Patent ID: 7201013

Claim:
An air conditioning apparatus comprising rectangular-parallelepiped-shaped adsorption elements in each of which are formed a humidity adjusting side passageway where air flowing therethrough comes into contact with an adsorbent and a cooling side passageway through which air flows to take heat of adsorption from said humidity adjusting side passageway, wherein said air conditioning apparatus performs, in alternation, a first operation in which air is dehumidified in said first adsorption element simultaneously with regeneration of said second adsorption element and a second operation in which air is dehumidified in said second adsorption element simultaneously with regeneration of said first adsorption element, and wherein said air conditioning apparatus performs at least a dehumidification operating mode in which air taken in is dehumidified and then supplied indoors, said air conditioning apparatus further comprising: a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant is circulated to perform a refrigeration cycle and air for regeneration of said adsorption elements is heated by heat of condensation of said refrigerant, and flow path changing means capable of changing the flow route of air with said adsorption elements remaining fixed in position for switching between said first operation and said second operation, wherein a condenser of said refrigerant circuit is disposed between said first and second adsorption elements which are disposed side by side.