CONDENSATION UNIT

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a condensing unit for air conditioners.Prior Art Technology

[0002] Air conditioners are devices that are normally used to cool air by means of a refrigeration cycle. Air conditioners comprise a refrigerant flow circuit that houses a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a thermal expansion unit inserted between the condenser and the evaporator.

[0003] In "cooling" mode, the compressor compresses the refrigerant vapour at low temperature and low pressure and brings it, still as a vapour, to a high temperature and high pressure. The vapour is sent to the condenser, where the vapour is cooled and then turned into a liquid by discharging heat to the outside air, which is heated. After passing through the condenser, the refrigerant - now in liquid form but still at high pressure - passes through the thermal expansion unit, thus changing from high to low pressure, while retaining its liquid form. The low-pressure, low-temperature liquid is carried to the evaporator, where it is turned into a vapour by heat absorption, and thus cooling the air in the room where it is placed. The refrigerant then returns to the compressor in vapour form and the cycle resumes. To enhance the thermal transfer, a first fan is positioned in proximity to the condenser and a second fan is positioned in proximity to the evaporator.

[0004] The latest air conditioners can also work in heating mode by reversing the direction of the refrigerant flow. In this mode, also known as the "heat pump" method, the refrigerant flow is reversed by a four-way valve, which, in the winter, enables a certain amount of heat to be absorbed from the low-temperature outside air and discharged to the inside air at a high temperature.

[0005] Air conditioners comprising one unit positioned inside the room to be cooled / heated and one unit positioned outside, do exist. The outdoor unit houses the compressor, the condenser and the relative fan; the indoor unit, or "split" unit, houses the evaporator and the relative fan, and air is fed into the room through a purpose-designed slot.

[0006] Document EP2070410 and document US2015 / 3543838 disclose outdoor units comprising a centrifugal fan.

[0007] The outdoor unit of such air conditioners is generally located on a balcony or on a bracket fixed to a perimeter wall. It is therefore visible and compromises the aesthetics of the building. Often, then, it is preferred for this type of air conditioner not to be used, for example in historic buildings.

[0008] In these cases, "monobloc" devices can be used, which do not have an outdoor unit, are formed by a single element, and perform the functions of both the indoor and outdoor unit.

[0009] However, monobloc devices have several drawbacks. Once they are installed in the room to be air conditioned, in order to limit the size, their efficiency is low. To prevent their efficiency from being further limited and to guarantee an adequate flow of air with the outside air, monobloc units must be positioned adjacent to a perimeter wall. Furthermore, these devices are noisy because they also house the compressor.Background of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the abovementioned drawbacks using an air conditioner that does not require a unit positioned outdoors while also maintaining a high efficiency.

[0011] The invention fulfils this aim by means of a condensing unit that has the features defined in claim 1.

[0012] The centrifugal fan has a high pressure head and therefore allows a high efficiency to be obtained even if the condenser is not positioned outside the building.

[0013] Moreover, thanks to the high pressure head of the centrifugal fan, the condensing unit can also be positioned at a distance from the perimeter wall and connected to the outside by means of pipes.

[0014] Furthermore, the condensing unit can be detached from a respective evaporation unit, and can therefore function as an outdoor condensing unit attached to one or more split units. For example, the condensing unit can be positioned in a "utility room" rather than the room to be cooled or heated, thus avoiding any noise therein.

[0015] Alternatively, the evaporation unit can be integrated within the housing element by creating a "monobloc" that nevertheless maintains a high efficiency.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] Further advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a non-limiting embodiment, in which: Figure 1 shows the condensing unit in a preferred embodiment; Figure 2 shows a front view of the condensing unit in Figure 1 in which a wall portion of the housing element has been removed; Figure 3 shows a connection for a suction pipe in a preferred embodiment. Best Mode of Performing the Invention

[0017] In Figure 1, the number 1 indicates a condensing unit for an air conditioner. The condensing unit 1 forms part of a refrigerant flow circuit, which allows the room to be cooled or heated. The condensing unit 1 comprises a housing element 2, which houses a compressor (not shown), a condenser 3 and a fan 4 (Figure 2). In cooling mode, in the condenser 3, the vapour present in the refrigerant circuit is turned into a liquid by heat being discharged to the outside air. In heating mode, on the other hand, the condenser 3 has the function of evaporating the liquid by absorbing heat from the outside air.

[0018] The housing element 2 has a substantially parallelepiped shape with a front wall 5, a rear wall 6, two lateral walls 7, 8, a lower wall 9 and an upper wall 10.

[0019] Figure 2 shows the condensing unit 1 in which a portion of the front wall 5 has been removed.

[0020] According to the invention, the fan 4 is a centrifugal type, in such a way that the air suction direction is substantially perpendicular to the discharge direction.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the housing element 2 has two openings 11, 12. A first, substantially circular, opening 11 is positioned at the fan 4 suction point. The second, substantially circular, opening 12 is positioned at the fan 4 discharge point. Advantageously, one or more bulkheads 13 are provided to convey the air optimally towards the second discharge opening 12. The first suction opening 11 and the second discharge opening 12 are connected with the outside air.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan 4 is offset from the centre of the first suction opening 11. Preferably, the first suction opening 11 has a conicity directed outwards from the housing element 2, in particular at an angle of around 15°, so as to convey the air towards the entire surface of the fan 4, including the most peripheral surface. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, this conicity is made by means of a connector 14, preferably made of sheet metal, which has a flange 15, a truncated-cone part 16 positioned to one side of the flange 15 and insertable into the housing element 2, in particular into the first suction opening 11, and a substantially cylindrical part 17 positioned to the other side of the flange 15, to which the air suction pipe is connected.

[0023] In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 2, the lateral wall 7 of the housing element 2 with the second discharge opening 12 is positioned at a pre-set distance from the fan 4. In particular, the distance is between 4 cm and 6 cm. The space between wall 7 and fan 4 allows turbulence to be avoided.

[0024] Compared to a traditional outdoor condensing unit, which uses a helical (axial) fan, the condensing unit 1 according to the present invention can be placed indoors without any reduced efficiency of the air conditioner.

[0025] The suction opening 11 and / or the discharge opening 12 are adapted to be connected to the outside air through pipes.

[0026] The use of pipes also allows the condensing unit 1 to be positioned at a distance from the perimeter walls, while at the same time maintaining a high efficiency.

[0027] The condensing unit 1 can be connected to one or more "split"-type indoor units, comprising the evaporator and the relative fan, with a function similar to that of an air conditioner fitted with an outdoor unit.

[0028] In an alternative embodiment, the evaporator and the relative fan can be integrated within the same housing element 2 of the condensing unit 1, thus making a high-efficiency monobloc air conditioner.

Claims

1. Condensing unit (1) for air conditioner, wherein the condensing unit is suitable to be placed indoors and comprises a housing element (2) containing at least one compressor, at least one condenser (3) connected to said compressor and at least one fan (4) positioned in proximity to said condenser (3); wherein said fan (4) is a centrifugal type to convey air in a discharge direction which is substantially perpendicular to the suction direction, wherein the housing element (2) has a first suction opening (11), positioned at the fan (4) suction point, and a second discharge opening (12), positioned at the fan (4) discharge point, characterized in that said first suction opening (11) and / or said second discharge opening (12) are adapted to be connected to pipes.

2. Condensing unit (1) according to Claim 1, characterised in that said fan (4) is positioned at a pre-set distance from the walls (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) of the housing element (2).

3. Condensing unit (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said condenser (3) is connectable to at least one evaporator.

4. Condensing unit according to Claim 3, characterised in that said evaporator is positioned inside the housing element (2).

5. Condensing unit (1) according to any one of the claims from 1 to 4, characterised in that said first suction opening (11) is substantially circular and its centre is offset from the rotation axis of the fan (4).

6. Condensing unit (1) according to any one of the claims from 1 to 5, characterised in that said first suction opening (11) has a conicity directed outwards from the housing element (2), in particular at an angle of around 15°.

7. Condensing unit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a connector (14) that links the inside of the housing element (2) to the outside, in which said connector (14) comprises a flange (15), a first truncated-cone part (16) positioned to one side of the flange (15) and insertable into the housing element (2), and a second substantially circular part (17) positioned to the other side of the flange (15).