Patent ID: 9625184
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: F25B

Claim:
1. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: a first variable refrigerant flow outdoor unit comprising an outdoor metering device; a first ducted variable speed indoor unit comprising a first indoor metering device connected in direct fluid communication with the outdoor metering device, wherein the first ducted variable speed indoor unit is configured to selectively exchange refrigerant with the first variable refrigerant flow outdoor unit, wherein the first ducted variable speed indoor unit is configured to deliver supply air through a supply plenum that feeds the supply air to a plurality of zones through a plurality of supply air ducts, and wherein the first ducted variable speed indoor unit is configured to receive return air through a return plenum that receives air from the plurality of zones through a plurality of return air ducts; a second variable speed indoor unit comprising a second indoor metering device connected in direct fluid communication with the outdoor metering device, wherein the second variable speed indoor unit is configured to selectively exchange refrigerant with the first variable refrigerant flow outdoor unit; and a system controller configured to control a speed of each of the first variable refrigerant flow outdoor unit, the first ducted variable speed indoor unit, and the second variable speed indoor unit in response to a demand for at least one of heating and cooling in a zone conditioned by at least one of the first ducted variable speed indoor unit, and the second variable speed indoor unit, wherein the speed of the first ducted variable speed indoor unit and the speed of the first variable refrigerant flow outdoor unit are controlled by the system controller as a function of a demand associated with a zone conditioned by the second variable speed indoor unit.