, air cleaning sections 162 and 163, and air cleaning bypass suction wind passages 165 and 166. Upper portions of side surfaces of the bodies 152 and 153 include duct connecting sections 167 and 168.

The air-cleaning units 40 and 41 are electric dust-collecting filters. The air-cleaning units 40 and 41 mainly remove visible rough particles having diameters of 10 to 20 μm or greater included in air sucked from the suction louvers 150 and 151. The air-cleaning units 40 and 41 remove further fine floating particles such as mold spore, dirt, pollen, yellow sand and PM2.5 in air which flow into the air cleaning suction wind passages 160 and 161 and which have particle diameter of 0.3 μm or greater. This air joins up with air which flows directly into the air cleaning bypass suction wind passages 165 and 166, and passes toward the air blowers 55 and 56 from the duct connecting sections 167 and 168 through the ducts 70 and 76.

For the prefilters 155 and 156 and the air-cleaning units 40 and 41, it is necessary to carry out periodical maintenance such cleaning. Therefore, the prefilters 155 and 156 and the air-cleaning units 40 and 41 have such structures that the suction louvers 150 and 151 located on the side of a room having a height of 1 m or lower are detached from the bodies 152 and 153 by springs or the like and thereafter, the prefilters 155 and 156 are easily detached, handles of the air-cleaning units 40 and 41 are grasped and can be pulled out toward a worker from the air cleaning sections 162 and 163 of the bodies 152 and 153. After the maintenance, these members can easily be assembled in an opposite way.

A rate of wind volumes flowing through the air cleaning suction wind passages 160 and 161 and wind volumes flowing directly through the air cleaning bypass suction wind passages 165 and 166 is determined by a rate of areas of the suction louvers 150 and 151 and pressure losses of the air-cleaning units 40 and 41. However, to secure sufficient entire suction wind volume (blast volume) to adjust temperature of a room where the air-conditioning indoor unit is not placed, a rate of wind volumes flowing directly through the air cleaning bypass suction wind passages 165 and 166 is increased to such a degree that noise does not become abnormally large. This is because that even if wind volumes flowing into the air cleaning suction wind passages 160 and 161 become small, if the operation is carried out for a long time, it circulates through rooms in the building 3 many times, and cleanness of air (reduction of amount of powder dust and the like) is gradually enhanced.

Although electric dust-collecting air-cleaning units 40 and 41 are employed in this embodiment, the air-cleaning units 40 and 41 may be of an HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter type which filters the fine filter paper such as the HEPA filter, and the air-cleaning unit may be selected by kinds and degree of dust, bacteria, harmful material and the like to be removed, frequency and noise of maintenance of wind volume of passing air, wind speed and cleaning. For example, in the case of virus having a diameter of 0.1 μm or greater which can be captured by the HEPA filter, the HEPA filter type should be employed.

In FIG. 1, the air blowers 55 and 56 are provided therein with DC motors (brushless DC motors) (not shown) and sirocco fans (not shown). The DC motor saves more energy than an AC motor, and can control the number of rotations steplessly in a wider range. If the wind volume is set by a switch (not shown), air is sucked by rotation of the sirocco fan through the ducts 70 and 76 from the suction ports 42 and 43, and the sucked air flows through the ducts 71 and 77, the bifurcated pipes 60 and 61, and the ducts 72, 73, 78 and 79, and is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20, the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22, and the blowout port 51 of the bedroom 21 and the blowout port 53 of the child's room 23.

The blast volumes sent to the living room 17, the guest room 22, the bedroom 18 and the child's room 23 are determined by capacities of the respective rooms. A specification and the number of air blowers capable of securing total blast volume in which the respective blast volumes are totalized, sizes and the number of suction ports and blowout ports, and a specification of the bifurcated pipe. It is desirable that blast volume required for air conditioning is at least 10 m³/h or more per a room of 2.5 m3 and ideally, about 25 m³/h, and the blast volume is adjusted in accordance with an air conditioning load such as size of the room and solar insolation.

If blast volume required for air cleaning satisfies blast volume required for the above-described air conditioning, even if a rate of wind volume flowing directly through the air cleaning bypass suction wind passages 165 and 166 is 50% of total blast volume of the suction ports 42 and 43, the number of air cleaning operations of the respective rooms is 0.8 times/h to 2.1 times/h, and all of the rooms are air-cleaned at least once during 1.3 hours. Therefore, it is considered that sufficient air environment is obtained.

Air conditioning abilities of the air conditioners on the first and second floors are determined by calculating an air-conditioning load of each room which is a target of air conditioning, and by totalizing the air-conditioning loads.

That is, the air-conditioning load is calculated while using, as an air-condition load, heat of transfer from a wall, window and a ceiling of a target room, radiation of heat of solar insolation which passes through a window glass, heat and moisture generated from a person living in the room, heat generated from an illumination and machinery and apparatus, an amount of heat and moisture caused by taken outside air and draft of air (pages 240 to 247 of “Freezing and air-conditioning” written by Chiten YAMADA, published by Nippon Kabushiki Kaisha Yokendo, Mar. 20, 1975). A margin is given to the result of this load calculation, and air conditioners on the first and second floors are selected from air conditioners which are selected based on ability, and a room and the like are air-conditioned.

In this embodiment, a total floor area of the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 on the first floor 4 and a total floor area of the staircase landing 18, the bedroom 21 and the child's room 23 on the second floor are respectively about 50 m², a height of the ceiling is 2.4 m, and air conditioners having cooling ability of 2.2 kW are respectively provided in the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18.

Blast volumes to the living room 20, the guest room 22, the bedroom 21 and the child's room 23 are respectively 175 m³/h, total blast volume on the first floor 4 and the second floor 5 is 350 m³/h, and air blowers 55 and 56 and the suction ports 42 and 43 suitable for the blast volumes are selected and placed.

In the above-described configuration, when a heating operation, a cooling operation, an air-cleaning operation, an outside air introducing operation, an indoor air discharging operation are carried out for the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 on the first floor 4 and the staircase landing 18, the bedroom 21 and the child's room 23 on the second floor 5, operation statuses of the devices and flowing manners of wind will be described based on the entrance hall 17 on the first floor 4 as a representative, but the description of the staircase landing 18 on the second floor 5 is also the same.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially heated in the entrance hall 17.

When temperature of outside air is about 7° C. in winter, the heating operation in the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 is not carried out. When it is desired to heat the living room 20 and the guest room 22 where the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is not placed but it is unnecessary to heat the entrance hall 17, this is called “preferential heating operation of another room”, but since the entrance hall 17 is not heated, the room temperature thereof is as low as about 15° C., the heating operation of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is started by a remote controller (not shown) while setting the temperature as high as 22° C. and setting the wind volume strong. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted to “vertically downward direction (90°)” or “from the vertically downward direction toward the wall by 15° (105°)”, the air blower 55 is operated on a condition that blast volume of the air blower 55 is strong, i.e., 350 m³/h. and suction air current 171 sucked by the suction port 42 provided below the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is generated.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by strong set wind volume, remote controller set temperature 22° C. and sucked air temperature 15° C. detected by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown) which detects air of 15° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, a circulation amount and enthalpy of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that heating ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as high as 35° C.

Temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 35° C. with strong wind volume of about 10 m³/min (600 m³/h) of the heating operation. Therefore, wind speed becomes about 2 m/s at a location of 1 m below the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, about 1 m/s at a location of 2 m below, and the speed of the blowout air current 170 is decelerated to about 1 to 2 m/s at a position of the suction port 42 located at 1 m height or lower below the placed wall 33, 50% of more of the blowout air current 170 becomes suction air current 171 by wind speed of 1 to 2 m/s of the suction air current 171 of the suction port 42, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 42 is about 32° C. which is 17K higher than room temperature of 15° C. of the entrance hall 17, the air blows out from the blowout ports 50 and 52 through the duct 70, the air blower 55, the duct 71, the bifurcated pipe 60 and the ducts 72 and 73 as air supply of 175 m³/h of about 31° C., and the air heats the living room 20 and the guest room 22 of room temperature of about 15° C.

The cross flow fan of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 has high straightness, and the cross flow fan is characterized in that blowout air current easily reaches a far-away place. The sirocco fan of the air blower 55 is characterized in that static pressure thereof is strong and air existing far away can also easily be sucked. An undercut 86 of the door (not shown) is provided below the wall 175 which is opposed to the wall 33 where the suction port 42 of the entrance hall 17 is placed. Therefore, return air current from the living room 20 and the like which flows from the undercut 86 flows straightly toward the suction port 42 by operation of the sirocco fan of the air blower 55 as a return air current 176 shown with broken lines when the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is stopped. Hence, if the above-described heating operation of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is started, the blowout air current 170 decelerates, a portion of the blowout air current 170 separates from the suction port 42 and rises due to density of air, the return air current 176 shown with broken lines becomes a return air current 178 shown with solid lines, and the blowout air current 170 blocks the air current 177, the straightness of the blowout air current 170 is further maintained, and much air current becomes the suction air current 171.

A ventilated air supply port 125 is placed at a location close to a wall 175 opposed to the wall 33 where the suction port 42 is placed at the ceiling of the entrance hall 17. Outdoor air of 100 m³/h which collects entire heat of indoor air blows out by the heat-exchanging unit 95. However, although the entire heat is collected, since temperature thereof is about 12° C. which is lower than room temperature, the outside air current 184 which flows toward the suction port 42 and downward collides against the rising return air current 178 and the air current 177 which is not sucked by the suction port 42 and which has small heating ability. According to this, the air currents are well mixed by a mixing section 180, the air currents become fresh air of about 17° C. which has small CO₂ and which is slightly higher than the room temperature. The entrance hall 17 becomes a comfortable space having uniform temperature and air quality and thereafter, most of the current in the mixing section 180 becomes the blowout air current 170 and sucked air current 181 sucked by the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, and a portion thereof becomes sucked air current 185 and the sucked air current 170. According to this, the fresh air is dispersed also to the living room 20 and the guest room 22.

Concerning air cleaning, a portion of air of the sucked air current 171 flows into the air cleaning suction wind passage 160 of the suction port 42, air cleaned by the air-cleaning unit 40 joins up with air which flows directly into the air cleaning bypass suction wind passage 165, and becomes clean air supply, and the clean air supply is replaced by air of the living room 20 and the guest room 22. In this state, the air becomes slightly contaminated return air and again returns to the entrance hall 17, and the air cleaning is repeated. According to this, air cleanness of the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 is highly maintained.

By the operation of the heat-exchanging unit 95, a portion of return air including CO₂ and moisture increased by people which is air conditioned in a room and the like passes through the louver 135 provided between the bathroom 100 and the entrance hall 17. The portion of the air is discharged as discharged air current 186, and air cleanness of the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 is further highly maintained.

When it is desired to carry out the heating operation of the living room 20 and the guest room 22 during heating operation of the entrance hall 17, its operation is basically the same as the above-described preferential operation of another room shown in FIG. 5, but since the entrance hall 17 is being heated, the room temperature is slightly as high as about 20° C. Therefore, the heating operation of the other room is strengthened while slightly suppressing the heating operation of the own room. Hence, the set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as high as 24° C., the wind volume is medium and the heating operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted to “vertically downward (90°)”, and the blast volume of the air blower 55 is set to a strong level, i.e., 350 m³/h and the operation is carried out. According to this, sucked air current 171 sucked by the suction port 42 provided below the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is generated.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by 24° C. of the remote controller set temperature, medium of the set wind volume and 20° C. of the sucked air temperature that is detected air of 20° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by the sucked air temperature sensor (not shown). The electric expansion valve (not shown), the outdoor air blower (not shown) and the like are controlled. Enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted. Control is performed such that heating ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as high as 40° C.

Temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 40° C. at about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) of medium of wind volume of the heating operation. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 is decelerated to wind speed of 0.8 to 1.5 m/s at a position of the suction port 42. By the wind speed of 1 to 2 m/s of the sucked air current 171 of the suction port 42, 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes sucked air current 171, and temperature of air sucked by the suction port 42 is about 36° C. which is 16K higher than room temperature 20° C. of the entrance hall 17. The air is blown out as air supply of 175 m³/h of about 35° C. from the blowout ports 50 and 52. The living room 20 and the guest room 22 of room temperature of about 15° C. is heated stronger as that when the other room is preferentially heated.

Wind volume of the blowout air current 170 is medium, this is smaller than strong at the time of the preferential heating operation of another room, and 70% or more of the wind volume becomes the sucked air current 171, and since the air current 177 is small, rising of the room temperature 20° C. of the entrance hall 17 is suppressed, the temperature only becomes about 22° C., and mixing caused by collision between the air current 177, the return air current 178 and the outside air current 184 is facilitated, and comfortable environment of the entrance hall 17 is maintained by generation of the mixing section 180 having uniform temperature and air quality.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially heated in the entrance hall 17.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by 24° C. of the remote controller set temperature, medium of the set wind volume and 22° C. of the sucked air temperature that is detected air of 22° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by the sucked air temperature sensor (not shown). The electric expansion valve (not shown), the outdoor air blower (not shown) and the like are controlled. Enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted. Control is performed such that heating ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is deteriorated, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as low as 25° C.

The blowout air current 170 is blown out at temperature of 25° C. from diagonally forward from 45° to 60° at about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) with medium wind volume of the heating operation. Therefore, the mixing caused by collision between the air current 177, the return air current 178 and the outside air current 184 is facilitated without being sucked directly by the suction port 42. The mixing section 180 having uniform temperature and air quality is generated below the entrance hall, and comfortable environment of the entrance hall 17 is maintained.

The current becomes sucked air currents 185 and 171 sucked by the suction port 42 from the mixing section 180, and temperature of the air sucked by the suction port 42 is set to about 23° C. which is 1K higher than the room temperature of 22° C. of the entrance hall 17. The current is blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52 as air supply of 100 m³/h of about 22° C., the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having the room temperature of about 15° C. are heated while leaving it to nature, and air is cleaned and outside air is introduced. Hence, the room temperature is not varied almost at all, and the air quality is enhanced. Since power consumption of the air conditioner and the air blower is suppressed to low levels, it is possible to realize energy-saved heating operation.

To further lower the power consumption when only the entrance hall 17 is heated and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are not heated, the air blower 55 is stopped. However, since air in the living room 20 and the guest room 22 cannot be cleaned and outside air cannot be introduced, it is preferable that the air blower 55 is intermittently operated every hour for example.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled in the entrance hall 17.

When outside air temperature is about 35° C. in summer, the cooling operation is not carried out in the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22, and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 where the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is not placed are cooled. When it is unnecessary to cool the entrance hall 17, this is called preferential cooling operation of another room. However, since the entrance hall 17 is not cooled, the room temperature thereof is as high as about 30° C., the set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as low as 25° C. by a remote control (not shown), wind volume is medium, and the cooling operation is started. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, and an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “from diagonally forward 45° C. to 60° C.”, blast volume of the air blower 55 is set to a strong level, i.e., 350 m³/h, and the air blower is operated.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by 25° C. of the remote controller set temperature, medium of the set wind volume and 30° C. of the sucked air temperature that is detected air of 30° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by the sucked air temperature sensor (not shown). The electric expansion valve (not shown), the outdoor air blower (not shown) and the like are controlled. Enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted. Control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as low as 18° C.

Temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 18° C. at about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) in wind volume of the cooling operation. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 is blown out from diagonally forward of 45° to 60°. The blowout air current 170 is lowered vertically downward as it separates from the blowout port 140, and 70% of the blowout air current becomes sucked air current 171 which is sucked by the suction port 42, and temperature of air sucked by the suction port 42 is about 20° C. which is 10K lower than the room temperature 30° C. of the entrance hall 17. Air supplies of 175 m³/h of about 21° C. are blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52, and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having room temperature of about 30° C. are cooled.

The undercut 86 of the door (not shown) is provided below the wall 175 opposed to the wall 33 where the suction port 42 of the entrance hall 17 is placed. Therefore, return air current from the living room 20 and the like flowing from the undercut 86 straightly leads to the suction port 42 by operation of the sirocco fan of the air blower 55 as the return air current 176 shown with broken lines when the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is stopped. Hence, concerning the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, if the above-described cooling operation is started, the return air current 176 shown with broken lines becomes the return air current 178 shown with solid lines with respect to the air current 177 which is lowered while partially separating from the suction port 42 due to density of air, this blocks the air current 177 and thus, most of the blowout air current 170 is vertically lowered from the blowout port 140, and it becomes the sucked air current 171 in a suction region 190 in front of the suction port 42.

The ventilated air supply port 125 is placed in the ceiling of the entrance hall 17 at a location close to the wall 175 which is opposed to the wall 33 where the suction port 42 is placed. By the heat-exchanging unit 95, outside air current in which outdoor air of about 32° C. obtained by collecting entire heat of indoor air leads 100 m³/h downward is well mixed by the mixing section 180 by collision between the rising return air current 178 and the air current 177 which is not sucked by the suction port 42 and which has small cooling ability. According to this, it becomes fresh air which is slightly lower in temperature than room temperature and which has small CO₂. The entrance hall 17 becomes a comfortable space having uniform temperature and air quality and thereafter, most of the current of the mixing section 180 becomes the blowout air current 170 and the sucked air current 181 which is sucked by the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15. A portion of the current of the mixing section 180 becomes sucked air currents 185 and 171 leading to the suction region 190 and according to this, fresh air is dispersed also to the living room 20 and the guest room 22.

Functions and effects of the air-cleaning unit 40 and the heat-exchanging unit 95 are the same as those at the time of the heating operation.

When it is desired that the cooling operation is operated also in the living room 20 and the guest room 22 during the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17, its operation is basically the same as that of the above-described preferential cooling operation of the other room shown in FIG. 7. However, the room temperature is slightly as low as about 27° C. since the entrance hall 17 is being cooled, the other room is forcibly cooled while slightly suppressing the cooling operation of the own room. Hence, set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as low as 23° C. by the remote controller (not shown), the wind volume is medium and the cooling operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “from diagonally forward 45° C. to 60° C.”, and the blast volume of the air blower 55 is operated at strong, i.e., 350 m³/h.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature 22° C., weak set wind volume and sucked air temperature 27° C. that is detected air of 27° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, a circulation amount and enthalpy of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as low as 16° C.

Temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 16° C. at about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) in wind volume of the cooling operation. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 is blown out from diagonally forward of 45° to 60°. The blowout air current 170 is lowered more strongly vertically downward as it separates from the blowout port 140, and 80% of the blowout air current becomes sucked air current 171 which is sucked by the suction port 42, and temperature of air sucked by the suction port 42 is about 18° C. which is 9K lower than the room temperature 27° C. of the entrance hall 17. Air supplies of 175 m³/h of about 17° C. are blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52, and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having room temperature of about 30° C. are cooled more strongly than that at the time of the preferential cooling operation of the other room.

The wind volume of the blowout air current 170 is medium which is the same as that at the time of the preferential cooling operation of the other room. However, 80% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes the sucked air current 171, and the air current 177 is smaller. Hence, drop of the room temperature 27° C. of the entrance hall 17 is suppressed, the temperature only becomes about 25° C., mixing caused by collision between the air current 177, the return air current 178 and the outside air current 184 is facilitated, and comfortable environment of the entrance hall 17 is maintained by generation of the mixing section 180 having uniform temperature and air quality.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially cooled in the entrance hall 17.

When the living room 20 and the guest room 22 may be left to nature while the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, this is called preferential cooling operation of the own room, but since the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, the room temperature is as high as about 25° C. Therefore, cooling operation of another room is weakened while suppressing cooling operation of the own room. Hence, the set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as high as 23° C. by a remote controller (not shown), the wind volume is weak and the cooling operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “to a horizontal direction (0°)”, the blast volume of the air blower 55 is medium of 200 m³/h and the operation is carried out.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at low inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature 22° C., weak set wind volume and sucked air temperature 25° C. that is detected air of 25° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is deteriorated, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a high as low as 22° C.

The blowout air current 170 is blown out at temperature of 22° C. to the horizontal direction at about 5 m³/min (300 m³/h) with weak wind volume of the cooling operation. Therefore, the mixing caused by collision between the air current 177, the return air currents 176 and 178 and the outside air current 184 is facilitated without being sucked directly by the suction port 42. The mixing section 180 having uniform temperature and air quality is generated in the entrance hall, and comfortable environment of the entrance hall 17 is maintained.

The current becomes sucked air currents 185 and 171 sucked by the suction port 42 from the mixing section 180, and temperature of the air sucked by the suction port 42 is set to about 24° C. which is 1K lower than the room temperature of 25° C. of the entrance hall 17. The current is blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52 as air supply of 100 m³/h of about 25° C., the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having the room temperature of about 30° C. are cooled while leaving it to nature, and air is cleaned and outside air is introduced. Hence, the room temperature is not varied almost at all, and the air quality is enhanced. Since power consumption of the air conditioner and the air blower is suppressed to low levels, it is possible to realize energy-saved cooling operation.

To further lower the power consumption when only the entrance hall 17 is cooled and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are not cooled, the air blower 55 is stopped. However, since air in the living room 20 and the guest room 22 cannot be cleaned and outside air cannot be introduced, it is preferable that the air blower 55 is intermittently operated every hour for example.

Temperature of a room where the air conditioner is placed can be adjusted to uniform temperature and can be comfortable depending upon one's preference, and the air conditioner and the air blower are operated efficiently. Therefore, an air-conditioning system having small power consumption can be obtained as a result.

Further, means for returning from a room where the air conditioner is not placed to a room where the air conditioner is placed is clear, even if the door is closed, blast volume of the air blower is stable, temperature of the sucked air of the air conditioner is stable, and the temperature of the blowout air current is also stable. Therefore, power consumption and noise of the air blower are not increased, and it is possible to obtain an air-conditioning system which reliably heats/cools.

Not only to adjust the temperature as described above, it is possible to clean air in both a room where the air conditioner is placed and a room where the air conditioner is not placed and to enhance air quality by operating the air blower to clean air such as removal of dust at the same time, by supplying air from the room where the air conditioner is placed to the room where the air conditioner is not placed, and by circulating air through the return air passage.

Further, since the suction port is provided below the air conditioning indoor unit, it is easy to suck powder dust which is unevenly accumulated at a lower portion of the room, and suction efficiency of the suction port is enhanced by slightly upwardly bringing powder dust downward.

Further, since the air-cleaning unit can be taken out from the front of the suction port, it is possible to easily carry out periodical maintenance without providing an inspection port or without using a ladder.

In this embodiment, rooms where the air-conditioning indoor units are placed are the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18. This is because that these rooms are relatively narrow spaces, people does not always exist therein, a habitable room exists around these rooms, and they have stair connecting the first floor and the second floor to each other, and if the space is relatively narrow, a margin is given to ability when another room is air-conditioned, and if a wall opposed to the air conditioner is close, blowout air current of the air conditioner abuts against the wall, the blowout air current is prone to be sucked by the suction port, air-conditioning ability of the other room is enhanced, and if people does not always exist in the room, the people does not feel uneasy about noise of the air-conditioning indoor unit, draft feeling caused by blowout air current and sucking noise from the suction port, and if a habitable room exists around the above-described room, the duct becomes a short system, this is efficient, and if the room has stairs, air on the first floor and air on the second floor easily circulates by convection, and the air is easily uniformed.

If people always exist in the living room 20, the child's room 23 and the like and an air-conditioning indoor unit is placed in a room where air-conditioning time is long, it is also possible to reduce costs for air conditioning a room where people does not exist. Therefore, in such a case, it is especially necessary to select an air conditioner and an air blower and to establish a positioning relation between devices while taking comfortability such as noise and draft feeling into consideration. More specifically, an opening of the suction port is increased in size to reduce the noise, a length of the duct is shortened to the minimum necessary, a noise-canceling duct is used, an air blower having one size-larger wind volume is employed, an air conditioner having one-rank greater ability is employed, and people always exists on a position located away from a wall in which the air-conditioning indoor unit and the suction port are placed.

Further, the ventilated air supply ports 125 and 126 from which outdoor air is blown out into the building 3 are provided in the ceilings of the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 in this embodiment. Although the air is outdoor air after it exchanges heat, slightly hot air is blown out in summer and slightly cold air is blown out in winter. Therefore, when a room having long air-conditioning time where people always exists such as the living room 20 and the child's room 23 is selected as a room where the air conditioner is placed as described above, comfortability is deteriorated due to draft feeling. In such a case, it is desirable that a ventilated air supply port is placed in a corridor or the like for example on the way to the return air passage while avoiding a room where people exists.

Alternatively, the air supply ducts B 130, 131 through which outdoor air after heat exchange passes join up with downstream locations of the air blowers 55 and 56 and upstream locations of the blowout ports 50 to 53, and the outdoor air may be blown out from the blowout ports together with air-conditioned air supply. However, when the air blowers are stopped, it is necessary to design a system which prevents outdoor air from flowing reversely.

In this embodiment, the blowout ports are provided in the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23, and one air-conditioning system has two blowout ports. However, the blowout port may be provided in a working room, a washroom, a bathroom, a restroom, a shower room, a kitchen or the like as a living room, and the blowout port may be provided in the entrance hall 17, the staircase landing 18, the under-roof space 9, the under-floor space 10, the understairs, the machine room, the corridor, the clothes closet, the closet, the shoe locker or the like as a non-living room, and one air-conditioning system may include one blowout port or three or more blowout ports. In this case, it is necessary to design a system with attention to selection of the air conditioners and air blowers, the number of the air conditioners and air blowers, a diameter, the number of and a length of the duct, an opening area and the number of suction ports, an opening area and the number of a return air port such as the undercut, and a positional relation between the air conditioner, the suction port and the return air port in correspondence with a width of a room and the number of rooms.

In this embodiment, the return air port 86 is an undercut of a door, but the return air port 86 may be a discharging louver or a bypass duct, and it is necessary to secure an opening area in correspondence with return air wind volume. When a necessary opening area cannot be secured, or when pressure loss of the return air wind passage is large and return air wind volume is insufficient, it is possible to forcibly secure return air wind volume by an air blower or a ventilation fan.

In this embodiment, the blowout ports 50 to 53 are air supply grill from which conditioned air is blown out, and a direction of wind can be changed, and the blowout port is placed in the ceiling, but to uniform temperature, it is desirable that the blowout port is provided at a position opposed to and far from the return air port such as an undercut of a room, and the blowout port may be placed in a wall or a floor located at a slightly low position in correspondence with blowout wind speed.

In this embodiment, the air blower 55 is placed in the under-ceiling space, the inspection port is provided in the ceiling directly below the air blower 55, and it is possible to repair or carry out maintenance from the room by detaching the inspection port from the room. However, if the duct is short and it is possible to repair or carry out maintenance, the inspection port may be placed in a wall or under a floor.

In this embodiment, the suction port 42 is provided in the wall 33 below the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, but if the sucked air current 171 of the suction port 42 reaches the blowout air current 170, the blowout air current 170 may be provided in a floor, and the blowout air current 170 may be provided not only in one location but also in two locations and it may be sucked.

In this embodiment, the suction port 42 and the air blower 55 are provided as separated members, but the air blower 55 and the suction port 42 may be combined together and they may integrally open from a wall or the like. In this case, a suction area becomes small, and there is a possibility that noise is increased and noise of the fan is audibly perceptible directly, and since the air-cleaning unit 40 is accommodated therein, it becomes large in size, and workability is deteriorated.

In this embodiment, outdoor air is blown out into the entrance hall 17 directly from the ventilated air supply port 125 and from the heat-exchanging unit 95. However, if outdoor air after heat exchange is connected directly to the suction port 42 and the outdoor air is circulated between rooms by the air blower 55 together with indoor air after the outdoor air is cleaned, this outdoor air is more cleaned and thereafter, the outdoor air is introduced into the building 3. Therefore, the air can have healthy and safe air quality, but it is necessary to take, into consideration, possibilities that sucked wind volume of the indoor air is reduced, air-conditioning ability of the indoor air is deteriorated, and reliability is deteriorated because the outdoor air passes through the air-cleaning unit.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a suction port in a second embodiment of the invention.

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the suction port, a placement position of the suction port and a configuration of connection between ducts. As a result, a function and an effect are different from those of the first embodiment. Only different portions will be described hereinafter. Portions which are not described are basically the same as those of the first embodiment.

As shown in the drawing, a suction port 200, 201 (suction port E) has a suction area which is appropriate for sucking blast volume of about 350 m³/h of an air blower 55, 56. The suction port 200, 201 has a suction louver 202, 203 having outer shape size of 450 mm*450 mm, and a body 205, 206. The suction port 200, 201 is provided therein with a damper 222, 223. The damper 222, 223 can adjust wind volumes of suction from a prefilter 210, 211, an air cleaning unit 40, 41, a suction section 212, 213, a power source (not shown), an air cleaning suction wind passage 214, 215, an air cleaning section 216, 217, a duct suction section 220, 221, and a suction from suction section 212, 213. An upper portion of a side surface of the body 205, 206 is provided with a duct connecting section 167 and 168.

The damper 222, 223 is operated by an electric motor. The damper 222, 223 stops at a plurality of angles between a state where the suction section 212, 213 is completely closed and the duct suction section 220, 221 are completely opened and a state where the suction section 212, 213 are completely opened and the duct suction section 220, 221 are completely closed. The damper 222, 223 can adjust wind volume sucked from the suction section 212, 213 and flowing into the air cleaning suction wind passage 214, 215, and wind volume sucked from the duct suction section 220, 221 and flowing into the air cleaning suction wind passage 214, 215.

The air-cleaning unit 40 and 41 is an electric dust-collecting filters. From at least one of air sucked from the suction section 212, 213, and air sucked from the duct suction section 220, 221, the air-cleaning unit 40, 41 removes fine floating particles having a particle diameter of 0.3 μm or more such as mold spore, dirt, pollen, yellow sand and PM2.5 in air. The air cleaning unit 40, 41 extends from the duct connecting section 167 and 168 to the air blowers 55, 56 through the duct 70 and 76.

For the prefilter 210, 211 and the air-cleaning unit 40, 41, it is necessary to carry out periodical maintenance such cleaning. Therefore, suction louver 202, 203 of the suction port 200, 201 placed at a position higher than the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, 16 such as a ceiling of a room is detached from the body 205, 206 by a spring or the like and thereafter, the prefilter 210, 211 is easily detached, a handle of the air cleaning unit 40, 41 is grasped and can downwardly be pulled out from the air cleaning section 216, 217 of the body 205, 206. After the maintenance, these members can easily be assembled in an opposite way.

Although an electric dust-collecting air-cleaning unit 40, 41 is employed in this embodiment, the air-cleaning unit 40, 41 may be of an HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter type which filters the fine filter paper such as HEPA filter, and the air-cleaning unit may be selected by kinds and degree of dust, bacteria, harmful material and the like to be removed, frequency and noise of maintenance of wind volume of passing air, wind speed and cleaning. For example, in the case of virus having a diameter of 0.1 μm or greater which can be captured by the HEPA filter, the HEPA filter type should be employed.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially heated in an entrance hall 17.

In an air-conditioning system on the first floor 4, in the entrance hall 17, a suction port 200 (suction port E) is placed in a ceiling in front of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, and on a center of a lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, and a suction port 230 (suction port D) is placed in a front floor and on a center of the lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15.

The suction port 230 has a suction area which is appropriate for sucking about 350 m³/h. The suction port 230 includes a suction louver 231 having an outer shape size of 450 m*450 m and a body 232. The suction port 230 is provided therein with a prefilter (not shown). The suction port 230 includes a duct connecting section (not shown) on a lower portion of a side surface of the body 232.

The duct connecting section of the suction port 230 and the duct connecting section 220 are connected to each other through a duct 236 which passes through under the floor, in the wall 33 and an under-ceiling space. Portions other than these described above are the same as those of the first embodiment, and a similar air-conditioning system is provided also on the second floor 5.

When outside air temperature is about 7° C. in winter, the heating operation is not carried out in the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22, it is desired to heat the living room 20 and the guest room 22 where the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is not placed, and when it is unnecessary to heat the entrance hall 17, this is called preferential heating operation of another room. However, since the entrance hall 17 is not heated, room temperature thereof is as low as about 15° C., set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as high as 22° C. by a remote controller (not shown), wind volume is set to strong, and the heating operation is started. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, and an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted to a “horizontal direction (0°)”.

The damper 222 of the suction port 200 is operated, the system is brought into such a state that the suction sections 212 and 213 are completely opened and the duct suction sections 220 and 221 are completely closed, and blast volume of the air blower 55 is set to strong, i.e., 350 m³/h. Therefore, air is not sucked at all from the suction port 230 provided in the floor, and all of 350 m³/h is sucked from the suction port 200 placed in the ceiling.

Inverter driving frequency of a compressor (not shown) of an outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at high frequency by remote controller set temperature 22° C., strong set wind volume and sucked air temperature 15° C. that is detected air of 15° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), an electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into heat exchangers (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that heating ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to high temperature of 35° C.

The blowout air current 170 is about 10 m³/min (600 m³/h) of strong wind volume of the heating operation, and temperature thereof is 35° C. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 becomes current which is horizontally blown out from the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15. Thereafter, the blowout air current 170 rises by density of air, and at a position of the placed suction port 200, the blowout air current 170 is decelerated to wind speed of 1 to 2 m/s, 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes sucked air current 171 by wind speed of 1 to 2 m/s of the sucked air current 171 of the suction port 200, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 200 becomes about 34° C. which is 19K higher than room temperature of 15° C. of the entrance hall 17, the blowout air current 170 is blown out as air supply of 175 m³/h of about 33° C. from the blowout ports 50 and 52 through the duct 70, the air blower 55, the duct 71, the bifurcated pipe 60 and the ducts 72 and 73, and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having room temperature of about 15° C. are strongly heated.

The amount of air which is not sucked by the suction port 200 in the blowout air current 170 is small, but mixing caused by collision between the return air current 178 and the outside air current 184 is facilitated, and temperature is only heated to about 17° C., the mixing section 180 having uniform temperature and air quality is generated in the entrance hall, and a status before operation of the entrance hall 17 is maintained.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing flows of wind when both rooms are heated in the entrance hall 17.

When it is desired that the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are also heated during the heating operation of the entrance hall 17, since the entrance hall 17 is being heated, the room temperature is slightly as high as about 20° C. Therefore, to strengthen the heating operation of the other room while slightly suppressing the heating operation of the own room, the set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as high as 24° C. by a remote controller (not shown), wind volume is set to medium and the heating operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, and an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “from diagonally forward 45° to 60°”.

The damper 222 of the suction port 200 is operated, a state of the system is brought into a state where the suction sections 212 and 213 are completely opened and the duct suction sections 220 and 221 are completely closed, and blast volume of the air blower 55 is operated at strong, i.e., 350 m³/h. Therefore, air is not sucked at all from the suction port 230 which is placed on the floor, and all of 350 m³/h is sucked from the suction port 200 which is placed in the ceiling.

Inverter driving frequency of a compressor (not shown) of an outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at high frequency by remote controller set temperature 24° C., medium set wind volume and sucked air temperature 20° C. that is detected air of 20° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), an electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into heat exchangers (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that heating ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to high temperature of 40° C.

The blowout air current 170 is about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) of medium wind volume of the heating operation, and temperature thereof is 40° C. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 becomes current which is blown out from diagonally forward 45° C. to 60° C. from the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15. Thereafter, the blowout air current 170 rises by density of air, and 80% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes sucked air current 171, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 200 becomes about 38° C. which is +10K higher and which is 18K higher than room temperature of 20° C. of the entrance hall 17, the blowout air current 170 is blown out as air supply of 175 m³/h of about 37° C. from the blowout ports 50 and 52, and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having room temperature of about 15° C. are heated stronger than that at the time of the preferential heating operation of another room.

The amount of air which is not sucked by the suction port 200 in the blowout air current 170 is small, but mixing caused by collision between the return air current 178 and the outside air current 184 is facilitated, and temperature is heated to about 22° C., the mixing section 180 having uniform temperature and air quality is blown out from diagonally forward 45° C. to 60° C., thereby generating the mixing section 180 below the entrance hall, and the entrance hall 17 becomes a more comfortable space.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially heated in the entrance hall 17.

When the living room 20 and the guest room 22 may be left to nature when the heating operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, this is called preferential heating operation of the own room, but since the entrance hall 17 is being stably heated, the room temperature is as high as about 22° C. Hence, the heating operation of the other room is weakened while suppressing the heating operation of the own room. Therefore, the operation is carried out based on the same setting as that at the time of the above-described heating operation of both the rooms, and the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to high as high as set temperature of 24° C. by a remote controller (not shown).

The damper 222 of the suction port 200 is operated to an angle of about 45°, a state of the system is brought into such a state that the suction section 212 and the duct suction section 220 are opened half way, and blast volume of the air blower 55 is operated at medium, i.e., 200 m³/h. Therefore, about 100 m³/h is sucked from the suction port 200 placed in the ceiling, and about 100 m³/h is sucked from the suction port 230 placed in the floor. Hence, sucked air current 190 sucking, from the suction port 230, the blowout air current 170 which rises due to density of air is generated, a temperature difference of the entrance hall 17 is made small, and comfortability is enhanced.

The temperature is set to about 23° C. which is 1K higher than the room temperature 22° C. of the entrance hall 17, it is blown out as air supply of 100 m³/h of about 22° C. from the blowout ports 50 and 52, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having room temperature of about 15° C. are heated while leaving it to nature, and cleaned air and outside air is introduced. Therefore, the room temperature is not varied almost at all, and air quality is enhanced. Power consumption of each of the air conditioner and the air blower is suppressed to a small level, and it is possible to realize an energy-saving heating operation.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled in the entrance hall 17.

When outside air temperature is about 35° C. in summer, the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are not cooled, and it is desired to cool the living room 20 and the guest room 22 where the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is not placed, but it is unnecessary to cool the entrance hall 17, this is called preference cooling operation of another room. However, since the entrance hall 17 is not cooled and room temperature thereof is as high as about 30° C., set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as low as 25° C. by a remote controller (not shown), wind volume is medium and the cooling operation is started. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, and an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “from diagonally forward 45° to 60°”.

The damper 222 of the suction port 200 is operated, a state of the system is brought into such a state that the suction section 212 is completely closed and the duct suction section 220 is opened half way, and blast volume of the air blower 55 is operated at strong, i.e., 350 m³/h. Therefore, all of 350 m³/h is sucked from the suction port 230 placed in the floor.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 25° C., medium set wind volume and sucked air temperature 30° C. that is detected air of 30° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a low as low as 18° C.

The blowout air current 170 is about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) of medium wind volume of the cooling operation and temperature thereof is 18° C. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 is blown out from diagonally forward 45° to 60°, 80% of the blowout air current becomes sucked air current 171 which is sucked into the suction port 230 including influence of density of air, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 230 is set to about 19° C. which is 11K lower than room temperature of 30° C. of the entrance hall 17, the air is blown out as air supply of 175 m³/h of about 20° C. from the blowout ports 50 and 52, and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having room temperature of about 30° C. are strongly cooled.

Since most of blowout air current 171 is sucked into the suction port 230, temperature of the entrance hall 17 is only slightly lowered, and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are more efficiently cooled.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing flows of wind when both rooms are cooled in the entrance hall 17.

When it is desired to also cool the living room 20 and the guest room 22 during the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17, the operation is basically the same as the above-described preferential cooling operation of another room shown in FIG. 13, but since the entrance hall 17 is being cooled, the room temperature is slightly as low as about 27° C. Therefore, cooling operation of the other room is strengthened while slightly suppressing the cooling operation of the own room. Hence, the set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to as low as 23° C. by the remote controller (not shown), the wind volume is medium and the cooling operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, and an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “from diagonally forward 30° to 45°”.

The damper 222 of the suction port 200 is operated, the suction section 212 is completely closed, the duct connecting section 220 is completely opened, and operation is carried out while setting blast volume of the air blower 55 to strong. i.e., 350 m³/h. Therefore, all of 350 m³/h is sucked from the suction port 230 which is placed in the floor.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 22° C., weak set wind volume and sucked air temperature 27° C. that is detected air of 27° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a low as low as 16° C.

The blowout air current 170 is about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) of medium wind volume of the cooling operation and temperature thereof is 16° C. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 is blown out from diagonally forward 30° to 45°, but the blowout air current 170 becomes sucked air current 171 which is lowered vertically downward more strongly as separating from the blowout port 140, 80% of the blowout air current becomes the sucked air current 171 which is sucked into the suction port 230, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 230 is about 17° C. which is 10K lower than room temperature of 27° C. of the entrance hall 17, the air is blown out as air supply of 175 m³/h of about 18° C., and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 of the room temperature of about 30° C. are cooled stronger than that at the time of the preferential cooling operation of another room.

Wind volume of the blowout air current 170 is medium, and this is the same as that at the time of the preferential cooling operation of the other room. However, 80% or more thereof becomes the sucked air current 171, lowering of the room temperature of 27° C. of the entrance hall 17 is suppressed, and the temperature only becomes about 25° C., mixing caused by collision between the blowout air current 170, the return air current 178 and the outside air current 184 is facilitated, and a blowout angle of the blowout air current 170 is as high as 30° to 45°. Hence, a mixing section 180 having a small temperature difference and uniform air quality is generated and thus, the entrance hall 17 becomes comfortable environment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially cooled in the entrance hall 17.

When the living room 20 and the guest room 22 may be left to nature while the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, this is called preferential cooling operation of the own room, but since the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, the room temperature is as low as about 25° C., and the cooling operation of the other room is weakened while suppressing the cooling operation of the own room. Hence, the operation is carried out based on the same setting as that when both the rooms are cooled as described above, and the set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to as low as 23° C.

The damper 222 of the suction port 200 is operated to an angle of about 45°, the suction section 212 and the duct connecting section 220 are half way opened, blast volume of the air blower 55 is operated at medium, i.e., 200 m³/h. Hence, air is sucked by about 100 m³/h from the suction port 200 placed in the ceiling, and air is sucked by about 100 m³/h from the suction port 230 placed in the floor. Therefore. sucked air current 240 sucking, from the suction port 200, the blowout air current 170 which is lowered by density of air is generated, a temperature difference of the entrance hall 17 is made small, and comfortability is enhanced.

Temperature is set to about 24° C. which is 1K lower than the room temperature of 25° C. of the entrance hall 17, air is blown out as air supply of 100 m³/h of about 25° C., the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having room temperature of about 30° C. are cooled while leaving it to nature, and since air is cleaned and outside air is introduced, room temperature is not varied almost at all, and air quality is enhanced. Since power consumption of the air conditioner and the air blower is suppressed to a small level, it is possible to realize the energy-saving heating operation.

As described above, it is possible to adjust temperature of any of a room where the air conditioner is placed and a room where the air conditioner is not placed depending upon one's preference, a temperature difference of the room where the air conditioner is placed can be made small, and comfortability can be enhanced. Especially, by utilizing rising air current of density of air when the heating operation is carried out, since operations of the air conditioner and the air blower become more efficient, it is possible to obtain an air-conditioning system having small power consumption as a result.

Further, means for returning from a room where the air conditioner is not placed to a room where the air conditioner is placed is clear, even if the door is closed, blast volume of the air blower is stable, temperature of the sucked air of the air conditioner is stable, and the temperature of the blowout air current is also stable. Therefore, power consumption and noise of the air blower are not increased, and it is possible to obtain an air-conditioning system which reliably heats/cools.

Concerning not only adjustment of the above-described temperature, but also concerning air cleaning such as removal of dust, the air blower is operated, air in the room where the air conditioner is placed is supplied to a room where the air conditioner is not placed, the air is circulated through the return air passage. According to this, it is possible to clean air in both the rooms, and to enhance air quality.

Further, since the suction ports are provided in the ceiling and the floor, it is easy to suck powder dust which is unevenly accumulated at a lower portion of the room and which is brought upward, blowout current of the air conditioner indoor unit is changed, and the power dust is slightly brought upward, suction efficiency of the suction port is enhanced.

Further, since the air-cleaning unit can be taken out from the lower portion of the ceiling of the room, it is possible to easily carry out periodical maintenance without providing an inspection port.

In this embodiment, the suction port 230 and the suction port 200 are connected to the air blower 55 in series, and the suction port 200 is provided with the damper which adjusts the wind volume of the suction port. Alternatively, to reduce the pressure loss, to increase the suction wind volume and to reduce the noise, it is also possible to connect the two suction ports to the air blower 55 in parallel, and to provide dampers which respectively adjust suction wind volumes thereof.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a third embodiment of the invention.

The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in a placed position of the suction port, specification of the air blower, and configurations of connections of the outdoor air introducing passage, the bifurcated pipe and the duct. As a result, a function and an effect are different from those of the first embodiment. Only different portions will be described hereinafter. Portions which are not described are basically the same as those of the first embodiment.

As shown in the drawing, air-conditioning systems 301 and 302 are provided one by one on a first floor 4 and a second floor 5 of a two story building 3 which is a high airtight and high heat insulation housing, and the air-conditioning systems condition air in and ventilate rooms in the building 3.

As configurations of the air-conditioning systems 301 and 302, in an entrance hall 17 and a staircase landing 18, suction ports 305 and 306 (suction port F) provided therein with air-cleaning units 40 and 41 are placed in ceilings within 1 m of front portions of the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16 and at centers in the lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor units 15 and 16. Blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53 are placed in the ceilings 44, 45, 46 and 47 of a living room 20, a guest room 22 and a child's room 23 (space B). Air blowers 355 and 356 and bifurcated pipes 360 and 361 are placed in under-ceiling spaces 62 and 63 to blow out air sucked by the suction ports 305 and 306 from the blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53. The ducts 70, 71, 72 and 73 pass through the under-ceiling space 62, and the ducts 76, 77, 78 and 79 pass through the under-ceiling space 63. The suction port 305, the air blower 355, the bifurcated pipe 360 and the blowout port 51 and 53 are airtightly connected to one another through the ducts 70, 71, 72 and 73. The suction port 306, the air blower 356, the bifurcated pipe 361 and the blowout ports 51 and 53 are airtightly connected to one another through the ducts 76, 77, 78 and 79.

Further, heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 are respectively provided in the under-ceiling spaces 62 and 63 are respectively provided, and heat exchanging ventilation units 95 and 96 and the bifurcated pipes 360 and 361 are airtightly connected to each other through air supply ducts B330 and 331.

Other outdoor air introducing passages and other indoor air discharging passage are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Although configurations of the bifurcated pipes 360 and 361 will be described later, air sucked by the air blowers 355 and 356 in the suction ports 305 and 306 and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 are mixed with each other in the bifurcated pipes 360 and 361, and the mixed air is blown out from the blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53.

Basic configurations of the air blowers 355 and 356 are the same as those of the air blowers 55 and 56 of the first embodiment, and the maximum blast volume (strong notch) is increased from 350 m³/h to 500 m³/h by increasing the number of rotations of a motor, or by increasing an outer shape of a casing, a fan or the like.

The suction ports 305 and 306 (suction port F) are the same as the suction ports 42 and 43 (suction port C) of the first embodiment. The suction port placed in the wall in the first embodiment is placed in the ceiling in this embodiment. About 500 m³/h that is the maximum blast volume of each of the air blowers 355 and 356 is sucked. Therefore, when noise is high, it is also possible to increase suction areas of the suction louvers 150 and 151, and to increase ratios of the wind volumes flowing directly into the air cleaning bypass suction wind passages 165 and 166.

Other air-supply wind passages and other return air wind passages are the same as those of the first embodiment.

The air-supply wind passage on the first floor and the return air wind passage on the first floor are connected to each other. On the first floor 4, air supply as conditioned air that is mixed air of blowout air which is blown out from the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 of the entrance hall 17 and air in the entrance hall 17 is sucked from the suction port 305, the air supply passes through the duct 70, the air blower 355 and the duct 71, and flows into the bifurcated pipe 360, the air supply is mixed with outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95, and the mixed air blows out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22 through the ducts 72 and 73. A circulation wind passage (not shown) on the first floor is formed. Return air after the air-cleaning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86 and returns to the entrance hall 17 through the circulation wind passage. An air-supply wind passage on the second floor and a return air wind passage on the second floor are connected to each other. On the second floor 5, air supply as air-conditioned air which is mixture of blowout air blown out from the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 of the staircase landing 18 and air of the staircase landing 18 is sucked from the suction port 43. The air supply flows into the bifurcated pipe 361 through the duct 76, the air blower 356 and the duct 77, and the air supply is mixed with outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 96. The mixed air is blown out from the blowout port 51 of the bedroom 21 and the blowout port 53 of the child's room 23 through the ducts 78 and 79. A circulation wind passage (not shown) on the second floor is formed. Return air after air-conditioning returns to the staircase landing 18 through the return air ports 87 and 88.

Although the restrooms 100 and 101 are provided with the ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103 in this embodiment, a ventilation exhaust port and a louver may be provided in a so-called dirty zone which is a room or a space where smell, moisture and harmful material are prone to be generated or accumulated such as a washroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen other than the restroom. In this case, they can be discharged directly to outside of the room without through another room or space. However, when the heat-exchanging elements 110 and 111 of the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 are not prone to be deteriorated by moisture in the shower room or oil in the kitchen, it is necessary to provide another ventilation fan.

The ventilation exhaust ports 102 and 103 may be provided in a room or the like downstream of a circulation passage (return air passage) such as the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18. In such a case, a portion of the indoor air in a room or the like is discharged to outside of the room together with dust and moisture generated by normal living, but it is necessary to provide the dirty zone with a ventilation exhaust port or provide another ventilation fan so that moisture or the like in the dirty zone does not flow into the room or the like.

In the above-described configuration, concerning the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 on the first floor 4, and concerning the staircase landing 18, the bedroom 21 and the child's room 23 on the second floor 5, when a heating operation, a cooling operation, an air cleaning operation are carried out or outside air is introduced or when indoor air is discharged, an operation state and a way of flow of win of each device will be described based on the entrance hall 17 on the first floor 4 as a representative. Description of the staircase landing 18 on the second floor 5 becomes the same description.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled in the entrance hall 17.

When outside air temperature is about 35° C. in summer, the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 is not carried out. It is desired to cool the living room 20 and the guest room 22 where the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is not placed, but when it is unnecessary to cool the entrance hall 17, this is called preferential cooling operation of another room. Since the entrance hall 17 is not cooled, the room temperature thereof is as high as about 30° C., set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to low as low as 25° C. by the remote controller (not shown), the wind volume is weak and the cooling operation is started. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted to “a horizontal direction (0°)”, the blast volume of the air blower 355 is set to the maximum of 500 m³/h, and the operation is carried out.

the outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 25° C., weak set wind volume and sucked air temperature 30° C. that is detected air of 30° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a low as low as 16° C.

Temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 16° C., and the blowout air current 170 is prone to be lowering air current due to density of air. However, since wind volume of the cooling operation is weak, i.e., about 5 m³/min (300 m³/h), the blowout air current 170 is decelerated to wind speed of 1 m/s or smaller on a center of the lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and at a position of the suction port 305 placed in the ceiling within about 1 m from a front of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, and the wind speed is slower and wind pressure is smaller as compared with wind speed of 1.5 to 2 m/s of the sucked air current of the suction port 305 caused by wind volume of 500 m³/h of the air blower 355 at the same position. Therefore, 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes sucked air current 171 which is rising air current, and is sucked by the suction port 305.

The heat-exchanging unit 95 is operated at strong notch ventilation wind volume of 150 m³/h, the heat-exchanging unit 95 mixes, by the bifurcated pipe 360, conditioned air and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95, and the mixed air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22. Return air after the air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86, and once returns to the entrance hall 17 as the return air current 378. Therefore, wind volume of the return air current 378 becomes equal to blast volume of 500 m³/h+650 m³/h of ventilation wind volume 150 m³/h, pressure of the entrance hall 17 becomes positive, and wind pressure of the return air current flowing further toward the suction port 305 is increased. Further, the return air current is air after air-conditioning and outdoor air after heat exchange, and the return air current is slightly higher than room temperature of the entrance hall 17. Therefore, the return air current becomes rising air current, and the return air current flows toward the suction port 305.

The sucked air current 171 is induced or attracted by the return air current 378, more sucked air current is sucked directly into the suction port 305 together with the return air current 378, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 305 is set to about 22° C. which is 8K lower than the room temperature of 30° C. of the entrance hall 17, the air current is blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52 as air supply of 250 m³/h of about 23° C., and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 of room temperature of 30° C. are cooled. A portion of the blowout air current 170 which is not directly sucked is mixed with the return air current 378 and the like by the mixing section 180, and most of the mixture is sucked into the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 as sucked air current 181.

Concerning the air cleaning, a portion of air of the sucked air current 171 flows into the air cleaning suction wind passage 160 of the suction port 305. Air which is cleaned by the air-cleaning unit 40 joins up with air which flows directly into the air cleaning bypass suction wind passage 165, and becomes clean air supply, and the air becomes slightly contaminated return air while being replaced by air in the living room 20 and the guest room 22. The air again returns to the entrance hall 17, the air cleaning is repeated, thereby highly maintaining the air cleanness of the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22.

Outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by operation of the heat-exchanging unit 95 is mixed, by the bifurcated portion 360, with conditioned air sucked by the suction port 305 sent from the air blower 355. The outdoor air is blown out into a room or the like, supplies fresh outside air, and air which air-conditions a room or the like and return air including CO₂ and moisture which are increased by a people pass through the return air port 86, and they return to the entrance hall 17. A portion of air of the entrance hall 17 passes through the louver 135 provided between the bathroom 100 and the entrance hall 17, and it is discharged as discharged air current 186. Air quality of the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 is further highly maintained.

When it is desired to carry out the cooling operation also in the living room 20 and the guest room 22 during the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17, since the entrance hall 17 is being cooled, its room temperature is slightly as low as about 27° C. Therefore, the cooling operation of the other rooms is strengthened while slightly suppressing the cooling operation of the own room. Hence, the operation is basically the same as the preferential cooling operation of the other room. However, the set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as low as 23° C. by the remote controller (not shown), wind volume is weak and the cooling operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted to the “horizontal direction (0°)”, blast volume of the air blower 355 is set to the maximum of 500 m³/h, and the operation is carried out.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 23° C., weak set wind volume and sucked air temperature 27° C. that is detected air of 27° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a low as low as 14° C.

A difference from a value at the time of preferential cooling operation of another room is as low as the set temperature of 23° C. and thus, the discharge temperature is as low as 14° C., a portion of the blowout air current 170 becomes lowering air current and cools the entrance hall 17, and 50% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes the sucked air current 171 which is the rising air current, it is sucked by the suction port 305, the temperature becomes about 20° C. which is 7K lower than the room temperature of 27° C. of the entrance hall 17. The air is blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52 as the air supply of 250 m³/h of about 21° C., and this cools the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having the room temperature of about 30° C.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing flows of wind when own room is preferentially cooled in the entrance hall 17. When the living room 20 and the guest room 22 may be left to nature while the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, this is called preferential cooling operation of the own room. However, since the cooling operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, the room temperature is as low as about 25° C. and thus, the cooling operation of the other rooms is weakened while suppressing the cooling operation of the own room. Hence, the set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a low as low as 23° C. by a remote controller (not shown), wind volume is medium and the cooling operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, and an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “from diagonally forward 45° C. to 60° C.”, blast volume of the air blower 355 is set to a medium level, i.e., 200 m³/h, and the operation is carried out.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a low inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 23° C., medium set wind volume and sucked air temperature 25° C. that is detected air of 25° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is deteriorated, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as high as 24° C.

Wind speed of the blowout air current 170 becomes about 1.5 m/s at a forward location of 1 m from the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 at about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) medium wind volume of cooling operation, the blowout air current 170 is blown out from diagonally forward 45° to 60°. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 passes through a lower position of 1.5 m or more away from a position of the suction port 305 placed in the ceiling within about 1 m or less from the front of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 on a center of a lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15. Wind volume of the air blower 355 is also as small as 200 m³/h. Therefore, wind speed of the sucked air current of the suction port 305 is as small as 1 m/s or less, and the blowout air current 170 is not sucked directly into the suction port 305.

The heat-exchanging unit 95 is operated under a condition that 24 hour ventilation wind volume is 100 m³/h, conditioned air and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95 are mixed in the bifurcated portion 360, and the mixed air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22. Return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86, and returns to the entrance hall 17 as return air current 378. Therefore, the wind volume of the return air current 378 becomes equal to blast volume of 200 m³/h+300 m³/h of ventilation wind volume 100 m³/h. Return air current is air after air-conditioning and outdoor air after heat exchange, and temperature thereof is slightly higher than room temperature of the entrance hall 17. Hence, it becomes rising air current and flows toward the suction port 305, but wind volume of the return air current 378 is small, and a place where it joins up with the blowout air current 170 is separated from the suction port 305. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 is not induced or attracted by the suction port 305.

Mixing caused by joining between the blowout air current 170 and the return air current 378 is facilitated, the mixing section 180 having uniform temperature and air quality is generated in the entrance hall 17, and comfortable environment of the entrance hall 17 is maintained.

The current becomes the sucked air current 185 sucked by the suction port 305 from the mixing section 180, temperature of the air sucked by the suction port 305 is about 25° C. which is 0K higher or lower than the room temperature of 25° C. of the entrance hall 17, the air is blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52 as air supply of 100 m³/h of about 26° C. The living room 20 and the guest room 22 of room temperature of about 30° C. are cooled while leaving it to nature, and cleaned air and outside air are introduced. Therefore, room temperature is not varied almost at all, and air quality is enhanced. Since power consumption of the air conditioner and the air blower is suppressed to a small level, it is possible to realize an energy-saving cooling operation.

To further lower the power consumption when only the entrance hall 17 is cooled and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are not cooled, the air blower 355 is stopped. However, since air in the living room 20 and the guest room 22 cannot be cleaned and outside air cannot be introduced, it is more preferable that the air blower 355 is intermittently operated every hour for example. In such a case, since there is a possibility that air from the heat-exchanging unit 95 reversely flows toward the air blower 355 at the bifurcated portion 360, it is necessary to pay attention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing flows of wind when another room is preferentially heated in the entrance hall 17.

When temperature of outside air is about 7° C. in winter, the heating operation in the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 is not carried out. When it is desired to heat the living room 20 and the guest room 22 where the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is not placed but it is unnecessary to heat the entrance hall 17, this is called “preferential heating operation of another room”, but since the entrance hall 17 is not heated, the room temperature thereof is as low as about 15° C., set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as high as 22° C. by a remote controller (not shown), wind volume is medium, and the heating operation is started. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted to “a horizontal direction (0°)”, blast volume of the air blower 355 is set to 350 m³, and operation is carried out.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature 22° C., medium set wind volume and sucked air temperature 15° C. detected by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown) which detects air of 15° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that heating ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as high as 37° C.

The blowout air current 170 is medium wind volume of about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h) of heating operation, and temperature thereof is 37° C. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 is blown out horizontally from the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, but the blowout air current 170 rises due to density of air, and the blowout air current 170 leads to the placed suction port 305. At a position of the suction port 305, the blowout air current 170 is decelerated to wind speed of 1 to 1.5 m/s, and 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes the sucked air current 171 by the wind speed of about 1.5 m/s of the sucked air current 171 of the suction port 200. Temperature of air sucked by the suction port 200 is about 36° C. which is 21K higher than the room temperature of 15° C. of the entrance hall 17, it passes through the duct 70, the air blower 355, the duct 71, the bifurcated pipe 360 and the ducts 72 and 73, it is blown out as air supply of 175 m³/h of about 35° C., and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 having the room temperature of about 15° C. are strongly heated.

The heat-exchanging unit 95 is operated with 24 hour ventilation wind volume of 100 m³/h, conditioned air and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95 are mixed by the bifurcated pipe 360, and the mixed air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22. Return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86 and returns to the entrance hall 17 as the return air current 378. Therefore, wind volume of the return air current 378 becomes equal to blast volume of 350 m³/h+450 m³/h of ventilation wind volume 100 m³/h, and the wind volume leads to the suction port 305. However, the return air current 378 is air after air-conditioning and outdoor air after heat-exchange, the return air current 378 is slightly lower than the room temperature of the entrance hall 17. Hence, it does not rise due to density of air, a portion of the blowout air current 170 and air in the entrance hall 17 are mixed by the mixing section 180 before the return air current 378 joins up with the blowout air current 170, temperature and air quality become uniform, temperature of the entrance hall 17 does not rise relatively, and a status before operation is prone to be maintained.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing flows of wind when both rooms are heated in the entrance hall 17.

When it is desired to heat also the living room 20 and the guest room 22 during the heating operation of the entrance hall 17, since the entrance hall 17 is being heated, room temperature thereof is slightly high as high as about 20° C. Therefore, the heating operation of another room is strengthened while slightly suppressing the heating operation of the own room. Hence, the set temperature in the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to high as high as 24° C. by a remote controller (not shown), wind volume is strong, and the heating operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “from diagonally forward 45° to 60°”, and the blast volume of the air blower 355 is operated at 350 m³/h.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature 24° C., strong set wind volume and sucked air temperature 20° C. detected by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown) which detects air of 20° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that heating ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as high as 38° C.

The blowout air current 170 is strong wind volume of about 10 m³/min (600 m³/h) of the heating operation, and the blowout air current 170 is blown out from the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 from diagonally forward 45° C. to 60° C., but since this temperature is much higher than the temperature 38° C. and the room temperature of the entrance hall 17, it abruptly rises due to density of air, and 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes the sucked air current 185, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 305 is set to about 36° C. which is 16K higher than the room temperature of 20° C. of the entrance hall 17, it is blown out as air supply of 175 m³/h of about 35° C. from the blowout ports 50 and 52, and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 of room temperature of about 15° C. are heated stronger than that at the time of preferential heating operation of another room.

The heat-exchanging unit 95 is operated on a condition that 24 hour ventilation wind volume is 100 m³/h, conditioned air and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95 are mixed by the bifurcated portion 360, and the mixed air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22. Return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86 and returns to the entrance hall 17 as the return air current 378. Therefore, wind volume of the return air current 378 becomes equal to blast volume of 350 m³/h+450 m³/h of ventilation wind volume 100 m³/h, and the wind volume leads to the suction port 305. However, the return air current 378 is air after air-conditioning and outdoor air after heat-exchange, and the return air current 378 is lower than the room temperature of the entrance hall 17. Hence, it does not rise due to density of air. However, since an air current direction of the blowout air current 170 is diagonally forward 45° C. to 60° C., a portion of the blowout air current 170 and air in the entrance hall 17 are mixed as the mixing section 180 in the vicinity of a central portion of the entrance hall 17, temperature and air quality become uniform, and the heating operation is carried out such that set temperature of the entrance hall 17 approaches 24° C.

When the living room 20 and the guest room 22 may be left to nature while the heating operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, this is called preferential heating operation of the own room. However, since the heating operation of the entrance hall 17 is stable, the room temperature is as high as about 22° C. and thus, the heating operation of the other rooms is weakened while suppressing the heating operation of the own room. Hence, the operation is carried out on the same setting as that at the time of the above-described heating operation of both rooms, set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to high as high as 24° C. by a remote controller (not shown), and the operation is carried out on the condition that blast volume of the air blower 355 is 200 m³/h.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a low inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 24° C., strong set wind volume and sucked air temperature 22° C. that is detected air of 22° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that heating ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is deteriorated, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as low as 25° C.

The blowout air current 170 is about 10 m³/min (600 m³/h) of strong wind volume of the heating operation, wind speed of the blowout air current 170 becomes about 2 m/s in 1 m front from the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, and the blowout air current 170 is blown out from diagonally 45° to 60°. Therefore, the blowout air current 170 passes through a lower portion separated by 1.5 m or more from a position of the placed suction port 305 on a center of the lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and in a ceiling within about 1 mm from a front of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, the temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 25° C. which is only slightly higher than the room temperature of 22° C. of the entrance hall 17, and wind volume of the air blower 355 is as small as 200 m³/h. Hence, this is as small as wind volume of 1 m/s or smaller of the sucked air current of the suction port 305, and the blowout air current 170 is not sucked directly by the suction port 305.

The heat-exchanging unit 95 is operated such that 24 hours ventilation wind volume is 100 m³/h, conditioned air and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95 are mixed, and the mixed air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22. Return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86 and returns to the entrance hall 17 as the return air current 378. Therefore, the wind volume of the return air current 378 is equal to blast volume of 200 m³/h+300 m³/h of ventilation wind volume of 100 m³/h and the wind volume of the return air current 378 leads to the suction port 305. However, the return air current 378 is air after air-conditioning and outdoor air after heat-exchange, and the temperature of the return air current 378 is lower than the room temperature of the entrance hall 17. Therefore, the return air current 378 does not rise due to density of air.

However, since a direction of air current of the blowout air current 170 is from diagonally forward 45° C. to 60° C., a portion of the blowout air current 170 and air in the entrance hall 17 are mixed as the mixing section 180 in the vicinity of a central portion of the entrance hall 17, temperature and air quality become uniform, and the heating operation is carried out such that the set temperature of the entrance hall 17 approaches 24° C.

The current becomes the sucked air current 185 sucked by the suction port 305 from the mixing section 180, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 305 is about 23° C. which is 1K higher than the room temperature of 22° C. of the entrance hall 17, it is blown out as air supply of 100 m³/h of about 22° C., the living room 20 and the guest room 22 of room temperature of 15° C. are heated while leaving it to nature, and air is cleaned and the outside air is introduced. Therefore, the room temperature is not varied almost at all, and air quality is enhanced. Since power consumption of the air conditioner and the air blower is suppressed to a small level, it is possible to realize an energy-saving heating operation.

To further lower the power consumption when only the entrance hall 17 is heated and the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are not heated, the air blower 355 is stopped. However, since air in the living room 20 and the guest room 22 cannot be cleaned and outside air cannot be introduced, it is more preferable that the air blower 355 is intermittently operated every hour for example. In such a case, since there is a possibility that air from the heat-exchanging unit 95 reversely flows toward the air blower 355 at the bifurcated portion 360, it is necessary to pay attention.

FIG. 21 is an outline diagram of bifurcated portions 360 and 361 in a third embodiment.

The bifurcated portions 360 and 361 make air from two ducts join up and mix with each other, and bifurcate the ducts into maximum four ducts equally. Each of the bifurcated portions 360 and 361 is formed by pasting heat insulating material on an inner portion of an airtight metal casing.

Ducts 71 and 77 from air blowers 355 and 356 are airtightly connected to air blower adapters 310 and 320, air supply ducts B330 and 331 from heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 are airtightly connected to heat-exchanging unit adapters 311 and 321, and ducts 72, 73, 78 and 79 connected to blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53 are airtightly connected to blowout adapters 316, 318, 326 and 328. Heat insulative lids for keeping Airtightness are put on the blowout adapters 315, 325, 317 and 327 to which the ducts are not connected.

Blast airs from the air blowers 355 and 356 and outside air after heat exchange from the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 are spaces in the bifurcated portions 360 and 361. Fresh outside air and conditioned air of the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 where air conditioners 15 and 16 are placed are mixed uniformly in terms of air quality in the mixing sections 340 and 341 which are spaces immediately after the air flows from the air blower adapters 310 and 320 and the heat exchanging unit adapters 311 and 321 to the bifurcated portions 360 and 361.

As a method thereof, it is considered that volumes and cross-sectional areas of the mixing sections 340 and 341 are increased such that wind speed of flowing air becomes slow, i.e., 0.5 m/s or slower, or two air currents are made collide against each other by providing a resistive element such as a wall downstream of the mixing sections 340 and 341. However, there are problems that an outer shape size becomes excessively large and workability is deteriorated, costs are increased, resistance becomes too large and entire wind volume is reduced. Therefore, in any case, it is necessary to determine the specification while taking a balance of a purpose, an effect and a problem into account.

Mixed air of conditioned air which is uniformed by the mixing sections 340 and 341 and outside air flows into the bifurcated portions 342 and 343 located downstream of the mixing sections 340 and 341 and upstream of the blowout adapters 315, 316, 317, 318, 325, 326, 327 and 328, the mixed air is equally bifurcated to the blowout adapters 316 and 318 to which the ducts are connected in terms of wind volume, and the mixed air is similarly equally bifurcated to the blowout adapters 326 and 328 to which the ducts are connected in terms of wind volume.

As a method thereof, it is considered that volumes and cross-sectional areas of the bifurcated portions 342 and 343 are increased such that wind speed of flowing air becomes slow, i.e., 0.3 m/s or slower, or a resistive element such as a wall is provided for equalizing ventilation resistance caused by a shape or the like in entrances of the blowout adapters 315, 316, 317, 318, 325, 326, 327 and 328. However, there are problems that an outer shape size becomes excessively large and workability is deteriorated, costs are increased, resistance becomes too large and entire wind volume is reduced. Therefore, in any case, it is necessary to determine the specification while taking a balance of a purpose and a problem into account.

The number of ducts which join up, a diameter of the duct, the number of ducts which bifurcate, and a diameter of the duct may be changed depending upon configurations and specifications of the air-conditioning systems 301 and 302, and configurations, outer shapes and specifications of the bifurcated portions 360 and 361 may be determine in terms of temperature of conditioned air, in terms of wind volume, in terms of other air quality, in terms of wind volume which are purposes thereof such that they can be bifurcated equally without changing them as small as possible,

There is no problem if the air blowers 355 and 356 and the heat-exchanging units 95 and 96 are continuously operated for 24 hours, but any of them is stopped even temporarily, there is a possibility that air from a product duct which is operating flows reversely to another duct which is connected to the stopped product. To prevent this problem, it is necessary to provide reversely-flowing preventing shutters between the air blower adapters 310 and 320, the heat-exchanging unit adapters 311 and 321, and the mixing sections 340 and 341, or provide resistive elements such as walls between the air blower adapters 310 and 320 and the heat-exchanging unit adapters 311 and 321 in the mixing sections 340 and 341. However, operation of the shutter is unstable and leakage is generated, or abnormal noise is generated, ventilation resistance is increased by the shutter or the wall, and entire wind volume is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention.

In this embodiment, the ceiling of a room where the air conditioner is placed is provided with the suction port. Therefore, the suction port is not prominent in terms of design in the room, and the room is slimmed. A depth of a wall for placing a suction port or a duct is small in many cases, but a depth of a ceiling is sufficient as a space behind the ceiling, and a space in which the suction port and the duct are placed is wide and therefore, workability is excellent.

Normally, blowout air current of an air conditioner is prone to be lowering air current due to density of air at the time of the cooling operation, and if the ceiling is provided with the suction port, it is difficult to suck much blowout air current. However, in this embodiment, the suction port is provided immediately in the vicinity of a front surface of the air conditioner, a direction of the blowout air current is set to a horizontal direction, the wind speed is made slow, wind speed of the air blower is made fast, an introducing amount of heat-exchanged outside air is increased, and the heat-exchanged outside air is supplied to each room. According to this, wind volume of return air current to a room where the air conditioner is placed is made equal to blowout air wind volume+ventilation wind volume, wind speed of the return air current to the suction port is made fast, temperature of the return air current is made slightly higher than room temperature, and the return air current is mase as rising air current, and the blowout air current is induced or attracted by the suction port by the return air current. Therefore, much blowout air current can be sucked by the suction port even at the time of the cooling operation.

Since wind volumes of the air blower and the heat-exchanging unit are increased as compared with the first embodiment, power consumption thereof is slightly increased, but power consumption is smaller than that of the air conditioner, a room where the air conditioner is placed is not cooled or heated more than necessary, it is possible to adjust also temperature of a room where the air conditioner is not placed, and it is possible to obtain an air-conditioning system which can adjust also temperature of a room where the air conditioner is not placed and which can make rooms comfortable.

Concerning not only the above-described adjustment of temperature but concerning air cleaning also, the same function and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, since conditioned air and fresh outside air after heat-exchange are mixed and the mixture is supplied directly to each room, it is possible to reliably and quickly enhance the air quality by reducing CO₂ and smell in each room.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a heat-exchanging unit in a fourth embodiment of the invention.

The fourth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in a configuration of the heat-exchanging unit, only different portions will be described hereinafter, and portions which are not described are basically the same as those of the third embodiment.

A ventilation exhaust port 102 such as a discharging louver which discharges air in a bathroom 100 is provided in a ceiling of the bathroom 100 in a building 3.

An outdoor exhaust hood 105 is provided in a through hold of an outer wall of the building 3, and the outdoor exhaust hood 105 is connected to a heat-exchanging unit 495 through an exhaust duct 107.

The heat-exchanging unit 495 is provided with an introducing fan (not shown) for introducing outdoor air, a discharging fan (not shown) for discharging indoor air, a motor (not shown), a heat-exchanging element 110 for collecting entire heat of the indoor air into outdoor air, a heat exchanger 450 for heating and cooling outdoor air which passes through the heat-exchanging element, and a heat-exchanging fan (not shown).

The heat exchanger 450 transfers heat of air which makes heat of refrigerant or liquid pass through an aluminum fins by bringing a plurality of aluminum fins into tight contact with a periphery of a copper pipe or an aluminum pipe and by making refrigerant or liquid pass through inside of the copper pipe or the aluminum pipe.

The heat-exchanging unit 495 and an outdoor unit 430 are connected to each other through a refrigerant pipe and an electric wire 432. A control device (not shown) of the outdoor unit 430 controls a compressor (not shown), an outdoor fan (not shown) and an expansion valve (not shown) in accordance with states such as an operation mode and outdoor temperature, and the control device flows refrigerant to the heat exchanger 450.

Outdoor air which passes through the heat-exchanging element and the heat exchanger flows into the bifurcated portion 342 through the air supply duct B330.

According to this, entire heat of the indoor air is collected by the heat-exchanging element 110 of the heat-exchanging unit 495 from the ventilation exhaust port 102, and the indoor air is discharged to outdoor from the outdoor exhaust hood 105 through the exhaust duct 107.

The outdoor air is introduced from an outdoor air supply hood 115, passes through an air supply duct A 117, the outdoor air is cleaned by a filter box 120, entire heat of the outdoor air is collected by the heat-exchanging element 110 of the heat-exchanging unit 495, or depending upon an operation mode or the like, the outdoor air is heated, cooled or dehumidified by the heat exchanger 450, the outdoor air passes through the air supply duct B330, the outdoor air is mixed with conditioned air from the air blower 355 by the bifurcated portion 342, and becomes mixed conditioned air, and the outdoor air is blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52 into the living room 20 and the guest room 22.

If outdoor temperature is high in summer, since entire heat exchanging rate of the heat-exchanging element is about 70%, even if entire heat is exchanged with indoor air, the outdoor temperature become higher than room temperature. Further, when a solar insolation load is large and air conditioning ability of the air conditioner 15 is insufficient and the room temperature becomes stable at high temperature, the heat exchanger 450 is used as an evaporator, the outdoor air after heat-exchange is further cooled and is made lower than the room temperature by a two-phase low pressure refrigerant from the outdoor unit 430. According to this, a lack of ability can be compensated, and it is possible to make the room more comfortable.

If outdoor temperature is low in winter, since the entire heat exchanging rate of the heat-exchanging element is about 70%, even if the outdoor temperature is entirely exchanged with indoor air, the outdoor temperature becomes lower than the room temperature. Further, when air conditioning ability of the air conditioner 15 becomes insufficient by snowfall and the room temperature becomes stable at temperature lower than set temperature, the heat exchanger 450 is used as a condenser, outdoor air after heat exchanging is further heated by high pressure refrigerant from the outdoor unit 430, temperature of the outdoor air is made higher than the room temperature, the lack of ability can be compensated, and the room can be made more comfortable.

In rainy season, when outdoor moisture and indoor moisture are high and even if entire heat is exchanged with indoor air, the moisture stays high, or when the number of people staying in the rooms is high, and moisture in the building is generated by taking a bath or the like, the heat exchanger 450 is used as an evaporator and a condenser, outdoor air after heat exchange is cooled and dehumidified by cooling by means of high pressure refrigerant from the outdoor unit 430. Thereafter, if reheat is carried out by heating and outdoor air having lowered absolute moisture is introduced into the building, more pleasant comfortability can be obtained.

When outdoor temperature and moisture are appropriate such as in an intermediate period or the like, or when air conditioning ability of the air conditioner 15 is sufficient and room temperature and indoor moisture are comfortable, sufficiently comfortable outdoor air can be supplied only by entire heat exchange of the heat-exchanging element 110 in the building without flowing refrigerant to the heat exchanger 450. Therefore, air quality can be enhanced with saved energy, room temperature and indoor moisture can appropriately be maintained, and comfortability can be maintained.

In this embodiment, in the heat-exchanging unit 495, 24 hour ventilation wind volume is 100 m³/h, strong notch ventilation wind volume is 150 m³/h, and entire heat exchanging rate is about 70%. This is a specification suitable of one floor of the building 3 in this embodiment. Therefore, if the heat-exchanging unit 495 is provided on each of the first floor 4 and the second floor 5, comfortability of the entire building 3 is enhanced.

In this embodiment, since energy is saved, so-called heat pump heating and cooling are carried out for flowing refrigerant to the heat exchanger 450. However, it may be more rational to use existing equipment, or heating or cooling may be carried out by flowing warm water to a hot water supply device or a hot water panel having low running costs depending on environment of area or housing, or by flowing cold water made by underground cooling or a chiller.

As described above, according to this embodiment, by changing a state of refrigerant flowing to the heat exchanger by a heat pump in accordance with season, it is possible to more comfortably maintain temperature and moisture in a building with saved energy without adding an air conditioner or a dehumidifier.

Fifth Embodiment

FIG. 23 is a diagram of flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled in the entrance hall 17 and the like while showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a fifth embodiment of the invention.

The fifth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in a relative positional relation between a suction port and an air-conditioning machine and as a result, the fifth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in a function and an effect. Only different portions will be described hereinafter, and portions which are not described are basically the same as those of the third embodiment.

The air-conditioning systems 401 are provided one by one on a first floor 4 and a second floor 5 of a two story building 3 which is a high airtight and high heat insulation housing, and the air-conditioning systems condition air in and ventilate rooms in the building 3. Details of the first floor 4 will be described. as this embodiment.

As a configuration of the air-conditioning system 401, a ceiling chamber 404 projecting toward an under-ceiling space 62 is provided on the side of a wall 33 of a ceiling 403. The air conditioner 15 is placed on the wall 33 in a state where a portion of the air conditioner 15 enters the ceiling chamber 404. A suction port 405 (suction port G) is placed on a center of a lateral direction of the air conditioner 15 in the ceiling 403 of 1 to 1.5 m in front of the air conditioner 15 at a height equal to or lower than that of the blowout port 140 of the air conditioner 15.

The ceiling chamber 404 is a portion of the entrance hall 17, the ceiling chamber 404 is a rectangular parallelepiped body whose surface on the side of the ceiling 403 is opened. The ceiling chamber 404 is made of the same material as the ceiling 403, and a periphery of the ceiling chamber 404 is an under-ceiling space 62 which is a heat-insulative space. The ceiling chamber 404 has such a size that sucked air smoothly flows into the suction port 142 and maintenance can be carried out by providing a space of 250 mm or more than the suction port 142 of the air conditioner 15, 500 mm or more than the front of the air conditioner 15, and 300 mm or more from left and right side surfaces of the air conditioner 15.

In the above-described configuration, when outside air temperature is about 35° C. in summer and the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are not cooled and it is desired to cool the living room 20 and the guest room 22 where the air-conditioning indoor units 15 are not placed and it is unnecessary to cool the entrance hall 17, this called preferential cooling operation of another room. Since the entrance hall 17 is not cooled, room temperature thereof is as high as about 30° C., set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as low as 25° C. by a remote controller (not shown), wind volume is weak and the cooling operation is started. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is set to “a horizontal direction (0°)”, blast volume of the air blower 355 is set to the maximum 500 m³/h and the operation is carried out.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 25° C., weak set wind volume and sucked air temperature 30° C. that is detected air of 30° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as low as 16° C.

Temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 16° C., and the blowout air current 170 is prone to be lowering air current due to density of air. However, the suction port 405 is placed in the ceiling 403 of 1 to 1.5 m of a front of the air conditioner 15, on a center of the lateral direction of the air conditioner 15, and at a height equal to that of the blowout port 140 of the air conditioner 15. Therefore, even if the air current is the lowering air current, the blowout air current 170 is prone to be sucked into the suction port 405 as the sucked air current 171.

Further, since wind volume of the cooling operation is weak, i.e., about 5 m³/min (300 m³/h), the blowout air current 170 is decelerated to 1 m/s or less at a position of the suction port 405. Wind speed of the blowout air current 170 is slow and wind pressure is small as compared with wind speed of 1.5 to 2 m/s of the sucked air current of the suction port 405 caused by wind volume of 500 m³/h of the air blower 355 at the same position. Therefore, 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes sucked air current 171 which is rising air current, and it is sucked into the suction port 405.

The heat-exchanging unit 95 is operated at strong notch ventilation wind volume of 150 m³/h, conditioned air and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95 are mixed by the bifurcated pipe 360, the mixed air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22. Return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86 and once return to the entrance hall 17 as the return air current 378. Therefore, wind volume of the return air current 378 is equal to blast volume of 500 m³/h+650 m³/h of wind volume of 150 m³/h, and pressure of the entrance hall 17 becomes positive, and wind pressure of the return air current leading to the suction port 305 is increased. Further, the return air current is outdoor air after it heat-exchanged with air after air conditioning, temperature of the return air current is slightly higher than the entrance hall 17 and thus, the return air current becomes rising air current, and leads to the suction port 305.

The sucked air current 171 is induced or attracted by the above-described return air current 378, and much sucked air current is sucked directly into the suction port 405 together with the return air current 378. Temperature of air sucked by the suction port 405 is set to about 22° C. which is 8K lower than room temperature of 30° C. of the entrance hall 17, the air is blown out as air supply of 250 m³/h of about 23° C., and the air cools the living room 20 and the guest room 22 of room temperature of about 30° C. A portion of the blowout air current 170 which is not directly sucked is also mixed with the return air current 378 and the like by the mixing section 180, most of them pass through a space between the air conditioner 15 and the ceiling chamber 404 as the sucked air current 181, and is sucked into the suction port 142 of the air conditioner 15.

When wind volume of the heat-exchanging unit 95 is reduced or stopped, or when outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95 is not blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22, and also when ventilation wind volume of 150 m³/h is not added to the return air current 378, an effect that the blowout air current 170 is prone to be sucked into the suction port 405 as the sucked air current 171 by a relative positional relation between the blowout port 140 of the air conditioner 15 and the suction port 405 is not varied.

Also concerning operation at the time of cooling operation of both rooms, at the time of preferential cooling operation of the own room, at the time of preferential heating operation of another room, at the time of heating operation of both rooms, and at the time of preferential heating operation of the own room, if settings of set temperature, wind volume, an angle of the wind direction louver 145, and blast volume and the like in the third embodiment are carried out, it is possible to realize environment which meets purposes of the various operations.

Concerning a relative positional relation between the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and the suction port 405, if sucked air smoothly flows into the suction port 142 of the air conditioner 15 by a shape of the ceiling chamber 404, a positional relation between the ceiling chamber 404 and the air conditioner 15, and a positional relation between the ceiling chamber 404 and the suction port 405, and, by setting of the angle and setting of the wind volume of the wind direction louver 145 of the air conditioner 15, if the blowout air current 170 reaches the suction port 405, a function and an effect of this embodiment can be obtained, and it is possible to achieve the object of the embodiment. For example, when the suction port 405 is much lower than the blowout port 140 of the air conditioner 15, this is a disadvantageous circumstance for rising only temperature of another room in operation at the time of the preferential heating operation of the other room. However, there is no problem if the sucked air smoothly flows into the suction port 142 of the air conditioner 15 and the blowout air current 170 reaches the suction port 405.

FIG. 24 is a diagram of flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled in the entrance hall 17 and the like while showing another configuration of the air-conditioning system in the fifth embodiment of the invention.

Air-conditioning systems 411 are provided one by one on a first floor 4 and a second floor 5 of a two story building 3 which is a high airtight and high heat insulation housing, and the air-conditioning systems condition air in and ventilate rooms in the building 3. Details of the first floor 4 will be described. as this embodiment.

As a configuration of this air-conditioning system 411, a ceiling chamber 414 projecting toward an under-ceiling space 62 is provided on the side of a wall 33 of a ceiling 403 in the entrance hall 17, and an air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is placed in a state where it completely enters a ceiling chamber 404. A suction port 415 (suction port G) of an air blower 455 is placed on a center of a lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and at a height which is equal to or lower than that of a blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 in a state where the suction port 415 is opposed to the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 on a side wall 412 of the ceiling chamber 414 located 2 m in front of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15.

The air blower 455 is provided therein with a DC motor (brushless DC motor) (not shown) and sirocco fans (not shown). The DC motor saves more energy than an AC motor, and can control the number of rotations steplessly in a wider range. If the wind volume is set by a switch (not shown), air is sucked from the suction port 415 by rotation of the sirocco fan, and the sucked air flows through a duct 71 and the like, and is blown out from a blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and a blowout port 52 of a guest room 22.

The ceiling chamber 414 is a portion of the entrance hall 17, the ceiling chamber 414 is a rectangular parallelepiped body whose surface on the side of the ceiling 403 is opened. The ceiling chamber 414 is made of the same material as the ceiling 403, and a periphery of the ceiling chamber 414 is an under-ceiling space 62 which is a heat-insulative space. There is provided a space of 250 mm or more upward from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, 1000 mm or more forward of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, and 300 mm or more from the left and right side surfaces of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15. According to this, the space has such a size that sucked air smoothly flows into the suction port 142, downward blowout air current 470 smoothly flows from the blowout port 140, and maintenance can be carried out.

A louver 416 having small pressure loss when the blowout air current 470 and the sucked air current 417 pass is provided on a lower surface of the ceiling chamber 414 and on the same surface as the ceiling 403, a prefilter (not shown) having the same area as that of the louver 416 is provided directly above the louver 416, and an air-cleaning unit 540 is provided directly above a right half of the prefilter (not shown).

By detaching the louver 416 from the entrance hall 17, maintenance such as cleaning can be carried out for the prefilter, the air-cleaning unit 540 and the air blower 455.

Although the air-cleaning unit 540 is provided above the louver 416 in this embodiment, the air-cleaning unit 540 may be provided upstream of the sirocco fan in the air blower 455. However, there is a possibility that the air blower 455 is increased in size, and suction resistance becomes large. In this case, the suction port 415 is detached, and maintenance such as cleaning is carried out for the air-cleaning unit 540.

In the above-described configuration, when outside air temperature is about 35° C. in summer and the entrance hall 17, the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are not cooled and it is desired to cool the living room 20 and the guest room 22 where the air-conditioning indoor units 15 are not placed and it is unnecessary to cool the entrance hall 17, this called preferential cooling operation of another room. Since the entrance hall 17 is not cooled, room temperature thereof is as high as about 30° C., set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is set to a level as low as 25° C. by a remote controller (not shown), wind volume is weak and the cooling operation is started. An angle of the wind direction louver 145 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is set to “a horizontal direction (0°)”, blast volume of the air blower 455 is set to the maximum 500 m³/h and the operation is carried out.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 25° C., weak set wind volume and sucked air temperature 30° C. that is detected air of 30° C. sucked from the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner on the first floor is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 is adjusted to a level as low as 16° C.

Temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 16° C., and the blowout air current 170 is prone to be lowering air current. However, the suction port 415 (suction port G) of the air blower 455 is placed on a center of the lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 at a height which is equal to or lower than that of the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 in a state where the blowout air current 170 is opposed to the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 on the wall 412 on the side of the ceiling chamber 414 located 2 m in front of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15. Therefore, even if the air current is the lowering air current, the blowout air current 170 is prone to be sucked into the suction port 415 as the sucked air current 171.

Since wind volume of the cooling operation is weak, i.e., about 5 m³/min (300 m³/h), the blowout air current 170 is decelerated to wind speed of 1 m/s or slower at a position of the suction port 415, and wind speed is slow and wind pressure is small as compared with wind speed of 1.5 to 2 m/s of sucked air current of the suction port 415 caused by wind volume of 500 m³/h of the air blower 455 at the same position. Therefore, 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes the sucked air current 171, and is sucked into the suction port 415.

The heat-exchanging unit 95 is operated at strong notch ventilation wind volume of 150 m³/h, conditioned air and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95 are mixed, and the mixed air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22. Return air after air conditioning passes through return air ports 85 and 86 and once returns to the entrance hall 17 as return air current 378. Therefore, wind volume of the return air current 378 is equal to blast volume of 500 m³/h+650 m³/h of ventilation wind volume of 150 m³/h, pressure of the entrance hall 17 becomes positive, and wind pressure of the return air current leading to the suction port 415 is increased. The return air current is outdoor air after heat exchange of air after air conditioning, and temperature of the return air current is slightly higher than room temperature of the entrance hall 17. Hence, the return air current becomes rising air current, and the return air current leads to the suction port 415.

The sucked air current 417 is induced or attracted by the above-described return air current 378, more sucked air current is sucked into the louver 416, the sucked air current 417 is mixed with the blowout air current 170 by the mixing section 180, temperature of air sucked by the suction port 415 is set to about 22° C. which is 8K lower than room temperature of 30° C. of the entrance hall 17, the air is blown out from the blowout ports 50 and 52 as air supply of 250 m³/h of about 23° C., and the air cools the living room 20 and the guest room 22 of room temperature of about 30° C. A portion of air of the mixing section 180 passes through a space between the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and the ceiling chamber 414 as the sucked air current 181, and it is sucked into the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15.

When wind volume of the heat-exchanging unit 95 is reduced or stopped, when outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 95 is not blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20 and the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22, or when ventilation wind volume of 150 m³/h is not added to the return air current 378, an effect that the blowout air current 170 is prone to be sucked into the suction port 415 as the sucked air current 171 is not varied by a relative positional relation between the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and the suction port 415.

Also concerning operation at the time of cooling operation of both rooms, at the time of preferential cooling operation of the own room, at the time of preferential heating operation of another room, at the time of heating operation of both rooms, and at the time of preferential heating operation of the own room, if settings of set temperature, wind volume, an angle of the wind direction louver 145, and blast volume and the like in the third embodiment are carried out, it is possible to realize environment which meets purposes of the various operations.

The ceiling chamber 404, 414 is a portion of the entrance hall 17, and the ceiling chamber is placed in the under-ceiling space 62 on the first floor which is a basically heat insulative space in such a manner that the portion of the ceiling chamber projects, but when a height of the ceiling chamber does not fall within the under-ceiling space 62, the ceiling chamber may be placed such that it passes through the under-ceiling space 62 and projects to the under-roof space 9 which exists thereon and which is a heat insulative space.

Since the ceiling chamber 40, 414 is placed in the heat insulative space, the heat insulation properties of the ceiling chamber may be small to the minimum necessary by changing a thickness or existence or non-existence of heat insulating material such as glass wool in accordance with heat insulative properties of the heat insulative space and sucked air temperature.

Airtightness of the ceiling chamber 404, 414 may be of such a degree that air does not leak from a position other than a lower position of the ceiling chamber 404, 414. However, a space around the ceiling chamber 404, 414 is heat insulative space and this space is narrow. Therefore, even if Airtightness is somewhat low, efficiently is slightly deteriorated, but there is no problem of condensation. If the heat insulative space is also air-conditioned, efficiency is slightly deteriorated even if Airtightness does not exist, and there is no problem of condensation.

Concerning the shape of the ceiling chamber 414, a relative positional relation between the blowout port 140 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and the suction port 405, and the shape of the louver 416, if the sucked air current 181 smoothly flows into the suction port 142 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, and, by setting of the angle of the wind direction louver 145 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and by the setting of the wind volume, if the blowout air current 170 reaches the suction port 455 when the other room is preferentially air conditioned, and air is blown out downward of the entrance hall 17 through the louver 416 when the own room is preferentially air conditioned, a function and an effect of the present embodiment can be obtained and it is possible to achieve the object of the embodiment.

As described above, in a normal state, blowout air current of an air conditioner is prone to be lowering air current at the time of the cooling operation, and it is difficult to suck much blowout air current if the suction port exists in the ceiling. However, in the present embodiment, the suction port is placed in front of the air-conditioning indoor unit and at a height which is equal to or lower than that of the blowout port of the air-conditioning indoor unit by providing the ceiling chamber, a blowout air current direction is set to the horizontal direction, wind speed is set low and the air blower is operated. According to this, wind speed of the sucked air of the suction port becomes fast. Therefore, much blowout air current can be sucked by the suction port even at the time of the cooling operation.

Further, the third embodiment does not depend on operation of the heat-exchanging unit and ventilation wind volume. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an air-conditioning system capable of suppressing total power consumption including power consumption of the air conditioner, capable of not cooling a room where the air conditioner is placed more than necessary, and capable of adjusting temperature of a room where the air conditioner is not placed, and comfortableness is enhanced.

Not only concerning the above-described adjustment of temperature, but also concerning air cleaning, the same function and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained in the entire building. Further, fresh outside air after heat-exchange and conditioned air are mixed, and the mixed air is supplied directly to each room. Therefore, it is possible to reliably and quickly enhance air quality by reducing CO₂, smell and the like in each room.

Further, since the prefilter, the air-cleaning unit, the air blower and the like are provided in the suction port or louver, if the louver is opened, maintenance such as cleaning or exchange can easily be carried out.

Further, since the air conditioner is embedded in the ceiling chamber or the like, the air conditioner is not prominent in terms of design in the room, and the room is slimmed. In the ceiling, there is an enough depth as a space for an under-ceiling space for example, and since a space where the air conditioner, the suction port, the duct and the like are placed is wide, workability is excellent.

Sixth Embodiment

FIG. 25 is a diagram of flows of wind when another room is preferentially cooled in a staircase landing 18 while showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system in a sixth embodiment of the invention.

The sixth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in configurations of a suction port, an air blower, duct connection and the like. As a result, a function and an effect are different from those of the third embodiment. Only different portions will be described hereinafter. Portions which are not described are basically the same as those of the third embodiment.

An air-conditioning system 501 is placed in a two-story building (not shown) which is a high airtight and high heat insulative housing, and the air-conditioning system 501 conditions air in and ventilates rooms and the like in the building.

As a configuration of the air-conditioning system 501, in a staircase landing 18, a lower surface of a suction port 505 (suction port H) is placed in a ceiling above an air-conditioning indoor unit 16 and on a center of a lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16.

A suction port 505 is composed of a suction louver 506 and a casing 507, and is a rectangular parallelepiped body having Airtightness and heat insulation. Four air blowers 555, 556, 557 and 558 are placed on a surface of the casing 507 which is the same direction as a wall surface where the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is placed such that the suction ports 565, 566, 567 and 568 of the air blowers are connected to a space in the suction port 505.

The suction port 505 is placed in a two-story under-ceiling space 63 which is a basically heat insulative space, but when a height of the suction port 505 does not fall within an under-roof space 9 which is also a heat insulative space.

Since the suction port 505 is placed in the heat insulative space, the heat insulation properties of the suction port 505 may be small to the minimum necessary by changing a thickness or existence or non-existence of heat insulating material such as glass wool in accordance with heat insulative properties of the heat insulative space and sucked air temperature.

Concerning airtightness of the suction port 505, airtight seals or the like are pasted on mating surfaces of the casings 507, mating surfaces of the casing 507 and the suction louver 506, and mating surfaces of the casing 507 and the air blower 555 so that air is not sucked from a space other than the suction louver 506. However, a periphery of the suction port 505 is a heat insulative space, and if this space is relatively as narrow as 16.5 m² or less, efficiency is somewhat deteriorated even if airtightness is slightly low, but there is no problem of condensation. If this heat insulative space is also air-conditioned, even if there is no airtightness such as when a surface of a portion of the casing 507 is missing, if most of air sucked from the suction louver 506 is sucked by the air blower 555 or others, efficiency is somewhat deteriorated even if the air is sucked from other than the suction louver 506, there is no problem of condensation.

A prefilter (not shown) having the same area as that of the suction louver 506 exists directly above the suction louver 506, and an air-cleaning unit 540 is provided directly above a left half of the prefilter (not shown).

Maintenance such as cleaning can be carried out for the prefilter, the air-cleaning unit 540 and air blowers 555, 556, 557 and 558 by detaching the suction louver 506 from the staircase landing 18.

The blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53 are respectively placed on the ceilings 44, 45, 46 and 47 of the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 (space B). To blow out air sucked by the suction port 505 from the blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53, the ducts 570, 571, 572 and 573 respectively connected to the air blowers 555, 556, 557 and 558 pass through heat insulative sections such as the under-ceiling spaces 62, 63 and the like, and the air blowers 555, 556, 557 and 558 connected to the suction port 505 and the blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53 are airtightly connected to each other through the ducts 570, 571, 572 and 573. According to this, an air-supply wind passage of the entire house from the suction port 505 of the staircase landing 18 to the blowout port 50 of the living room 20, the blowout port 51 of the bedroom 21, the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22 and the blowout port 53 of the child's room 23 is formed.

The air blowers 555, 556, 557 and 558 are provided therein with DC motors (brushless DC motors) (not shown) and sirocco fans (not shown). The DC motor saves more energy than an AC motor, and can control the number of rotations steplessly in a wider range. If the wind volume is set by a switch (not shown), air is sucked by rotation of the sirocco fan from the suction ports 565, 566, 567 and 568, and the sucked air flows through the ducts 570, 571, 572 and 573, and the sucked air is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20, the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22, the blowout port 51 of the bedroom 21 and the blowout port 53 of the child's room 23.

The maximum blast volumes (strong notch) of the air blowers 555, 556, 557 and 558 are 250 m³/h, but the maximum wind volume which is sucked from the suction louver 506 and passes through the suction port 505 is 1000 m³/h.

Therefore, the suction louver 506 has a suction area which is appropriate for sucking 1000 m³/h which is the maximum wind volume, an outer size of the suction louver 506 is 500 mm*1000 mm, and a height of the suction port 505 is 700 mm so that wind volume thereof is not reduced by pressure loss therein.

Further, as a configuration of the air-conditioning system 501, a return air port 85 (return air section) such as an undercut is provided in a door (not shown) between the guest room 22 and the living room 20, and a return air port 86 (return air section) such as an undercut is provided in a door (not shown) between the living room 20 and the entrance hall 17. According to this, a return air wind passage which extends from the guest room 22 and the living room 20 to the staircase landing 18 through the entrance hall 17 and a staircase is formed. A return air passage 87 (return air section) such as an undercut is provided in a door between the child's room 23 and the bedroom 21, and a return air passage 88 (return air section) such as an undercut is provided in a door (not shown) between the bedroom 21 and the staircase landing 18. According to this, a return air wind passage extending from the child's room 23 and the bedroom 21 to the staircase landing 18 is formed.

The air-supply wind passage and the return air wind passage are connected to each other, air supply which is conditioned air obtained by mixing blowout air which is blown out from the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 of the staircase landing 18 and air in the staircase landing 18 is sucked from the suction louver 506, the air supply passes through the suction port 505 and the like and through the air blower 555 and the others and the duct 570 and the others, and the air supply is blown out from the blowout port 50 of the living room 20, the blowout port 52 of the guest room 22, the blowout port 51 of the bedroom 21 and the blowout port 53 of the child's room 23. A circulation wind passage (not shown) through which return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85, 86, 87 and 88, the entrance hall 17 and the staircase and returns to the staircase landing 18 is formed.

In the above-described configuration, flow of wind when another room is preferentially cooled will be described.

When outside air temperature is about 35° C. in summer, and when the staircase landing 18, the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 are not cooled and it is desired to cool the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 where the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is not placed but it is unnecessary to cool the staircase landing 18, this is called preferential cooling operation of another room. However, since the staircase landing 18 is not cooled, room temperature thereof is as high as about 30° C., set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is set to a level as low as 25° C., wind volume is medium, and the cooling operation is started. An angle of the wind direction louver 146 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is set to “a horizontal direction (0°)”, blast volumes of the air blowers 555, 556, 557 and 558 are set to the maximum 250 m³/h and the operation is carried out.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is driven at a high inverter driving frequency of the compressor (not shown) by remote controller set temperature of 25° C., medium set wind volume and sucked air temperature 30° C. that is detected air of 30° C. sucked from the suction port 143 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 by a sucked air temperature sensor (not shown), the electric expansion valve (not shown) and the outdoor air blower (not shown) are controlled, enthalpy and a circulation amount of refrigerant which flows into the heat exchanger (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 are adjusted, control is performed such that cooling ability exerted by the air conditioner is enhanced, and temperature of the blowout air current 170 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is adjusted to a level as low as 18° C.

Temperature of the blowout air current 170 is 18° C., the blowout air current 170 is prone to be lowering air current, and wind volume of cooling operation is medium, i.e., about 7 m³/min (420 m³/h). Therefore, wind speed of the blowout air current 170 is about 1.5 m/s on a center of a lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 and at a position of the suction louver 506 which is placed in a ceiling within about 1 m from an upper portion of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16. However, wind speed is slow and wind pressure is small as compared with wind speed of 2 m/s of the sucked air current of the suction louver 506 caused by total wind volume of 1000 m³/h of the air blower 555 and the others at the same position. Therefore, 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes sucked air current 576, 577 which is rising air current, and is sucked by the suction louver 506.

The heat-exchanging unit (not shown) is operated at strong notch ventilation wind volume 280 m³/h as entire building, heat-exchanged outdoor air flows into the ducts 570, 571, 572 and 573, ventilated air of 70 m³/h is mixed with conditioned air, and conditioned air 250 m³/h+ventilated air 70 m³/h are blown out into the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23. On the second floor, return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 87 and 88, and once returns to the staircase landing 18 as return air current 578, and on the first floor, return air after air-conditioning passes through the return air ports 85 and 86, the entrance hall 17 and the staircase (not shown), and once returns to the staircase landing 18 as return air current 579. Therefore, total wind volume of the return air currents 578 and 579 is equal to blast volume 1000 m³/h+1280 m³/h of ventilation wind volume 280 m³/h, pressure of the staircase landing 18 becomes positive, and wind pressure of the return air current leading to the suction louver 506 is increased. Further, the return air currents 578 and 579 are air after air-conditioning and ventilated air (outdoor air after heat-exchange), and temperatures of the return air currents 578 and 579 are slightly higher than room temperature of the staircase landing 18. Therefore, the return air currents 578 and 579 become rising air current and lead to the suction louver 506.

The sucked air currents 576 and 577 are induced or attracted by the above-described return air currents 578 and 579, much sucked air current is sucked directly into the suction louver 506 together with the return air currents 578 and 579, temperature of air sucked by the suction louver 506 is set to about 22c which is 8K lower than room temperature of 30° C. of the staircase landing 18, the air is blown out from the blowout ports 50, 51, 52 and 53 as air supply of 250 m³/h of about 23° C. and ventilated air of 70 m³/h, and the air cools and ventilates the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 having room temperature of about 30° C.

A portion of the blowout air current 170 which is not sucked directly is also mixed with the return air currents 578 and 579 by the mixing section 580, and most of the portion is sucked into the suction port 143 of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 as sucked air current 581.

Concerning air cleaning, sucked air current 577 passes the prefilter (not shown) of the suction louver 506, passes through the air-cleaning unit 540 located directly above a left half of the prefilter, cleaned air joins up with air which flows directly into the suction port 505, the merged air becomes clean air supply, the air is replaced by air in the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 and in this state, the air becomes slightly contaminated return air, and the air again returns to the staircase landing 18, and the air cleaning operation is repeated. According to this, cleanness of air in the staircase landing 18, the entrance hall 17, the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 is highly maintained.

Outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the operation of the heat-exchanging unit (not shown) is mixed, by the duct 570 and the others, with conditioned air sucked by the suction louver 506 which is sent from the air blower 555 and the others, the air is blown out int a room or the like, fresh outside air is supplied, return air including CO₂ and mixture increased by people by air which air-cleans a room or the like passes through the return air ports 86 and 88, and the return air returns to the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18, a portion of air of the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 passes through the louver 135 provided between the bathroom 100 and the entrance hall 17 and the louver 136 provided between the restroom 101 and the staircase landing 18, the portion of air is discharged as discharged air current (not shown) and discharged air current 186, and air quality of the staircase landing 18, the entrance hall 17, living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 is further highly maintained.

When it is desired to cool only the bedroom 21 and the child's room 23, only the air blowers 556 and 558 connected to the blowout ports 51 and 53 may be operated at blast volume of 250 m³/h. However, in this case, since wind volume of air sucked from the suction louver 506 is reduced to a level as small as 500 m³/h, set wind volume of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is set to weak, the wind volume is reduced to weak wind volume of the cooling operation, i.e., about 5 m³/min (300 m³/h), the wind speed of the blowout air current 570 is decelerated to 1 m/s or smaller on a center of the lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15 and at a position of the suction louver 506 which is placed in the ceiling of about 1 m or less from an upper portion of the air-conditioning indoor unit 15, and wind speed is slow and wind pressure is small as compared with wind speed of 1.5 to 2 m/s of sucked air current of the suction louver 506 caused by wind volume of 500 m³/h of the air blower 556 and the like at the same position. Therefore, 70% or more of the blowout air current 170 becomes sucked air currents 576 and 577 which are rising air currents, and is sucked into the suction louver 506.

When it is desired to cool also the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23 during cooling operation of the staircase landing 18, this is called at the time of cooling operation of both rooms, but since the staircase landing 18 is being cooled, room temperature thereof is slightly as low as about 27° C., and cooling operation of another room is strengthened while slightly suppressing cooling operation of the own room. Therefore, this operation is basically the same as the above-described preferential cooling operation of another room shown in FIG. 23, but set temperature of the air-conditioning indoor unit 16 is set to as low as 23° C. by a remote controller (not shown), and wind volume is medium and the cooling operation is continued. An angle of the wind direction louver 146 is set, an angle of the blowout air current 170 is adjusted “to a horizontal direction (0°)”, the blast volume of the air blower 555 is the maximum of 250 m³/h and the operation is carried out.

Also concerning operation at the time of preferential cooling operation of the own room, at the time of preferential heating operation of another room, at the time of heating operation of both rooms, and at the time of preferential heating operation of the own room, when the various operations are carried out based on differences of the various operations based on the preferential cooling operation of another room in the third embodiment, e.g., on the base of differences of set temperature, wind volume, an angle of the wind direction louver 146 and blast volume based on at the time of preferential cooling operation of another room, the operations are carried out in accordance with the difference, and it is possible to realize environment which meets a purpose of each operation.

Although the air-conditioning system 501 is placed in the staircase landing 18 in this embodiment, the air-conditioning system 501 may be placed in the entrance hall 17, and when the number of rooms which should be air-conditioned is large, the air-conditioning system 501 may be placed in both the rooms.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the suction louver and the suction port are provided in the ceiling of a room where the air conditioner is placed. Therefore, the suction louver is not prominent in terms of design in the room, and the room is slimmed. A depth of a wall for placing a suction port and a duct is small in many cases, but a depth of an under-ceiling space is sufficient as a space in, and a space in which the under-ceiling space and a duct are placed is wide and therefore, workability is excellent.

Normally, the blowout air current of the air conditioner is prone to be lowering air current due to density of air at the time of cooling operation and if there is a suction louver in a ceiling, it is difficult to suck much blowout air current, but in the present embodiment, the suction louver is provided immediately in the vicinity of an upper portion of the air conditioner, a direction of the blowout air current is set to a horizontal direction, wind speed is set to slow, and a plurality of air blowers are operated. According to this, wind speed of sucked air of the suction louver is made fast, wind speed of return air current to the suction louver is made fast, and the blowout air current can be induced or attracted into the suction louver by the return air current. Hence, much blowout air current can be sucked by the suction louver also at the cooling operation.

As compared with the third embodiment, since the number of air blowers and the total blast volume are increased, power consumption is slightly increased. However, since the power consumption does not depend on the operation if the heat-exchanging unit and ventilation wind volume, total power consumption including power consumption of the air conditioner is suppressed, a room where the air conditioner is placed is not cooled or heated more than necessary, temperature of a room where the air conditioner is not placed can also be adjusted, and it is possible to obtain an air-conditioning system capable of enhancing the comfortability.

Not only concerning the above-described adjustment of temperature, but also concerning air cleaning, the same function and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained in the entire building. Further, fresh outside air after heat-exchange and conditioned air are mixed, and the mixed air is supplied directly to each room. Therefore, it is possible to reliably and quickly enhance air quality by reducing CO₂, smell and the like in each room.

Further, since the prefilter, the air-cleaning unit, the air blower and the like are provided in the suction port, if the suction louver is opened, maintenance such as cleaning or exchange can easily be carried out.

Seventh Embodiment

FIG. 26 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system 601 in a seventh embodiment of the invention.

The seventh embodiment is different from the first embodiment in a configuration of a return air wind passage such as a return air port such as an undercut. As a result, a function and an effect are different from those of the first embodiment. Only different portions will be described hereinafter. Portions which are not described are basically the same as those of the first embodiment.

On a first floor 4 of a building 3, return air ports such as an undercut are not provided in a door (not shown) between a guest room 22 and a living room 20 and a door (not shown) between the living room 20 and an entrance hall 17.

On a second floor 5, return air ports such as the undercut are not provided in a door (not shown) between a child's room 23 and a bedroom 21.

It is considered that this is carried out in the case where there is no space for providing a return air port in terms of structure, or in the case where it is desired to firmly close a door to secure privacy when it is desired to prevent noise from adjacent room from leaking by the return air port, or in the case where a space existing on the way to the return air port is not air-conditioned for reducing an entire air-conditioning load.

On the first floor 4, ceilings 44 and 46 of the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are respectively provided with return air suction ports 640 and 641 into which return air after air-conditioning is sucked. The return air suction ports 640 and 641 are connected to each other through the return air blower 655 and the ducts 670 and 671 provided in the under-ceiling space. The return air blower 655 and the return air blowout port 650 provided in the ceiling of the entrance hall 17 are connected to each other through the duct 672. According to this, a return air wind passage on the first floor extending from the living room 20 and the guest room 22 to the entrance hall 17 is formed.

A fan (not shown) and a motor (not shown) are incorporated in the return air blower 655. If the return air blower 655 is operated, conditioned air blown out from the blow ports 50 and 52 conditions air in the living room 20 and the guest room 22. The return air after air-conditioning is sucked from the return air suction ports 640 and 641, and passes through the ducts 670 and 671. This return air passes through the return air blower 655 and the duct 672, and is blown out into the entrance hall 17 from the return air blowout port 650.

On the second floor 5, a ceiling 47 of the child's room 23 is provided with a return air blower 656 having a fan (not shown), a motor (not shown) and a return air suction port 642 into which return air after air-conditioning is sucked. The return air blower 656 is connected, through the duct 673, to the return air blowout port 651 provided in the ceiling of the staircase landing 18. According to this, the return air wind passage on the second floor extending from the bedroom 21 and the child's room 23 to the staircase landing 18 is formed.

If the return air blower 656 is operated, conditioned air blown out from the blowout port 53 conditions air in the child's room 23. Return air after air-conditioning is sucked from the return air suction port 642, passes through the duct 673, and is blown out into the staircase landing 18 from the return air blowout port 651.

Conditioned air blown out from the blowout port 51 conditions air in the bedroom 21. Like the first embodiment, return air after air-conditioning returns to the staircase landing 18 from the air-return port 88 (return air section) such as the undercut.

In the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18, the return air blowout ports 650 and 651 are provided in the ceiling near an opposed wall separated from the air conditioners 15 and 16 and the suction ports (suction port C) 42 and 43. Hence, return air blown out from the return air blowout ports 650 and 651 is not immediately sucked into the air conditioners 15 and 16 and the suction ports 42 and 43 like return air which returns from the undercut 88. This return air is mixed with air in the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 and blowout air which is blown out from the air conditioners 15 and 16, temperature and moisture in the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 become uniform, and the mixed air is sucked from the suction ports 42 and 43 as air supply which is conditioned air. Especially, since the suction ports (suction port C) 42 and 43 are provided below the air conditioners 15 and 16, blowout air from the return air blowout ports 650 and 651 provided in the ceiling are blown out downward, and the air flows downward along the right walls of the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18. The blowout air is well mixed with air current leading to the suction ports 42 and 43 from locations near the floor and blowout air which is blown out downward from the horizontal direction from the air conditioners 15 and 16, and the mixed air is sucked into the suction ports 42 and 43.

When it is not desired to positively condition air in the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 but it is desired to positively condition air in the living room 20, the bedroom 21, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23, the return air blowout ports 650 and 651 are provided in the upper ceiling near suction ports (not shown) of the air conditioners 15 and 16 and immediately in the vicinity of the air conditioners 15 and 16. According to this, return air after air-conditioning is sucked into the air conditioners 15 and 16 and brown out, and sucked from the suction ports 42 and 43 without staying in the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18. Hence, entire air-conditioning load can be reduced, and it is possible to quickly condition air in a room where it is desired to positively condition air while saving more energy.

By providing the return air suction ports 640, 641 and 642 at positions separated from the blowout ports 50, 52 and 53 as far away as possible, it is possible to uniformly condition air in the living room 20, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23

By adjusting wind volumes of the return air blowers 655 and 656, it is possible to adjust temperature and moisture in the entrance hall 17, the staircase landing 18, living room 20, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23, and to meet one's preferences.

In this embodiment, on the first floor 4, the return air blower 655 is provided in the under-ceiling space between the return air suction ports 640 and 641 and the return air blowout port 650 This is because that the return air blower 655 is separated from the return air suction ports 640 and 641 and the return air blowout port 650 as far as possible, and the return air blower 655 is connected through a duct, and according to this, noise of the return air blower 655 in a living space of the living room 20 is reduced. To prevent noise from propagating, a sound absorption duct should partially be provided between the return air suction ports 640 and 641 and the return air blowout port 650.

However, on the second floor 5, if the return air suction port 642 and the return air blower 656 are integrally placed in the ceiling and the return air suction port 642 is detached from the child's room 23 and maintenance of the return air blower 656 is carried out, it is possible to enhance maintenance performance and workability of the return air blower.

In this embodiment, the return air blowers 655 and 656 are provided between the return air suction port and the return air blowout port. When the return air suction port and the return air blowout port are placed in adjacent rooms and position thereof are extremely close, or when the duct is thick as compared with wind volume, even if the return air blowers 655 and 656 do not exist, the bare minimum of wind volume is returned by operation of the air blowers 55 and 56. Hence, there is a possibility that the air conditioning performance is deteriorated, but there are merits that maintenance performance and workability are enhanced and initial costs are lowered.

In this embodiment, the return air suction port and the return air blowout port are connected to each other through the duct. Instead of the duct, it is possible that all sides of portions of the return air suction port and the return air blowout port on the side of the under-ceiling spaces 62 and 63 are covered with wood material and heat insulation material as a casing, this casing is made as a chamber and return air after air-conditioning passes through the chamber.

Eighth Embodiment

FIG. 27 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system 701 in an eighth embodiment of the invention.

The eighth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in a configuration of a return air wind passage such as a return air port such as an undercut. As a result, a function and an effect are different from those of the third embodiment. Only different portions will be described hereinafter. Portions which are not described are basically the same as those of the third embodiment.

On a first floor 4 of a building 3, a private room 720 is provided between an entrance hall 17 and a living room 20, and return air ports such as undercuts are not provided in a door (not shown) between the private room 720 and the entrance hall 17, a door (not shown) between the living room 20 and the private room 720, and a door (not shown) between a guest room 22 and the living room 20.

The private room 720 is not provided with a blowout port.

On the second floor 5, a return air port such as an undercut is not provided in a door (not shown) between the child's room 23 and the bedroom 21.

It is considered that this is carried out in the case where there is no space for providing a return air port in terms of structure, or in the case where it is desired to firmly close a door to secure privacy when it is desired to prevent noise from adjacent room from leaking by the return air port, or in the case where a space existing on the way to the return air port is not air-conditioned for reducing an entire air-conditioning load.

On the first floor 4, floors (not shown) of the living room 20 and the guest room 22 are provided with return air suction ports 740 and 741 to which return airs after air-conditioning are sucked, and the return air suction ports 740 and 741 are connected to each other through a return air blower 755 and ducts 770 and 771 provided in an under-floor space 10. A return air blowout port 750 provided in a floor (not shown) of an entrance hall 17 and the return air blower 755 are connected to each other through a duct 772. According to this, a return air wind passage on the first floor extending from the living room 20 and the guest room 22 to the entrance hall 17 is formed.

A fan (not shown) and a motor (not shown) are incorporated in the return air blower 755. If the return air blower 755 is operated, conditioned air blown out from the blow ports 50 and 52 conditions air in the living room 20 and the guest room 22. Return air after air-conditioning is sucked from the return air suction ports 740 and 741, the return air which passes through the ducts 770 and 771 passes through the return air blower 755 and the duct 772, and is blown out into the entrance hall 17 from the return air blowout port 750.

On the second floor 5, a floor (not shown) of a child's room 23 is provided with a return air blower 756. The return air blower 756 includes a fan (not shown), a motor (not shown) and a return air suction port 742 into which return air after air-conditioning is sucked. The return air blower 756 is connected to the return air blowout port 751 provided in a floor (not shown) of the staircase landing 18 through a duct 773. According to this, a return air wind passage on the second floor extending from the bedroom 21 and the child's room 23 to the staircase landing 18 is formed.

If the return air blower 756 is operated, conditioned air blown out from the blowout port 53 conditions air in the child's room 23. Return air after air-conditioning is sucked from the return air suction port 742, the return air passes through a duct 773, and is blown out from the return air blowout port 751 into the staircase landing 18.

Return air after air-conditioning of the bedroom 21 of conditioned air which is blown out from the blowout port 51 returns to the staircase landing 18 from a return air port 88 (return air section) such as an undercut like the third embodiment.

The return air blowout ports 750 and 751 are provided in a floor near an opposed wall separated from the air conditioners 15 and 16 and suction ports (suction port F) 305 and 306 in the staircase landing 18. Therefore, return air which is blown out from the return air blowout ports 750 and 751 is not immediately sucked into the air conditioners 15 and 16 and the suction ports 305 and 306 like return air which returns from the undercut 88. This return air is mixed with air and the like in the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 and blowout air which is blown out from the air conditioners 15 and 16, temperature and moisture in the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18 become uniform, and the mixed air is sucked from the suction ports 305 and 306 as air supply which is conditioned air. Especially, since the suction port (suction port F) 305 and 306 are provided at upper locations slightly in front of the air conditioners 15 and 16, blowout air from the return air blowout ports 750 and 751 provided in the floor is blown out upward, and the blowout air rises along right walls of the entrance hall 17 and the staircase landing 18. The blowout air is well mixed with air current leading from a location near the ceiling toward the suction ports 305 and 306 and with blowout air which is blown out downward from a horizontal direction from the air conditioners 15 and 16, and the mixed air is sucked into the suction ports 305 and 306.

By providing the return air suction ports 740, 741 and 742 at positions separated away as far as possible from the blowout ports 50, 52 and 53, it is possible to uniformly condition air in the living room 20, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23.

Further, by adjusting wind volumes of the return air blowers 755 and 756, it is possible to adjust temperature and moisture in the entrance hall 17, the staircase landing 18, the living room 20, the guest room 22 and the child's room 23, and to meet one's preferences.

In this embodiment, on the first floor 4, the return air blower 755 is provided in an under-floor space 10 between the return air suction ports 740 and 741 and the return air blowout port 750. This is because that by separating the return air blower 755 away from the return air suction ports 740 and 741 and the return air blowout port 750 as far as possible, and by connecting them to each other through the duct, noise of the return air blower 755 in a living space such as the living room 20 is reduced. To further prevent noise from propagating, a sound absorption duct should partially be provided between the return air suction ports 740 and 741 and the return air blowout port 750.

On the second floor 5, the return air suction port 742 and the return air blower 756 are integrally formed together, they are placed in the under-ceiling space 62 under the floor, the return air suction port 742 is detached from the child's room 23, and maintenance of the return air blower 756 is performed. According to this, it is possible to enhance the maintenance performance and workability of the return air blower 756.

Further, in this embodiment, the return air blowers 755 and 756 are provided between the return air suction port and the return air blowout port. When the return air suction port and the return air blowout port are placed in adjacent rooms and their positions are extremely close to each other, or when a duct is thick as compared with wind volume, even if the return air blowers 755 and 756 do not exist between the return air suction port and the return air blowout port, minimum necessary wind volume is returned by operating the air blowers 355 and 356. Hence, there is a possibility that the air-conditioning performance is deteriorated, but maintenance performance and workability are enhanced, and initial costs are lowered.

Further, in this embodiment, the return air suction port and the return air blowout port are connected to each other through a duct. Instead of the duct, it is possible that all sides of portions of the return air suction port and the return air blowout port on the side of the under-floor space 10 and the under-ceiling space 62 are covered with wood material and heat insulation material as a casing, this casing is made as a chamber and return air after air-conditioning passes through the chamber.

Ninth Embodiment

FIG. 28 is a sectional view of a building showing a configuration of an air-conditioning system 801 in a ninth embodiment of the invention.

A building 803 is a collective housing having a plurality of floors, the air-conditioning system 801 is placed in a housing 804 having floors at upper and lower locations of the building 803, and the air-conditioning system 801 cleans air in and ventilate rooms in the housing 804.

Among six surfaces, i.e., an upper surface, a lower surface, a left surface, a right surface, a front surface and a rear surface of the housing 804, four surfaces are in contact with adjacent housings. A window is a south side heat insulative sash 807 and a north side heat insulative sash 808 such as triple glass resin sash, a door thereof is a heat insulative door (not shown), and rooms and spaces in the entire housing 804 are airtight and heat insulative spaces.

An air-conditioning indoor unit 815 is a portion of an air-conditioning machine which is a constituent element of the air-conditioning system 801. The air-conditioning indoor unit 815 is provided on a south side wall 834 of a living room 820 (space A).

Although the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 is provided in the living room 820 in this embodiment, the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 may be provided in a habitable room such as a bedroom 821, a guest room (not shown), and a child's room (not shown), or in a non-habitable room such as a walk in closet (not shown), a clothes closet (not shown), a corridor 825 and a machine room (not shown).

The air-conditioning indoor unit 815 which is a portion of the air-conditioning machine is connected to an air-conditioning outdoor unit 830 placed in a balcony 805 through a refrigerant pipe (not shown) and an electric wire (not shown). This system is defined as an air conditioner (air-conditioning machine (not shown)).

As a configuration of the air-conditioning system 801, a suction port 842 (suction port J) is placed in a floor 836 of the living room 820 at a location below a wall 835 which is opposed to the wall 834 on which the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 is placed, and a blowout port 850 is placed in a floor of the bedroom 321. An air blower 855 having a fan (not shown) and a motor (not shown) is connected to the blowout port 850 on the side of an under-floor space 810 of the blowout port 850. The under-floor space 810 is provided with a chamber 860 of a rectangular parallelepiped body having airtightness and heat insulation properties such as to surround the suction port 842 and the air blower 855 together. By operating the air blower 855, air sucked by the suction port 842 passes through the chamber 860, the air is sucked into the air blower 855, and is blown out from the blowout port 850. In this manner, an air-supply wind passage extending from the suction port 842 of the living room 820 to the blowout port 850 of the bedroom 821 is formed.

Further, as a configuration of the air-conditioning system 801, a return air suction port 845 into which return air after air-conditioning the bedroom 821 is sucked is placed in the ceiling 847 of the bedroom 821, and the return air suction port 845 is provided therein with an air-cleaning unit 840. A ceiling 848 of the living room 820 is provided with the return air blower 856 having the return air blowout port 851, a fan (not shown) and a motor (not shown). The return air blower 856 is connected to the return air suction port 845 through a duct 873, a bifurcated pipe 874 and a duct 875. According to this, a return air wind passage extending from the bedroom 821 to the living room 820 is formed.

The air-supply wind passage and the return air wind passage are connected to each other. The blowout air which is blown out from the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 of the living room 820 and air and the like of the living room 820 are mixed with each other as conditioned air. Air supply which is this conditioned air is sucked from the suction port 842, and the air supply passes through the chamber 860 and the air blower 855, and is blown out from the blowout port 850 of the bedroom 821. A circulation wind passage (not shown), where return air after air-conditioning is sucked from the return air suction port 845, the return air passes through the duct 875, the bifurcated pipe 874, the duct 873 and the return air blower 856, and the return air is blown out from the return air blowout port 851 into the living room 820, is formed.

In a corridor 825, when outdoor air is introduced into a room and the indoor air is discharged to outside of the room, the under-ceiling space 862 is provided with a heat-exchanging unit 895 which collects entire heat of the indoor air into the outdoor air, and ventilation is carried out in the housing 804.

In this embodiment, 24 hours ventilation wind volume of the heat-exchanging unit 895 is 100 m³/h, and strong notch ventilation wind volume is 150 m³/h, and an entire heat exchanging rate is about 70%.

A ceiling of the corridor 825 is provided with a ventilation exhaust port 902 such as a discharging louver which discharges air in the corridor 825. The ventilation exhaust port 902 is connected to the heat-exchanging unit 895.

An outdoor exhaust hood 905 is provided in a through hole of an outer wall of the building 803, and the outdoor exhaust hood 905 is connected to the heat-exchanging unit 895 through an exhaust duct 907.

The heat-exchanging unit 895 includes an introducing fan (not shown) for introducing outdoor air, a discharging fan (not shown) for discharging indoor air, a motor (not shown), and a heat exchanging element 910 for collecting entire heat of indoor air into outdoor air.

The heat-exchanging unit 895 is placed such that it is in contact with a ceiling of the corridor 825. Therefore, it is possible to periodically and easily perform the maintenance such as cleaning for the heat exchanging element 910 and an element prefilter (not shown) from the ceiling of the corridor 825.

According to this, the entire heat of the indoor air is collected by the heat-exchanging unit 895 from the ventilation exhaust port 902, and the indoor air passes through the exhaust duct 907 and is discharged to outside of the room from the outdoor exhaust hood 905.

An indoor air discharging passage is formed between the ventilation exhaust port 902 and the outdoor exhaust hood 905, and the ventilation exhaust port 902 and the outdoor exhaust hood 905 are respectively formed by the heat-exchanging unit 895 and the exhaust duct 907. Although the indoor air discharging passage is provided with the discharging fan of the heat-exchanging unit 895, another discharging fan may be provided without or together with the former discharging fan.

An outside air supply hood 915 is provided in a through hole of an outer wall of the building 3, and the outside air supply hood 915 is connected to the heat-exchanging unit 895 through an air supply duct A 917.

The air supply duct A 917 is provided with a filter box 920 such that the filter box 920 is in contact with a ceiling of the corridor 825. Since the filter box 920 includes an outside air cleaning filter (not shown) for cleaning outdoor air which is introduced into the under-ceiling space 862, it is possible to easily perform the maintenance such as cleaning of the filter from the ceiling.

The heat-exchanging unit 895 and the bifurcated pipe 874 are connected to each other through an air supply duct B 930.

According to this, outdoor air is introduced from the outdoor air supply hood 915, passes through the air supply duct A 917 and is cleaned by the filter box 920. The entire heat of the outdoor air is collected by the heat-exchanging unit 895, and the outdoor air passes through the air supply duct B 930. The outdoor air joins up with return air from the bedroom 821 in the bifurcated pipe 874, and the air passes through the duct 873 and the return air blower 856, and is blown out from the return air blowout port 851 into the living room 820.

The outdoor air introducing passage is formed between the air supply hood 915 and the return air blowout port 851. The outdoor air introducing passage is formed by the air supply duct A 917, the filter box 920, the heat-exchanging unit 895, the air supply duct B 930, the bifurcated pipe 874 and the duct 873.

The corridor 825 is not provided with a blowout port from which air supply as conditioned air is blown out. Undercuts 885 and 886 of doors through which air comes in and out are provided between the living room 820 and the bedroom 821. By operating the heat-exchanging unit 895, a portion return air as air which conditions air in and ventilates the living room 820 and the bedroom 821 flows into the corridor 825 from the undercuts 885 and 886. When air-conditioning environment is stable, air quality (temperature and moisture, cleanness and the like) in the corridor is close to that of conditioned air.

By operating the heat-exchanging unit 895, fresh outdoor air which is cleaned by an outside air cleaning filter 920 provided in the outdoor air introducing passage is introduced by the introducing fan of the heat-exchanging unit 895, a portion of return air composed of CO₂ made by breathing of a person in the living room 820 and the bedroom 821, air contaminated by dust and moisture generated by a person or the like, and air which conditions air in a room or the like passes through an indoor air discharging passage from the ventilation exhaust port 902, and enters the heat-exchanging unit 895 by a discharging fan of the heat-exchanging unit 895. After the outdoor air and entire heat are heat-exchanged by the heat exchanging element 910, it is discharged to outside of the room and therefore, dust and mold spore do not enter the housing 804 from outside of the room. Therefore, CO₂, moisture, smell and the like created by living are discharged to outside of the room, and dust, moisture, mold spore and the like in the building can be reduced while ventilating the housing 804.

In this embodiment, the corridor 825 is provided with the ventilation exhaust port 902. A ventilation exhaust port, an undercut, or a louver may be provided in a so-called dirty zone which is a room or a space where smell, moisture, harmful material and the like are prone to be generated or accumulated such as in a bathroom, a washroom, a shower room and a kitchen other than the corridor. In such a case, the smell, moisture, harmful material and the like can be discharged directly to outside of a room without through another room or space. However, when the heat exchanging element 910 of the heat-exchanging unit 895 is not prone to be deteriorated by moisture in a shower room and the like and oil in the kitchen and the like, it is necessary to provide another ventilation fan.

In the living room 820, the return air blowout port 851 is provided in the ceiling 848 within 1 m in front of the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 and on a center of a lateral direction of the air-conditioning indoor unit 815. A suction port 842 (suction port J) is placed in the floor 836 and below a wall 835 which is opposed to a wall 834 on which the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 is placed.

Merged air of return air which conditions air in the bedroom 821 and outdoor air which is heat-exchanged by the heat-exchanging unit 895 is blown out downward from the return air blowout port 851. Most of the blowout air is sucked into the upper suction port (not shown) of the air-conditioning indoor unit 815, and conditioned air is blown out from the air-conditioning indoor unit 815. Blowout air of the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 which is blown out from the return air blowout port 851 and which is not sucked by the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 is induced or attracted further downward, and the blowout air leads to the suction port 842.

Ways of thinking of settings of ability selection, wind volume, set temperature, wind direction louver and the like of the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 are the same as those described in the first to eighth embodiments.

Blowout air from the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 conditions air in and ventilates the living room 820, and is sucked into the suction port 842 while making air quality of the living room 820 uniform.

The suction port 842 is provided in the floor. This is because that a cooling load is large and a heating load is small normally due to accumulation of heat of concrete in a collective housing, and in this embodiment, an air-conditioning indoor unit is provided in a south-side living room having a large window, and since a cooling load is large due to a solar insolation load, wind flow which is advantageous at the time of cooling operation is taken into account. When the cooling operation of the living room is carried out, since specific gravity of blowout air is heavy and the blowout air is prone to flow downward, the suction port 842 is provided in the floor such that a large amount of blowout air is easily sucked. At the time of the heating operation, air is prone to rise due to specific gravity even if an angle of the wind direction louver of the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 is turned directly downward, the air is prone to lead to the suction port 842 because the air is induced or attracted downward of blowout air from the return air blowout port 851.

By providing the return air suction port 845 of the bedroom 821 at a position diagonally far from the blowout port 850, the return air suction port 845 can uniformly condition air in the bedroom 821.

In the bedroom 821, return air after air-conditioning is sucked from the return air suction port 845, a portion of the return air passes through the air-cleaning unit 840, the air is cleaned, the air is blown out from the return air blowout port 851 in the living room 820, and the air again returns to the bedroom 821. Therefore, air in the living room 820 and the bedroom 821 is cleaned as a result.

Exchange and maintenance such as cleaning of the air-cleaning unit 840 can easily be carried out from the bedroom 821.

To return the return air after air-conditioning of the north-side bedroom 821 to the south-side living room 820, even if the air-conditioning indoor unit 815 is not operated during night in summer, if only the circulation wind passage is rotated, temperature in the living room 820 is also naturally lowered.

A way of thinking of wind volumes of the air blower 855 and the return air blower 856 is the same as those of the first to eighth embodiments, and it is possible to adjust temperature and moisture of the living room 820 and the bedroom 821, and to meet one's preference by adjusting the wind volume.

In this embodiment, the suction port 842 and the blowout port 850 are connected to each other through the chamber 860. This configuration has a merit that when a floor of the collective housing or the like is a double floor, the number and layout of each of the suction port and the blowout port can freely be changed, and maintenance such as cleaning is easily carried out. However, when it is difficult to keep airtightness or it is not easy to perform the maintenance, it is better to connect the suction port 842 and the blowout port 850 to each other through a duct.

An interior structure of the return air suction port 845 is the same as that shown in FIG. 3, and an effect of the air-cleaning unit 840 is also the same as that of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, outdoor air and return air are merged each other in the bifurcated pipe 874, and the air is blown out from the return air blowout port 851. However, the ventilated air supply port and the return air blowout port of the outdoor air may be separately provided, and outdoor air from the ventilation blowout port may be blown out to a place other than the living room 820. The number of each of the blowout ports and the ducts is increased, and a space for a duct of the under-ceiling space is required, but flow of ventilation in the housing 804 and flow of air-conditioning are separated, the ventilation exhaust port is provided in a bathroom, a washroom or the like which is so-called dirty zone, and the ventilated air supply port is provided in the corridor. According to this, outdoor air flows from the corridor to the bath room or the like, and smell, moisture and the like are discharged to outside of the room from the bathroom or the like.

Although the return air suction port and the return air blowout port are connected to each other through the duct in this embodiment, it is possible that all sides of portions of the under-ceiling space 862 of the return air suction port and the return air blowout port are covered with wood material and heat insulation material as a casing, and this casing is made as a chamber and return air after air-conditioning passes through the chamber.

This is because that in the case of a collective housing, since airtightness is high, wind volume of return air is insufficient only with an undercut of a door, air-conditioning ability is prone to be insufficient, there is no space for separately providing a return air port in terms of a structure in many cases. Further, it is considered that it is carried out to connect the return air suction port and the return air blowout port to each other through the duct in the case where it is desired to prevent noise from an adjacent room caused by the return air port from leaking, or in the case where it is desired to secure privacy by firmly closing a door, or in the case where a space located on the way to the return air passage is not air-conditioned to reduce an entire air-conditioning load.

Although the air-cleaning unit 840 is provided in the return air suction port 845 in this embodiment, if maintenance can easily be carried out, the air-cleaning unit 840 may be provided in the return air blowout port 851, the suction port 842 or the blowout port 850, and the duct may separately be provided with the filter box.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention provides a relatively simple system capable of creating an efficient flow of air in a plurality of rooms and spaces where air-conditioning is necessary, and capable of creating comfortable individual spaces which meet one's preference. The invention can also be applied to air-conditioning in a housing area where a plurality of buildings are located adjacently, in a collective housing in which a plurality of rooms are located adjacently, in an office building in which a plurality of companies are located, and in a building such as a hospital or commercial equipment in which a plurality of stores are located.

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS

• • 1, 2 air-conditioning system
  • 3 building
  • 4 first floor
  • 5 second floor
  • 6 roof
  • 7 basis
  • 8 heat insulative sash
  • 9 under-roof space
  • 10 under-floor space
  • 15, 16 air-conditioning indoor unit
  • 17 entrance hall (space A)
  • 18 staircase landing (space A)
  • 20 living room (space B)
  • 21 bedroom (space B)
  • 22 guest room (space B)
  • 23 child's room (space B)
  • 30, 31 air-conditioning outdoor unit
  • 32 refrigerant pipe and electric wire
  • 33, 34 wall
  • 40, 41 air-cleaning unit
  • 42, 43 suction port (suction port C)
  • 44, 45, 46, 47 ceiling
  • 50, 51, 52, 53 blowout port
  • 55, 56 air blower
  • 60, 61 bifurcated pipe
  • 62, 63 under-ceiling space
  • 70, 71, 72, 73 duct
  • 75, 80 wall inner space
  • 76, 77, 78, 79 duct
  • 85, 86, 87, 88 return air port (return air section)
  • 95, 96 heat-exchanging unit
  • 100, 101 bathroom
  • 102, 103 ventilation exhaust port
  • 105, 106 outdoor exhaust hood
  • 107, 108 exhaust duct
  • 110, 111 heat-exchanging element
  • 115, 116 outdoor air supply hood
  • 117, 118 air supply duct A
  • 120, 121 filter box
  • 125, 126 ventilated air supply port
  • 130, 131 air supply duct B
  • 135, 136 louver
  • 140, 141 blowout port
  • 142, 143 suction port
  • 145, 146 wind direction louver
  • 150, 151 suction louver
  • 152, 153 body
  • 155, 156 prefilter
  • 157, 158 power source
  • 160, 161 air cleaning suction wind passage
  • 162, 163 air cleaning section
  • 165, 166 air cleaning bypass suction wind passage
  • 167, 168 duct connecting section
  • 170 blowout air current
  • 171 sucked air current
  • 175 wall
  • 176, 178 return air current
  • 177 air current
  • 180 mixing section
  • 181 sucked air current
  • 184 outside air current
  • 185 sucked air current
  • 186 discharged air current
  • 190 suction region
  • 200, 201 suction port (suction port E)
  • 202, 203 suction louver
  • 205, 206 body
  • 210, 211 prefilter
  • 212, 213 suction section
  • 214, 215 air cleaning suction wind passage
  • 216, 217 air cleaning section
  • 220, 221 duct suction section
  • 222, 223 damper
  • 230 suction port (suction port D)
  • 231 suction louver
  • 232 body
  • 236 duct
  • 240 sucked air current
  • 301, 302 air-conditioning system
  • 305, 306 suction port (suction port F)
  • 310, 320 air blower adapter
  • 311, 321 heat-exchanging unit adapter
  • 315, 316, 317, 318 blowout adapter
  • 325, 326, 327, 328 blowout adapter
  • 330, 331 air supply duct B
  • 340, 341 mixing section
  • 342, 343 bifurcated portion
  • 355, 356 air blower
  • 360, 361 bifurcated pipe
  • 378 return air current
  • 401 air-conditioning system
  • 403 ceiling
  • 404 ceiling chamber
  • 405 suction port (suction port G)
  • 411 air-conditioning system
  • 412 side wall
  • 414 ceiling chamber
  • 415 suction port (suction port G)
  • 416 louver
  • 417 sucked air current
  • 430 outdoor unit
  • 432 refrigerant pipe and electric wire
  • 450 heat exchanger
  • 455 air blower
  • 470 blowout air current
  • 495 heat-exchanging unit
  • 501 air-conditioning system
  • 505 suction port (suction port H)
  • 506 suction louver
  • 507 casing
  • 540 air-cleaning unit
  • 555, 556, 557, 558 air blower
  • 565, 566, 567, 568 suction port
  • 570, 571, 572, 573 duct
  • 576, 577 sucked air current
  • 578, 579 return air current
  • 580 mixing section
  • 581 sucked air current
  • 601 air-conditioning system
  • 640, 641, 642 return air suction port (return air suction port A)
  • 655, 656 return air blower
  • 670, 671, 672, 673 duct
  • 650, 651 return air blowout port
  • 701 air-conditioning system
  • 740, 741, 742 return air suction port (return air suction port B)
  • 755, 756 return air blower
  • 770, 771, 772, 773 duct
  • 750, 751 return air blowout port
  • 801 air-conditioning system
  • 803 building
  • 804 housing
  • 805 balcony
  • 807 south-side heat insulative sash
  • 808 north-side heat insulative sash
  • 810 under-floor space
  • 815 air-conditioning indoor unit
  • 820 living room
  • 821 bedroom
  • 825 corridor
  • 830 air-conditioning outdoor unit
  • 834 south-side wall
  • 835 wall
  • 836 floor
  • 842 suction port (suction port J)
  • 845 return air suction port (return air suction port C)
  • 847, 848 ceiling
  • 850 blowout port
  • 851 return air blowout port
  • 855 air blower
  • 856 return air blower
  • 860 chamber
  • 862 under-ceiling space
  • 873, 875 duct
  • 874 bifurcated pipe
  • 885, 885 undercut
  • 895 heat-exchanging unit
  • 902 ventilation exhaust port
  • 905 outdoor exhaust hood
  • 907 exhaust duct
  • 910 heat exchanging element
  • 915 outside air supply hood
  • 917 air supply duct A
  • 920 filter box
  • 930 air supply duct B