Abstract:
A split air-conditioner module includes a control module, a fan module, a total heat exchange module, an air filter module and a cooling/heating module. Each module includes a frame and an electronic device installed in the frame. Each frame is installed independently and detachably coupled to the adjacent frame through a fastening structure, and the air-conditioner module is controlled by the control module for its operation. Users can select and configure the air-conditioning modules according to different environmental requirements. The split air-conditioner module has the advantages and effects of adjusting the performance, simplifying the equipment, reducing the space and providing an easy maintenance.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to air-conditioners, and more particularly to a modular air-conditioner. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In general, air-conditioning occupies a substantial percentage of the construction cost, and our activities usually have to change the usage or partition the using space. However, most conventional indoor air-conditioners generally come with functions performed in a fixed space, so that it is necessary to determine the cooling/heating, air exchanging and other functions before we purchase the air-conditioner, and these fixed functions cannot be changed or adjusted after the air-conditioner is purchased. 
         [0003]    When there is a change of environment conditions, indoor space arrangement or usage, the air-conditioner cannot be adjusted to meet these requirements, and thus it is necessary to purchase and install another air-conditioner, which causes unnecessary waste and tremendous inconvenience. Furthermore, the air-conditioners installed and used at different positions are different, and the conventional air-conditioners can provide performance for average requirements only, but fail to configure for spaces with higher humidity, higher temperature and lower ventilation in the construction, so that users have to buy additional equipments, perform the construction again, or add more hardware, and these arrangements will occupy more of the limited indoor space. 
         [0004]    If any part of the aforementioned indoor fixed air-conditioner is damaged, the whole air-conditioner must be sent for repair. Furthermore, the air-conditioner of this type has the disadvantage of a difficult daily maintenance or cleanup, since the air-conditioner must be shut down for the disassembly before maintenance and/or cleanup can take place. As a result, the air-conditioner cannot be operated during the maintenance and/or cleanup and requires a re-installation after the maintenance and/or cleanup is completed. Obviously, the aforementioned air-conditioner wastes time and efforts and fails to comply with user requirements. 
         [0005]    In view of the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally designed a feasible solution to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a split air-conditioner module capable of selecting an air-conditioning module according to different environmental requirements and achieving the effects of adjusting the performance, simplifying the equipment, reducing the space and facilitating the maintenance and repair. 
         [0007]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a split air-conditioner module with a modular design, so that different modules can be combined flexibly to provide different functions as needed. The air-conditioner modules includes different types of fans, total heat exchangers, air filters or condensers/heaters, etc provided for the user&#39;s selection according to the environmental requirements to meet the user requirements. 
         [0008]    To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a split air-conditioner module comprising a control module and a fan module. The control module comprises a first frame and a controller installed in the first frame; and the fan module comprises a second frame and a fan installed in the second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame are installed independently and coupled adjacent to each other, and the second frame is detachably coupled to the first frame through a fastening structure, and the fan is controlled by the controller for the operation. 
         [0009]    To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a split air-conditioner module comprising a control module and a function module. The control module comprises a first frame and a controller installed in the first frame. The function module comprises a second frame and an electronic device installed in the second frame, and the second frame and the first frame are installed independently and coupled adjacent to each other, and the second frame is detachably coupled to the first frame through a fastening structure, and the electronic device is controlled by the controller for its operation. 
         [0010]    A further objective of the present invention is to provide a split air-conditioner module having a partition installed between any two adjacent frames, and the partition has a punch hole formed thereon and a plate for covering the punch hole, and the plate may be removed as needed to arrange the position of a pipeline channel or an air channel, so as to simplify the construction and avoid repeating the wiring at the exterior or indoor space of a construction. 
         [0011]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a split air-conditioner module having a plurality of rail structures disposed in the frame and provided for fixing or combining the electronic device in each module, so as to improve the convenience of use. 
         [0012]    Compared with the prior art, the control module, the fan module, the total heat exchange module, the air filter module and the cooling/heating module of the split air-conditioner module of the present invention are modularized. In addition, other modules such as the total heat exchange module, the air filter module or the cooling/heating module are optional and may be selected and installed as needed. Since each module is modularized (with an independent frame), so that the present invention has high integrability. When it is necessary to add other air circulation equipments, the users simply select and install the required equipment without the need of buying the whole set of air-conditioner or repeating the construction. Modules may be added or removed to meet the requirements, so as to achieve the effects of lowering the total cost, providing the required function, and reducing the energy waste. In addition, each module of the present invention may be expanded by stacking or expanded sideway. Since each module is integrated in a single space, therefore the occupied indoor space can be reduced, and the indoor using space occupied by the air-conditioner can be integrated. When one of the modules of the present invention is damaged or requires repair and maintenance, the damaged module can be removed for the repair or cleanup, while keeping the remaining modules to be operated normally, so as to improve the practical use of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of internal components of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a partition installed in a split air-conditioner module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the configuration of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the configuration of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the configuration of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with another implementation mode of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of internal components of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    The technical contents of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of preferred embodiments accompanied with the illustration of related drawings as follows. It is noteworthy that the embodiments are provided for the purpose of illustrating the invention instead of limiting the scope of the invention. 
         [0023]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  for the perspective view of a split air-conditioner module and the schematic view of the internal components of the split air-conditioner module of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention respectively, the split air-conditioner module  1  comprises a control module  10  and a fan module  20  (or function module  20 ). The control module  10  and the fan module  20  (or function module  20 ) are installed independently, and the control module  10  and the fan module  20  (or function module  20 ) are coupled by stacking. 
         [0024]    The control module  10  comprises a first frame  11  and a controller  12  installed in the first frame  11 . Preferably, the first frame  11  has a control panel  13  combined with a side of the first frame  11 . In addition, the fan module  20  (or function module  20 ) is detachably coupled to the control module  10 . The fan module  20  (or function module  20 ) comprises a second frame  21  and a fan  22  installed in the second frame  21 . The first frame  11  and the second frame  21  are installed independently and coupled adjacent to each other, and the second frame  21  is detachably coupled to the first frame  11  through a fastening structure  80 . The fan  22  is controlled by the controller  12  for its operation. 
         [0025]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fastening structure  80  is comprised of a fastening plate  81  and a fastening slot  82 , and the fastening plate  81  and the fastening slot  82  are installed in the two adjacent frames respectively, so that the two adjacent frames are fastened and fixed by the fastening plate  81  and the fastening slot  82  to connect the two independent frames. It is noteworthy that the design of fastening structure  80  is not limited to the aforementioned arrangement only, but any design capable of achieving the same effect of combining the two frames may be adopted instead. 
         [0026]    Now, the second frame  21  is used for the purpose of illustrating the structure of each frame. The second frame  21  is formed by a plurality of wall panels  211  and the second frame  21  further comprises a front cover  211 ′ for covering the second frame  21 , and the front cover  211 ′ has a plurality of grid holes  210  formed thereon and provided as an air inlet or outlet of the fan module  20 . 
         [0027]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the split air-conditioner module  1  further comprises a second function module which is a total heat exchange module  30 , an air filter module  40  or a cooling/heating module  50 , and a base  60 . The total heat exchange module  30 , the air filter module  40  and the cooling/heating module  50  may be selected and configured according to actual requirements. 
         [0028]    It is noteworthy that the total heat exchange module  30 , the air filter module  40  and the cooling/heating module  50  may be combined or arranged between the aforementioned control module  10  and fan module  20 , and users may select or configure the function and the quantity of the split air-conditioner module  1  as needed to meet different functions or user requirements. For example, the functional components of each module may be replaced by other modules or devices of a more powerful function (such as better ventilation or higher cooling power) without the need of replacing the whole set of air-conditioner. 
         [0029]    The total heat exchange module  30  includes a third frame  31  and a total heat exchanger  32  installed in the third frame  31 , and the total heat exchanger  32  is controlled by the controller  12  for its operation. The air filter module  40  comprises a fourth frame  41  and an air filter  42  installed in the fourth frame  41 , and the air filter  42  is controlled by the controller  12  for its operation. In addition, the cooling/heating module  50  comprises a fifth frame  51  and a condenser/heater  52  installed in the fifth frame  51 , and the condenser/heater  52  is controlled by the controller  12  for its operation. In addition, the base  60  is disposed on the bottom side in the split air-conditioner module  1  and provided for supporting the split air-conditioner module  1  or changing the direction of the split air-conditioner module  1 , so as to adjust the overall height or using angle of the split air-conditioner module  1 . 
         [0030]    It is noteworthy that the second frame  21 , the third frame  31 , the fourth frame  41  and the fifth frame  51  are formed by a plurality of wall panels, and each frame has a front cover for covering the frame and the front cover has a plurality of grid holes. In addition, the first frame  11 , the second frame  21 , the third frame  31 , the fourth frame  41  and the fifth frame  51  have the same width and length, but a different height. In actual practice, the dimensions and appearance are not limited to the aforementioned arrangement only, but the dimensions and appearance of the first frame  11 , the second frame  21 , the third frame  31 , the fourth frame  41  and the fifth frame  51  may be different. 
         [0031]    With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4  for an exploded view of a split air-conditioner module and a schematic view of a partition installed in the split air-conditioner module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention respectively, the split air-conditioner module  1  of this preferred embodiment further comprises at least one partition  100  installed between any two adjacent frames (including the first frame  11 , the second frame  21 , the third frame  31 , the fourth frame  41  and the fifth frame  51 ) such as the first frame  11  and the second frame  21 . If an additional total heat exchange module  30  is selected and installed and the third frame  31  is stacked on the second frame  21 , the partition  100  is also installed between the second frame  21  and the third frame  31 . Similarly, when the air filter module  40  or the cooling/heating module  50  is installed, the partition  100  is installed between the two frames of the two adjacent modules. In addition, the partition  100  has a plurality of removable plates  101  with a punch hole  102 , and the plates  101  are provided for covering the punch hole, so that the plates  101  can be removed for adjusting the position of a pipeline channel or an air channel. 
         [0032]    With reference to  FIG. 5  for a schematic view of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first frame  11 , the second frame  21 , the third frame  31 , the fourth frame  41 , and the fifth frame  51  may contain a plurality of rails  200  for mounting components of each module. In  FIG. 5 , the fan  22  of the fan module  20  and the condenser/heater  52  of the cooling/heating module  50  are slidably installed on the rails  200  and disposed in the second frame  21  and the fifth frame  51  and at corresponding positions of the fan  22  and the condenser/heater  52  respectively. It is noteworthy that the split air-conditioner module  1  of the present invention may be adjusted according to actual requirements. In  FIG. 5 , when it is not necessary to use the air filter module  40  and the total heat exchange module  30 , the two modules  40 ,  30  can be removed directly, or the air filter  42  and the total heat exchanger  32  in the fourth frame  41  and the third frame  31  can be taken out and replaced by other components having a more powerful function such as a condenser/heater  52  or a fan  22 . 
         [0033]    With reference to  FIG. 6  for a perspective view of a split air-conditioner module in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second frame  21  of the fan module  20  is used for illustrating this embodiment. The second frame  21  is formed by a plurality of wall panels  211 , and one of the wall panels  211  (such as the rear wall panel) has a plurality of removable mesh plates  212  which can be removed as needed to expose from the punch hole  213  in order to arrange the positions of a pipeline channel and an air channel or install a cable. Similarly, the third frame  31 , the fourth frame  41  and the fifth frame  51  are formed by a plurality of wall panels and one of the wall panels has a plurality of removable mesh plates. 
         [0034]    With reference to  FIG. 7  for another implementation mode of the split air-conditioner module of the present invention, the split air-conditioner module  1 ′ further comprises a control module  10 ′ and a fan module  20 ′, wherein the fan module  20 ′ is stacked on the control module  10 ′ for providing a fan function or a total heat exchange module, an air filter module and a cooling/heating module for providing an air exchange or filter function to meet actual requirements. 
         [0035]    With reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9  for a perspective view of a split air-conditioner module and a schematic view of internal components of the split air-conditioner module in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention respectively, the split air-conditioner module  1   a  comprises a control module  10   a,  a fan module  20   a,  a total heat exchange module  30   a  and a cooling/heating module  50   a,  wherein the modules are coupled adjacent to one another, and users can select and configure the modules according to different environmental requirements. In addition, each module comprises a frame and an electronic device installed in the frame. Each frame is installed independently, and detachably coupled to the adjacent frame through a fastening structure, and the air-conditioner module  1   a  is controlled by the control module  10   a  for its operation. 
         [0036]    In  FIG. 9 , the modules are coupled transversally and expanded sideway. In addition, the split air-conditioner module  1   a  further comprises a plurality of fixing stands  70   a  for mounting the split air-conditioner module  1   a  onto a wall or a ceiling. 
         [0037]    While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.