Patent Publication Number: US-2017350607-A1

Title: Hybrid air conditioning apparatus

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus and, in particular, to a hybrid air conditioning apparatus mainly including a cooling and heating air conditioner. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Regarding air conditioners, at present there are an air conditioner (AC), an air cleaner (CLR), and an energy recovery ventilator (ERV). The cooling and heating air conditioner can adjust temperature of air, the air purifier can purify the air, and the energy recovery ventilator can carry out temperature or/and humidity adjustment according to operations of other air conditioners. 
     However, each of the above-mentioned air conditioners operates independently, so each air conditioner provides its functions independently, which leading to an additional increase in power consumption and a waste in space. Moreover, a variety of air properties, such as temperature, moisture, and carbon dioxide concentration, can only be controlled separately, so it is unable to achieve uniformity of the air properties. 
     Accordingly, the inventor aims to solve the above problems, on the basis of which the present invention is accomplished. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a hybrid air conditioning apparatus, wherein the final discharge air quality output from the first air conditioning device is enhanced by using a second air conditioning device (e.g. an air purifier or an energy recovery ventilator) in communication with a first air conditioning device (i.e. a cooling and heating air conditioner). 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a hybrid air conditioning apparatus, comprising: a first air conditioning device, the first air conditioning device being a cooling and heating air conditioner; a second air conditioning device in communication with the first air conditioning device, air modulated by the second air conditioning device being sent to the first air conditioning device for cooling and heating air adjustment, so that the air quality output from the first air conditioning device is enhanced. 
     Compared with conventional techniques, the present invention enhances the final discharge air quality output from the first air conditioning device, and a variety of air properties are provided uniformly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description, and the drawings given herein below is for illustration only, and thus does not limit the disclosure, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic planar view according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic planar view according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic planar view according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic planar view according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Detailed descriptions and technical contents of the present invention are illustrated below in conjunction with the accompany drawings. However, it is to be understood that the descriptions and the accompany drawings disclosed herein are merely illustrative and exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     The present invention provides a hybrid air conditioning apparatus mainly includes a cooling and heating air conditioner, and further includes one other air conditioning device communicating with the cooling and heating air conditioner so as to enhance air quality output therefrom, reduce power consumption, reduce waste in space, make all kinds of air properties (e.g. temperature, moisture and carbon dioxide concentration) provided uniformly.  FIGS. 1 to 4  are schematic planar views according to the first to the fourth embodiments of the present invention. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 , showing a hybrid air conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The hybrid air conditioning apparatus includes a first air conditioning device and a second air conditioning device. The first air conditioning device is a cooling and heating air conditioner  1  (alternatively called: air conditioner), and the second air conditioning device is an air purifier  2  (alternatively called: air cleaner). 
     The air purifier  2  is in communication with the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 . In other words, an outlet end  22  of the air purifier  2  communicates with an intake end  11  of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 . As a result, outside fresh air is purified by the air purifier  2  first, and then the purified clean air is sent to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  for cooling and heating air adjustment. To be specific, the outside fresh air is introduced into the air purifier  2  from an intake end  21  thereof After the incoming fresh air is purified, it is sent to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  via the outlet end  22  of the air purifier  2  and the intake end  11  of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 , so that the purified air from the air purifier  2  is converted to cooled air or heated air, and the cooled air or the heated air is then discharged from an outlet end  12 . 
     The cooling and heating air conditioner  1  includes a first wind blowing power  15 , and the air purifier  2  includes a second wind blowing power  25 . The cooling and heating air conditioner  1  and the air purifier  2  communicate with each other in series by means of the intake end  21  and the outlet end  22  of the air purifier  2 , and the intake end  11  and the outlet end  12  of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 . The air purifier  2  sends the purified clean air to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  by the second wind blowing power  25 , and besides this, the first wind blowing power  15  of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can decrease by means of the second wind blowing power  25 . In other words, under the premise of the same lift (i.e. the longest distance which the air can be sent to by the hybrid air conditioning apparatus), since the second wind blowing power  25  imparts a force to the first wind blowing power  15 , the first wind blowing power  15  of the first air conditioning device  1  can decrease, or alternatively the second wind blowing power  25  of the air purifier  2  can decrease—it depends on which wind blowing power  15 ,  25  consumes larger power. That is to say, the wind blowing power consuming larger power is selected to decrease so as to reduce power consumption. 
     By combining the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  and the air purifier  2  into one and communicating them with each other, the present invention further provides the following functions:
         1. The air sent to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  is the clean air passing through and purified by the air purifier  2 , and concentration of a substance in the air can be reduced via the air purifier  2 . Therefore, the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can operate in the clean air for a long time, and as a result, a lot of filters of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can be saved to lower costs. The substance can be, for example, a total volatile organic compound (TVOC), Formaldehyde, and particulate matters.   2. Furthermore, the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  includes an evaporator  16  and a humidifier  17 , wherein the evaporator  16  can adjust temperature and humidity, and the humidifier  17  can adjust humidity. Therefore, the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can perform second adjustment for the incoming clean air from the air purifier  2  by means of the evaporator  16  or/and the humidifier  17 , detailed as follows:
           a) The cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can humidify the incoming clean air from the air purifier  2  by means of the evaporator  16  or/and the humidifier  17 , so as to increase the humidity of the air finally discharged.   b) The cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can heat the incoming clean air from the air purifier  2  by means of the evaporator  16 , thus resulting in an increase in the temperature of the air finally discharged. Certainly, the temperature and the humidity of the air finally discharged can both increase at the same time by the hybrid air conditioning apparatus of the present invention.   
           3. The cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can make the substance attached by means of moisture on a surface of the evaporator  16 , thereby resulting in second air filtering (i.e. second air purification) and lowering the concentration of the substance in the air, consequently further purifying the air sent to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  to enhance the final discharge air quality.       

     Please refer to  FIG. 2 , showing a hybrid air conditioning apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the difference that the second air conditioning device is not the air purifier  2  in the first embodiment, detailed as follows. 
     The hybrid air conditioning apparatus in the second embodiment of the present invention also includes a first air conditioning device and a second air conditioning device. The first air conditioning device is also a cooling and heating air conditioner  1 , and the second air conditioning device is an energy recovery ventilator  3  instead. 
     The energy recovery ventilator  3  performs extra adjustment in temperature or/and humidity according to operations of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 . Therefore, the energy recovery ventilator  3  can send the air adjusted in the temperature or/and the humidity to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  for the cooling and heating air adjustment. 
     The energy recovery ventilator  3  is in communication with the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 . That is to say, the intake end  11  of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  communicates with an outlet end  32  of the energy recovery ventilator  3 . Accordingly, the outside fresh air can be modulated by the energy recovery ventilator  3  first, and the modulated air is then sent to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  for the cooling and heating air adjustment. To be specific, the outside fresh air is introduced into the energy recovery ventilator  3  from an intake end  31  thereof, and after the incoming fresh air is adjusted in the temperature or/and the humidity by the energy recovery ventilator  3 , the air is then sent to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  via the outlet end  32  of the energy recovery ventilator  3  and the intake end  11  of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 . Thus, the air adjusted in the temperature and the humidity from the energy recovery ventilator  3  is converted into cooled air or heated air to be discharged from the outlet end  12 . 
     By combining the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  and the energy recovery ventilator  3  into one and communicating them with each other, the present invention further provides the following functions.
         1. The energy recovery ventilator  3  introduces in fresh air with a low carbon dioxide content from outside, the energy recovery ventilator  3  sends the incoming fresh air to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 , and the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  adjusts the fresh air in the temperature or/and the humidity, so it is efficient and quick to enhance the air quality.   2. Since the energy recovery ventilator  3  can effect precooling and preheating and send the precooled or preheated air to the first air conditioner  1 , the first cooling and heating air conditioner  1  correspondingly performs the cooling and heating air adjustment for the precooled or preheated air. In other words, in all of the above-mentioned modulation methods of the second embodiment, the energy recovery ventilator  3  is employed to effect precooling or preheating of the air to be sent to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 . As a result, good air quality is provided, and besides this, there is a great saving in power consumption when the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  adjusts temperature for the final discharge air.   3. Furthermore, the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can further include an evaporator  16  and a humidifier  17 . The evaporator  16  can adjust the temperature and the humidity, and the humidifier  17  can adjust the humidity. Therefore, the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can perform extra, second adjustment for the incoming air from the energy recovery ventilator  3  via the evaporator  16  or/and the humidifier  17 , detailed as follows.
           a) The cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can humidify the incoming air adjusted in the temperature or/and the humidity from the energy recovery ventilator  3  via the evaporator  16  or/and the humidifier  17 , thereby causing the extra, second adjustment in the humidity for the final discharge air.   b) The cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can heat the incoming air adjusted in the temperature or/and the humidity from the energy recovery ventilator  3  via the evaporator  16 , thereby causing second adjustment in the temperature for the final discharge air. Certainly, the hybrid air conditioning apparatus of the present invention can make second adjustment of the final discharge air in the temperature and the humidity at the same time.   
           4. The energy recovery ventilator  3  can filter the incoming air, and the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  can make a substance in the air attached by means of moisture formed on a surface of the evaporator  16 , thereby causing second filtering of the air (i.e. second air purification) and reducing concentration of the substance in the air, so that the air sent to the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  is further purified, and the final discharge air quality is enhanced.       

     Please refer to  FIG. 3  which shows the hybrid air conditioning apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the difference that the third embodiment further includes a third air conditioning device, detailed as follows. 
     The hybrid air conditioning apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes: a first air conditioning device, a second air conditioning device and a third air conditioning device. The first air conditioning device is also a cooling and heating air conditioner  1 , the second air conditioning device is an air purifier  2 , and the third air conditioning device is an energy recovery ventilator  3 . 
     In the third embodiment, the air purifier  2  communicates between the cooling and heating air conditioner  1  and the energy recovery ventilator  3  to be connected in series with each other. Therefore, the outside fresh air is introduced in from an intake end  31  of the energy recovery ventilator  3 , the incoming fresh air is adjusted in the temperature or/and the humidity by the energy recovery ventilator  3 , and then is sent to the air purifier  2  via the outlet end  32  of the energy recovery ventilator  3  and the intake end  21  of the air purifier  2 . The air adjusted in the temperature or/and the humidity sent to the air purifier  2  is purified by the air purifier  2 , and then is sent to the cooling and heating air conditioning device  1  via the outlet end  22  of the air purifier  2  and the intake end  11  of the cooling and heating air conditioning device  1 , so that the air adjusted in the temperature or/and the humidity and purified is converted into cooled air or heated air to be discharged from the outlet end  12 . 
     By combining the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 , the air purifier  2 , and the energy recovery ventilator  3  into one, and making them connected in series with each other, the third embodiment provides all of the functions mentioned in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, and a detailed description of the functions is omitted herein for brevity. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4 , showing the hybrid air conditioning apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is similar to the third embodiment but has different connection configuration, detailed as follows. 
     The hybrid air conditioning apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention also includes: a first air conditioning device, a second air conditioning device, and a third air conditioning device. The first air conditioning device is also a cooling and heating air conditioner  1 , the second air conditioning device is also an air purifier  2 , and the third air conditioning device is also an energy recovery ventilator  3 . 
     In the fourth embodiment, the air purifier  2  and the energy recovery ventilator  3  are connected in parallel and each are in communication with the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 . Therefore, among the intake end  11  and the outlet end  12  of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 , and the intake end  21  and the outlet end  22  of the air purifier  2 , the connection configuration is the same and achieves the same functions as the first embodiment, so a detailed description in this regard is omitted herein for brevity. Moreover, among the intake end  11  and the outlet end  12  of the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 , and the intake end  31  and the outlet end  32  of the energy recovery ventilator  3 , the connection configuration is the same and achieves the same functions as the second embodiment, so a detailed description in this regard is omitted therein for brevity. 
     Furthermore, according to the first to fourth embodiments mentioned above, the hybrid air conditioning apparatus can further include a housing  100 . The first air conditioning device (the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 ) and the second air conditioning device (the air purifier  2  or the energy recovery ventilator  3 ) are both disposed in the housing  100 , or alternatively the three devices—the first air conditioning device (the cooling and heating air conditioner  1 ), the second air conditioning device (the air purifier  2 ), and the third air conditioning device (the energy recovery ventilator  3 )—are all disposed in the housing  100 ; however, the present invention is not limited to having the housing  100  as a must, as the present invention can be carried out when all foregoing conditioning devices  1 ,  2 ,  3  are in communication with each other. 
     It is to be understood that the above descriptions are merely the preferable embodiment of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Equivalent changes and modifications made in the spirit of the present invention are regarded as falling within the scope of the present invention.