Air conditioning room

Abstract

Air conditioning equipment using refrigerants generally has a heat pump cycle function and can be used not only for cooling but also for heating. However, installing separate heating equipment in addition to the whole-house air conditioning system presents the problem of requiring extra installation work. [Solution] The air conditioning room 51 is an air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 which is formed to be highly airtight except for the first opening 71 and the second opening 81 and has an air conditioning indoor unit 4 installed inside. The first opening 71 is connected to a first duct 70 which has a first blower 73 installed in the middle, and the second opening 81 is formed by the opening of a second duct 80 which opens to the upper part of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50, and the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is installed above the first opening 71 and below the second opening 81.

Description

Technical Field

[0006]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air-conditioning machine room in which an air-conditioning indoor unit is installed inside and a duct is connected to enable whole-building air conditioning.

Background Art

[0002] Buildings, especially houses, are becoming highly heat-insulated and airtight in order to achieve energy-saving and comfortable living. Conventionally, intermittent air conditioning, in which an air conditioner is installed in each room and the room is air-conditioned when people are living there, was the main method. However, since the temperature difference between rooms was large, it was uncomfortable and not healthy. Therefore, recently, whole-building air conditioning that uses a small air conditioner or a duct-type air conditioner with a small capacity and blows air-conditioned air with a blower or the like to make the temperature in the house uniform has been widely adopted.

[0003] As conventional examples, regarding air-conditioning systems for air-conditioning the entire interior of buildings such as ordinary houses, those having various structures and functions have been proposed. As those related to the present invention, there is "Cooling and heating building using a cold air storage tank and cooling and heating method of a cooling and heating building using a cold air storage tank" described in Patent Document 1.

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, a cold air storage tank equipped with cooling equipment is installed in the attic space, heating equipment is installed in the underfloor space, cold air is allowed to flow down naturally, and during heating, the warm air of the heating equipment installed in the underfloor space is allowed to rise naturally.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Regarding the invention of Patent Document 1, paragraph

[0015] of the [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention] states, "...and is configured on a box side with the top open," which clearly indicates or suggests that the top of the cold air storage tank is open. When the cooling equipment performs cooling, the cold air that naturally flows down into the living space convects in the living space and is drawn into the cooling equipment (return air, hereinafter referred to as return air) comes into contact with the air that is heated by the heat from the outside transmitted from the underside of the roof in the attic space and remains there, before being drawn into the cooling equipment. In that case, although no convection occurs between the air remaining in the attic space and the return air, heat conduction occurs, causing the temperature of the return air to rise. As a result, the cooling capacity of the cooling equipment decreases.

[0007] Furthermore, most air conditioning equipment currently used in ordinary households incorporates a heat pump cycle function and can be used for both cooling and heating. As a result, there is little demand for cooling-only units, making it difficult to procure cooling-only units. Additionally, installing heating equipment in the underfloor space presents problems such as increased installation effort and higher equipment costs.

[0008] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, since it relies on the natural flow of cold air and the natural rise of warm air, there was a problem that it took time for the cooling or heating effect to appear after the cooling or heating equipment was turned on. Therefore, it was assumed that cooling or heating would be performed continuously, which resulted in running costs (utility costs such as electricity and fuel costs).

[0009] In the prior art described in paragraphs

[0002] to

[0005] of the [Background Art] section of Patent Document 1 and in Figures 3 and 4, an example is described in which an air conditioning room 67 is defined by a pair of partition walls 66 in the attic space 65. Although a blower fan 70 is installed inside the air conditioning room 67 and is operated even during cooling to generate a downward airflow into the room, it is a system that cools or heats the entire building by operating cooling or heating equipment to allow the natural downward flow of cold air and the natural upward rise of warm air, similar to the invention of Patent Document 1. The invention has similar problems to those described in Patent Document 1.

[0010] Furthermore, in paragraph

[0003] of the [Background Art] section of Patent Document 1, the air conditioning room 67 is described. However, as mentioned above, the blower fan 70 only performs the same function as a ceiling fan (ceiling fan), and its purpose is merely to circulate the indoor air and make the temperature in the upper and lower parts of the building constant.

[0011] Also, although it is referred to as the air conditioning room 67 in the explanation, there is a pair of partition walls 66 around the ceiling fan. Although it is explained that a ventilation hole 69 is provided in the second-floor ceiling 62 and that air is blown downwards from there, there is no explanation of the airflow returning from the second-floor space 63 to the attic space 65. Furthermore, due to its structure, even if the blower fan 70 is operated, in the case of heating, some air may be blown downwards from the ventilation hole 69 in the second-floor ceiling 62, but in the case of cooling, it is inconceivable that air would be blown downwards from the ventilation hole 69. Therefore, operating the blower fan 70 only circulates the air in the attic space 65 and has little effect on circulating the air in the second-floor space 63 or the first-floor space 59, resulting in the problem that the blower fan 70 is ineffective in the air conditioning room 67 where it is installed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following technical measures.

[0013] The air conditioning unit room of the first invention is an air conditioning unit installation space formed to be highly airtight except for a first opening and a second opening, in which an air conditioning unit is installed. The first opening is connected to a first duct with a first blower installed in the middle, and the second opening is formed as the opening of a second duct that opens to the upper part of the air conditioning unit installation space. The air conditioning unit is installed above the first opening and below the second opening. The air conditioning unit room of the second invention is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 1, the second opening is formed to be the end of the second duct that is raised within the space where the indoor unit of the air conditioning unit is installed. The third invention is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 1, the second opening is formed to be the end of the second duct connected from outside the space where the indoor unit of the air conditioner is installed. The air conditioning unit room of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3, within the space where the indoor unit of the air conditioning unit is installed, the space near the location where the second opening is provided is formed such that the volume decreases as it goes upward. The air conditioning room of the fifth invention is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 4, the end of the second duct opposite to the second opening is provided with a second duct connection portion that connects to the underfloor space, and the underfloor space is provided with a plurality of floor vents that open to the living room side, and the distances from the second duct connection portion to the plurality of floor vents are arranged to be approximately equal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] By having the technical means described above, the following effects are achieved.

[0015] By using the air conditioning room of the present invention, whole-house air conditioning becomes possible by installing an indoor air conditioning unit equipped with heating and cooling functions, which is used in ordinary households. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a building in which an air conditioning unit room according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented. [Figure 2] This is an enlarged perspective view of an air conditioning unit room according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram of the air conditioning room during cooling according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram of the heating operation in an air conditioning room according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] An enlarged perspective view of an air-conditioning machine room according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] An explanatory view during cooling in the air-conditioning machine room according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] An explanatory view during heating in the air-conditioning machine room according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] An enlarged perspective view of an air-conditioning machine room according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] An explanatory view during cooling in the air-conditioning machine room according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] An explanatory view during heating in the air-conditioning machine room according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] An explanatory view during cooling in the air-conditioning machine room according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] An explanatory view during heating in the air-conditioning machine room according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] An explanatory view during cooling in the air-conditioning machine room according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] An explanatory view during heating in the air-conditioning machine room according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] An explanatory view during cooling in the air-conditioning machine room according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] An explanatory view during heating in the air-conditioning machine room according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Embodiments for carrying out the invention will be specifically described based on the drawings.

[0018] (First Embodiment) The air conditioning unit room 51 of the present invention in building 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 1. In Figure 1, building 1 is a two-story building, and the perspective view shows a state in which it has an underfloor space 10, a lower floor space 20 (first floor in Figure 1), an upper floor space 30 (second floor in Figure 1), and an attic space 40. Regarding the attic space 40, in order to make it easy to understand the interior of the so-called two-story building 1 that forms the space 50 for installing the indoor air conditioning unit, the interior of building 1 is shown except for a part of the building wall 16 on the front side and floorboards 21, 31, etc. The exterior of building 1 consists of building walls 16 on all four sides (windows and doorways are necessary in some parts of the building walls, but these are not shown or explained in this drawing), and a roof 18 on top.

[0019] The underfloor space 10 is formed by supporting the floor slab 21 with joists 11, beams 12, posts 13 and foundation stones 14 on top of a foundation 17 formed of concrete with a roughly concave cross-section that opens at the top. In the first embodiment, the second duct 80, which will be described later, is connected to the underfloor space 10, so there are no underfloor ventilation openings in the foundation 17, and apart from the floor ventilation openings 23 provided in the floor slab 21 and the aforementioned second duct 80, the underfloor space 10 is formed to be highly airtight. In addition, metal or synthetic resin posts (not shown) can be used as floor structures to support the floor slab 21, in which case air circulation in the underfloor space is easier compared to the joist and beam construction method. It should be noted that this can also be implemented even if underfloor ventilation openings that can be closed are provided, and this can be done by closing the underfloor ventilation openings.

[0020] The lower floor space 20 is divided into upper and lower sections by a floorboard 21 and a ceilingboard 22, and is surrounded by a building wall 16. In addition, the floorboard 21 has multiple floor vents 23 that communicate with the lower floor space 10, located near the building wall 16, and the ceilingboard 22 has ceiling vents 24 that communicate with the upper floor space 30 via the interfloor space formed by the ceilingboard 22 and the floorboard 31 of the upper floor space 30, which will be described later, via multiple floor vents 33 in the floorboard 31 of the upper floor space 30. Except for the multiple floor vents 23 and ceiling vents 24 provided in the floorboard 21, the lower floor space 20 is constructed to be highly airtight.

[0021] Regarding the position of the ceiling vents 24 in the ceiling panel 22, it is desirable to place them approximately in the center of the ceiling panel 22, so as to be equal to the positions of the floor vents 33 provided in the floor panel 31. This is because the amount of air passing through the floor vents 33 provided in the floor panel 31 can be evenly distributed, thereby equalizing the amount of cool or warm air supplied to the upper floor space 30, and also equalizing the cooling or heating effect on the floor panel 31.

[0022] Furthermore, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling panel 22, the floor panel 31 of the upper floor space 30, and the surrounding building wall 16 is also constructed to be highly airtight, except for the ceiling vents 24 and multiple floor vents 33.

[0023] The upper floor space 30 is divided vertically by a floor panel 31 and a ceiling panel 32, and is surrounded by a building wall 16. In addition, multiple floor vents 33 are provided near the building wall 16 on the floor panel 31, which communicate with the lower floor space 20 via the interfloor space formed by the ceiling panel 22 and the floor panel 31, and a first duct connecting member 72, which connects the first duct 70 (described later) to the upper floor space 30, is attached to the ceiling panel 32. Except for the multiple floor vents 33 and the first duct connecting member 72 provided on the floor panel 31, the upper floor space 30 is constructed to be highly airtight.

[0024] In the case of wooden frame construction, for example, in the case of structural materials that support the floor surface of the living space on the upper floor, floorboards 31 on the upper floor are assembled using floor beams and joists, and then the ceiling boards 22 of the space below 20 are often attached by installing a base frame such as joists and joist hangers using hangers and hanging brackets from the floor beams and joists that support the floorboards 31 of the space above 30. As a result, the inter-floor space is created between the floorboards 31 of the space above 30 and the ceiling boards 22 of the space below 20 by the aforementioned structural materials of the building 1. Although columns are also structural materials of the building 1, they do not constitute structural materials that block the inter-floor space, so their explanation will be omitted. While there are various construction methods for typical detached houses, including wooden frame construction, two-by-four construction, concrete construction, and prefabricated construction, in all cases, the space between floors is provided for purposes such as fire prevention, sound insulation, and preventing vibrations from the upper floors.

[0025] The space above the ceiling 40 is divided into upper and lower sections by the ceiling board 32 and the roof 18, and is surrounded by the building walls 16. In addition, the floor board 21 is provided with multiple floor vents 23 that communicate with the space below the floor 10, and the ceiling board 22 is provided with ceiling vents 24 that communicate with the space above the floor 30 via the interfloor space formed by the ceiling board 22 and the floor board 31 of the space above the floor 30, which will be described later, via multiple floor vents 33 in the floor board 31 of the space above the floor 30. Except for the multiple floor vents 23 and ceiling vents 24 provided in the floor board 21, the space below the floor 20 is constructed to be highly airtight. Furthermore, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling panel 22 and the floor panel 31 of the upper floor space 30 is also designed to be highly airtight, except for the ceiling vents 24 and multiple floor vents 33.

[0026] In Figure 1, the lower floor space 20 and the upper floor space 30 are shown as not being partitioned into rooms, so the ceiling vent 24 is described as one location, and the floor vent 23 is described as multiple locations. If the lower floor space 20 is partitioned into multiple rooms, one or more ceiling vents 24 may be provided for each room. Furthermore, the multiple floor ventilation openings 33 are provided near the floorboards 21 and the building walls 16 of the floorboards 31.

[0027] As a whole, the building 1 is constructed with high airtightness in at least the underfloor space 10, the lower floor space 20, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the lower floor space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upper floor space 30, and the upper floor space 30. Furthermore, the building walls 16, foundation 17, and roof 18 of the building 1 are constructed with materials and structures that provide high thermal insulation.

[0028] An air conditioning unit room 51 is provided in the ceiling space 40, and a space 50 for installing indoor air conditioning units is formed by partitioning off a portion of the interior space of the ceiling space 40. The first opening 71 at the end of the first duct 70 and the second opening 81 at the end of the second duct 80 are connected to the air conditioning unit room 51, and a highly airtight space 50 for installing indoor air conditioning units is formed excluding the first opening 71 and the second opening 81 connected to the air conditioning unit room 51.

[0029] Furthermore, a first duct connecting member 72 is attached to the end of the first duct 70 opposite to the first opening 71, and the first duct connecting member 72 is formed to communicate with the upper floor space 30 through a hole made in the ceiling panel 32 by the first duct 70. The second duct connecting part 82 is attached to the end of the second duct 80 opposite to the second opening 81 approximately in the center of the floor panel 21, and the second duct 80 is formed to communicate with the underfloor space 10 through a hole provided in the floor panel 21. The structure of the air conditioning room 51 and the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 2.

[0030] Regarding the position of the second duct connection portion 82 in the floor plate 21, it is desirable to place it approximately in the center of the floor plate 21, so as to be evenly spaced from the positions of the floor vents 23 provided in the floor plate 21. This is because it is possible to evenly distribute the amount of air passing through the floor vents 23 provided in the floor plate 21, thereby equalizing the amount of cool or warm air supplied to the space below 20, and also equalizing the cooling or heating effect on the floor plate 21.

[0031] Furthermore, depending on the airflow rate of the first blower 73, the airflow rate is distributed through the floor vents 23 in the underfloor space 10, and because the underfloor space 10 has a predetermined extent, dust and dirt can be retained in the underfloor space 10, which is the lowest part of the building 1, thereby reducing clogging of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 filter. Furthermore, during cooling periods such as summer, the relatively low and stable geothermal radiation from the soil cools the indoor air in the lower floor, upper floor, and attic spaces, which are affected by sunlight and outside air, by passing through the underfloor space. This makes it energy-efficient and effective to cool that air with an indoor air conditioning unit. Furthermore, during the cooling season, such as in summer, when air passes through the underfloor space, the circulating air is cooler than the air temperature in the lower floor, upper floor, and attic spaces, which are affected by sunlight and outside air, due to the relatively low and stable geothermal radiation from the soil. Therefore, cooling this air with an indoor air conditioning unit is energy-efficient and effective.

[0032] Although the embodiments of this application are described only in terms of a two-story building, the invention can also be implemented in single-story (one-story) buildings and buildings with two or more stories. Furthermore, it can be implemented not only in residential buildings but also in facilities, apartments, condominiums, and other high-rise buildings.

[0033] An outdoor air conditioning unit 3 is installed on the exterior of building 1, and an indoor air conditioning unit 4 is installed in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50 of the air conditioning unit room 51 located in the ceiling space 40 of building 1. A circulation circuit is formed between the air conditioning outdoor unit 3 and the air conditioning indoor unit 4 by piping 5. A heat exchanger installed inside the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is heated or cooled, and the indoor unit blower provided in the indoor air conditioning unit 4 can generate heated or cooled air that passes through the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4.

[0034] In the following explanation, the airflow heated by the indoor unit fan of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 will be referred to as "warm air" (or "warm air"), and the airflow cooled by the indoor unit fan will be referred to as "cold air" (or "cold air"). The outdoor air conditioning unit 3 and indoor air conditioning unit 4 are implemented by methods such as compressing the refrigerant and using it for heating or cooling, or by cooling water or antifreeze with a refrigeration device and then heating the water or antifreeze with electricity, oil, gas, etc.

[0035] The air conditioning unit room 51 that forms the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 will be explained using Figure 2. The air conditioning unit room 51 is formed from a rectangular base member 52, side wall members 53, 54, 55, and 56 that rise up to surround the four sides of the rectangular base member 52, and upper members 57 and 58 that close the openings at the top of the side wall members 53, 54, 55, and 56.

[0036] The shape of each component of the air conditioning unit room 51 is as follows: the side wall members 53 and 55 are rectangular in size, while the side wall members 54 and 56 are shaped in a way that the upper center of the side wall members 54 and 56 bulges out in a triangular shape in the height direction of the side wall members 53 and 55, in other words, they are formed into a roughly home plate-shaped pentagon, and the upper triangular bulge is covered by the upper rectangular members 57 and 58 of the same size. As a result, the upper part of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 is formed to bulge at the point where the upper member 57 and the upper member 58 are joined. Furthermore, the bottom member 52, the side wall members 53, 54, 55, and 56, and the upper members 57 and 58 are each made of a material with thermal insulation properties, or the entire air conditioning unit room 51 is covered with thermal insulation material.

[0037] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is mounted approximately in the center of the side wall member 53. A first opening 71 is provided on the lower side of the side wall member 55. Furthermore, a second duct 80 is raised approximately vertically from approximately in the center of the bottom member 52, and a second opening 81 is provided at the upper end of the second duct 80. In addition, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is mounted at a height midway between the first opening 71 and the second opening 81. Moreover, the second opening 81 is provided at a height such that it is inserted into a space formed by tilting an approximately triangular prism using upper members 57 and 58, above the approximately cubic space of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50. Furthermore, the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 is designed to be highly airtight when the first opening 71 and the second opening 81 are closed. Also, as is the case in the following embodiments, the side wall members 53, 54, 55, 56 or the upper members 57, 58 may be made to have an openable and closable structure at any point to provide an inspection door for the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50.

[0038] A first duct 70 is connected to the first opening 71 from the outside of the air conditioning unit room 51. At the end of the first duct 70 opposite the first opening 71, a first duct connecting member 72 is attached to the opening corresponding to a hole made in the ceiling panel 32, for communication with the upper floor space 30. Furthermore, a first blower 73 is installed in the middle of the first duct 70. The first blower 73 is a type of blower that can blow air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 to the upper floor space 30 when the motor that rotates the blades is rotated forward, and can blow air from the upper floor space 30 to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 when the motor that rotates the blades is rotated in reverse.

[0039] The second duct 80, which is erected almost vertically in the approximate center of the bottom member 52 of the air conditioning unit room 51, penetrates the bottom member 52, ceiling panel 32, floor panel 31, ceiling panel 22, and floor panel 21, and is connected to the floor panel 21 at a second duct connection part 82 such that the end opposite to the second opening 81 opens into the underfloor space 10.

[0040] In the case of the first duct 70 and the second duct 80, the ducts are pipes that carry gas, and are also called air ducts, ventilation pipes, or air conduits. Because ducts are easy to manufacture, they are generally circular, and in the diagrams illustrating this embodiment, they are shown as circular pipes, but rectangular pipes can also be used. Regarding the tacts, in this embodiment, since they are used for heating and cooling, ducts with insulation material covering their outer perimeter are used (the explanation of ducts is the same hereafter and will be omitted).

[0041] Figure 3 will be used to explain the movement of cool air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in cooling mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50 of the air conditioning unit room 51 shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 is a view from direction A in Figure 2. In this case, the cooled refrigerant is configured to circulate in the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, and the operation of the fan attached to the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the motor of the first fan 73 is rotated forward to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50 to the upper floor space 30. For wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4, regardless of whether it is cooling or heating, the standard structure is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the indoor air conditioning unit 4 and blow it out diagonally downward.

[0042] In Figure 3, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the underfloor space 10 (return air), and the white arrows represent the air after the return air has been cooled by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (cold air).

[0043] In this state, when the first blower 73 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 from the second opening 81 of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71. And since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81. Then, the cold air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 will be blown out diagonally downwards and will be drawn into the first opening 71 while riding on the flow of air (return air) from the second opening 81 to the first opening 71.

[0044] Furthermore, in Figure 3, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51, due to the temperature difference (difference in air density) between the cold air and the return air, the upper space above the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 becomes a layer of warmer return air, while the lower space below the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 becomes a layer of colder return air. As a result, the plane indicated by the dashed line C divides the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 into two layers of air, upper and lower.

[0045] This layer of cold air is sent from the first opening 71 to the first duct 70 by the first blower 73, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the interfloor space, the lower floor space 20, and the underfloor space 10, which are formed by the ceiling boards 22 of the upper floor space 30 and the floor boards 31 of the upper floor space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, along with the air being blown by the first blower 73, the effect of natural flow due to the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is lower in temperature than the air in the upper floor space 30, is also added, and the air is sent down to the underfloor space 10.

[0046] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air is circulated inside building 1 by the first blower 73. Therefore, the cool air that is sent to the underfloor space 10 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually warmed is collected up to the second duct connection 82 in the underfloor space 10, rises up the second duct 80 and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 through the second opening 81, becoming return air.

[0047] Figure 4 will be used to explain the movement of warm air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in heating mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50 of the air conditioning unit room 51 shown in Figure 2. Note that Figure 4 is a view from direction A in Figure 2. In this case, the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant, and the operation of the fan installed in the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the motor of the first fan 73 is rotated in reverse to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50 to the underfloor space 10.

[0048] In Figure 4, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the upper floor space 30 (return air), the solid black arrows represent the air after the return air has been heated by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (warm air), and the shaded arrows represent the mixed air formed by the return air and warm air mixing in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50. The reason for this is that, as mentioned above, even for heating, the standard structure for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4 is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the unit and blow it out diagonally below.

[0049] In this state, when the first blower 73 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) is generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 from the first opening 71 of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air is drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Subsequently, the warm air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is blown out diagonally downwards and mixes with the air (return air) from the first opening 71 to form a mixture that is at an intermediate temperature between the warm air and the return air. Furthermore, the mixture is heated further by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of air—return air, mixture, and warm air—are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50.

[0050] In the space 50 where the air conditioning indoor unit is installed, the space is divided into three layers of different temperatures: upper, middle, and lower, as shown by the dashed lines D and E in Figure 4. As heating continues in the air conditioning room 51, the return air, mixed air, and warm air will have different temperatures (differences in air density). The lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71 and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 (shown by the dashed line D), will be the layer of the lowest-temperature return air. Above this lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and the second opening 81 (shown by the dashed line E), will be the intermediate space. In this intermediate space, except near the outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air will mix, forming a layer of mixed air with an intermediate temperature between the return air and the warm air. Furthermore, the area above the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 becomes the upper space, where the mixed air is further heated and accumulates, forming a layer that rises to a temperature close to that of warm air.

[0051] As mentioned above, the air conditioning unit room 51 is formed by upper members 57 and 58 such that the space above the second opening 81 bulges upward at the upper center of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50, and the space gradually narrows as it goes upward. Therefore, by positioning the second opening 81 so that it enters the space that bulges upward and gradually narrows as it goes upward, it becomes possible to place it near the point where the most heated air in the warm air layer is collected, and the warm air can be quickly sent from the second opening 81 through the second duct 80 to the underfloor space 10.

[0052] This layer of warm air is sent from the second opening 81 to the second duct 80 by the first blower 73, which is reversed, and then sent to the second duct connection 82, the underfloor space 10, the lower floor space 20, the interfloor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the lower floor space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upper floor space 30, and finally to the upper floor space 30. In this case, along with the airflow from the reversed first blower 73, the warm air is also sent to the upper floor space 30 due to the effect of natural rising caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, as the temperature of the warm air is higher than that of the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0053] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the first blower 73. Therefore, the warm air that is sent up to the upper floor space 30 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the first blower 73 to the first duct connecting member 72, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 through the first opening 71 via the first duct 70, becoming return air.

[0054] As described above, the formation of the air conditioning room 51 according to the first embodiment makes it possible to provide whole-house air conditioning using the indoor air conditioning unit 4 of an air conditioner that is generally available on the market.

[0055] (Second embodiment) In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is the structure of the air conditioning unit room 51a. Therefore, we will explain this using Figure 5, which corresponds to Figure 2 of the first embodiment, Figure 6, which corresponds to Figure 3, and Figure 7, which corresponds to Figure 4. For parts related to Figure 1 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used and the explanation is omitted. The air conditioning unit room 51a in the second embodiment of the present invention is formed from a rectangular bottom member 52, side wall members 53a, 54a, 55 and 56a that rise up to surround the four sides of the rectangular bottom member 52, and an upper member 57a that closes the openings at the top of the side wall members 53a, 54a, 55 and 56a.

[0056] The shapes of the individual components of the air conditioning unit room 51a are as follows: the side wall members 53a and 55 are both roughly rectangular, but side wall member 53a is formed to be higher than side wall member 55. Therefore, the side wall members 54a and 56a are formed in a shape where the side connected to side wall member 53a is higher and the side connected to side wall member 55 is lower, in other words, a trapezoid on its side. The slanted opening enclosed by these side wall members 53a, 54a, 55 and 56a is formed by a single rectangular upper member 57a that can close it. As a result, the space near the upper side of side wall member 53a in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a is formed to bulge out at the top. Furthermore, the bottom member 52, the side wall members 53a, 54a, 55 and 56a, and the upper member 57a are each formed of a material having thermal insulation properties, or the entire air conditioning unit room 51a is covered with thermal insulation material.

[0057] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is mounted approximately in the center of the side wall member 53a, and a second opening 81a is provided at a predetermined distance from the top surface of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. A first opening 71 is provided on the lower side of the side wall member 55. The air conditioning indoor unit 4 is mounted so that it is at a height midway between the first opening 71 and the second opening 81a. Furthermore, the second opening 81a is provided at a height such that it is inserted into the space created by turning over an approximately triangular prism at the top of the approximately cubic space of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50, as the height of the upper side wall member 53a is higher than that of the side wall member 55. Furthermore, the space 50a for installing the indoor unit of the air conditioner is designed to be highly airtight when the first opening 71 and the second opening 81a are closed.

[0058] A first duct 70 is connected to the first opening 71 from the outside of the air conditioning unit room 51a. At the end of the first duct 70 opposite the first opening 71, a first duct connecting member 72 is attached to the opening corresponding to a hole made in the ceiling panel 32, for communication with the upper floor space 30.

[0059] A second duct 80, which is erected almost vertically from the ceiling plate 32 on the outside of the air conditioning room 51a, penetrates the ceiling plate 32, floor plate 31, ceiling plate 22, and floor plate 21, and is connected to the floor plate 21 at a second duct connection part 82 so that the end opposite to the second opening 81a opens into the underfloor space 10. A second blower 83 is installed in the middle of the second duct 80 near the air conditioning room 51a. The second blower 83 is a type that can blow air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a to the underfloor space 10 when the motor that rotates the blades is rotated forward, and can blow air from the underfloor space 10 to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a when the motor that rotates the blades is rotated in reverse.

[0060] Figure 6 will be used to explain the movement of cool air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in cooling mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50a of the air conditioning unit room 51a shown in Figure 5. Figure 6 is a view from direction A in Figure 5. In this case, the cooled refrigerant is configured to circulate in the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, and the operation of the fan attached to the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the motor of the second fan 83 is rotated in reverse to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50a to the upper floor space 30. For wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4, regardless of whether it is cooling or heating, the standard structure is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the indoor air conditioning unit 4 and blow it out diagonally below.

[0061] In Figure 6, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the underfloor space 10 (return air), and the white arrows represent the air after the return air has been cooled by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (cold air).

[0062] In this state, when the second blower 83 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a from the second opening 81a of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81a. The cold air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 will then be blown diagonally downwards and drawn into the first opening 71, riding on the flow of air (return air) from the second opening 81a to the first opening 71.

[0063] Furthermore, in Figure 6, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51a, due to the temperature difference (difference in air density) between the cold air and the return air, the upper space above the center of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50a becomes a layer of warmer return air than the cold air, while the lower space below the center of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50a becomes a layer of cold air. As a result, the plane indicated by the dashed line C divides the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50a into two layers of air, upper and lower.

[0064] This layer of cold air is sent from the first opening 71 to the first duct 70 by the second blower 83, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the interfloor space, the lower floor space 20, and the underfloor space 10, which are formed by the ceiling boards 22 of the upper floor space 30 and the floor boards 31 of the upper floor space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, along with the air being blown by the second blower 83, the cold air is also sent to the underfloor space 10 due to the effect of natural flow caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, as the temperature of the cold air is lower than that of the air in the upper floor space 30.

[0065] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the second blower 83. Therefore, the cool air that is sent to the underfloor space 10 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually warmed is collected up to the second duct connection 82 in the underfloor space 10, rises up the second duct 80 and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a through the second opening 81a, becoming return air.

[0066] In the space 50a where the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is installed in the air conditioning room 51a shown in Figure 5, the movement of warm air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in heating mode will be explained using Figure 7. Note that Figure 7 is a view from direction A in Figure 5. In this case, the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant, and the operation of the fan installed in the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the motor of the second fan 83 is rotated forward to blow air from the space 50a where the indoor air conditioning unit is installed to the underfloor space 10.

[0067] In Figure 7, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the upper floor space 30 (return air), the solid black arrows represent the air after the return air has been heated by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (warm air), and the shaded arrows represent the mixed air formed by the return air and warm air mixing in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50a. As mentioned above, even for heating, the standard structure for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4 is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the unit and blow it out diagonally below.

[0068] In this state, when the second blower 83 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a from the first opening 71 of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81a. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. The warm air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is then blown out diagonally downwards and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71 to form a mixture that is at an intermediate temperature between the warm air and the return air. This mixture is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of air—return air, mixture, and warm air—are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a.

[0069] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a, the space is divided into three layers of different temperatures, upper, middle, and lower, as shown by the dashed lines D and E in Figure 7. As heating continues in the air conditioning room 51a, the return air, mixed air, and warm air will have different temperatures (differences in air density). The lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71 and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a (the surface shown by the dashed line D), will be the layer of return air with the lowest temperature. Above this lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and the second opening 81a in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a (the surface shown by the dashed line E), will be the intermediate space. In this intermediate space, except near the outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air will mix, forming a layer of mixed air with an intermediate temperature between the return air and warm air. Furthermore, the area above the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a becomes the upper space, where the mixed air is further heated and accumulates, forming a layer that rises to a temperature close to that of warm air.

[0070] As mentioned above, the air conditioning unit room 51a is formed such that, near the upper part of the side wall member 53a, the space above the second opening 81a bulges upward, and the space gradually narrows as it goes upward. Therefore, by connecting the second opening 81a to the vicinity of the bulging space, it becomes possible to form the air conditioning unit room 51a in a shape that can be positioned near the point where the most heated air in the warm air layer is collected, making it possible to quickly send warm air from the second opening 81a through the second duct 80 to the underfloor space 10.

[0071] This layer of warm air is sent to the second duct 80 by the second blower 83, which is rotating forward from the second opening 81a, and then sent to the underfloor space 10, the lower floor space 20, the interfloor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the lower floor space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upper floor space 30, and the upper floor space 30 at the second duct connection 82. In this case, along with the airflow from the first blower 73, which is rotating in reverse, the warm air is sent to the upper floor space 30 due to the effect of natural rising caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, as the temperature of the warm air is higher than that of the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0072] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the second blower 83. Therefore, the warm air that is sent up to the upper floor space 30 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the second blower 83 to the first duct connection member 72, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a through the first opening 71 via the first duct 70, becoming return air.

[0073] (Third embodiment) In the third embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is the structure of the air conditioning unit room 51b. This will be explained using Figure 8, which corresponds to Figure 2 of the first embodiment, Figure 9, which corresponds to Figure 3, and Figure 10, which corresponds to Figure 4. Parts related to Figure 1 of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanation will be omitted. The air conditioning unit room 51b, which is the third embodiment of the present invention, is formed from a rectangular bottom member 52, side wall members 53b, 54b, 55b and 56b that rise up to surround the four sides of the rectangular bottom member 52, and an upper member 57b that closes the openings at the top of the side wall members 53b, 54b, 55b and 56b.

[0074] The shape of each component of the air conditioning unit room 51b is as follows: the side wall members 53b and 55b are rectangular and both are formed to the same size. Similarly, the side wall members 54b and 56b are also rectangular and both are formed to the same size. A single rectangular upper member 57b is formed so as to be able to close the opening enclosed by these side wall members 53b, 54b, 55b and 56b. As a result, the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped. Furthermore, the bottom member 52, side wall members 53b, 54b, 55b and 56b, and upper member 57b are each formed of a material with thermal insulation properties, or the entire air conditioning unit room 51b is formed by covering it with thermal insulation material. Also, the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b is not strictly limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and if the side wall members 54b and 56b are irregular, the number of side wall members and upper members will increase accordingly, as will the number of side wall members 53b and 55b.

[0075] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is mounted approximately in the center of the side wall member 53b, and a second opening 81b is provided approximately in the center of the upper member 57b, which is spaced a predetermined distance from the top surface of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. A first opening 71 is provided on the lower side of the side wall member 55b. The air conditioning indoor unit 4 is mounted so that it is at a height midway between the first opening 71 and the second opening 81b. Furthermore, the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b is designed to be highly airtight when the first opening 71 and the second opening 81b are closed.

[0076] A first duct 70 is connected to the first opening 71 from the outside of the air conditioning unit room 51b. At the end of the first duct 70 opposite the first opening 71, a first duct connecting member 72 is attached to the opening corresponding to a hole made in the ceiling panel 32, for communication with the upper floor space 30. Furthermore, a first blower 73a is installed in the middle of the first duct 70. The first blower 73a is powered by an electric motor that rotates its blades, allowing it to blow air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b to the upper floor space 30.

[0077] A second duct 80 is bent in an inverted U-shape from a second opening 81b located approximately in the center of the upper member 57b of the air conditioning unit room 51b, and rises approximately perpendicularly to the ceiling panel 32 outside the air conditioning unit room 51b. The second duct 80 penetrates the ceiling panel 32, floor panel 31, ceiling panel 22, and floor panel 21, and is connected to the floor panel 21 at a second duct connection part 82 so that the end opposite the second opening 81b opens into the underfloor space 10. A second blower 83a is installed in the middle of the second duct 80 near the air conditioning unit room 51b. The second blower 83a can blow air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b to the underfloor space 10 when the electric motor rotates the blades.

[0078] Figure 9 will be used to explain the movement of cool air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in cooling mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50b of the air conditioning unit room 51b shown in Figure 8. Figure 9 is a view from direction A in Figure 8. In this case, the cooled refrigerant is configured to circulate in the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, and the operation of the fan attached to the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the first fan 73a is operated to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50b to the upper floor space 30. For wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4, regardless of whether it is cooling or heating, the standard structure is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the indoor air conditioning unit 4 and blow it out diagonally downward.

[0079] In Figure 9, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the underfloor space 10 (return air), and the white arrows represent the air after the return air has been cooled by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (cold air).

[0080] In this state, when the first blower 73a starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b from the second opening 81b of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81b. The cold air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 will then be blown diagonally downwards and drawn into the first opening 71, riding on the flow of air (return air) from the second opening 81b to the first opening 71.

[0081] Furthermore, in Figure 9, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51b, due to the temperature difference (difference in air density) between the cold air and the return air, the upper space above the center of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50b becomes a layer of warmer return air, while the lower space below the center of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50b becomes a layer of cold return air. As a result, the plane indicated by the dashed line C divides the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50b into two layers of air, upper and lower.

[0082] This layer of cold air is sent from the first opening 71 to the first duct 70 by the first blower 73a, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the interfloor space, the lower floor space 20, and the underfloor space 10, which are formed by the ceiling boards 22 of the upper floor space 30 and the floor boards 31 of the upper floor space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, along with the air being blown by the first blower 73a, the effect of natural flow due to the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is lower in temperature than the air in the upper floor space 30, is also added, and the air is sent down to the underfloor space 10.

[0083] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the first blower 73a. Therefore, the cool air that is sent to the underfloor space 10 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually warmed is collected up to the second duct connection 82 in the underfloor space 10, rises up the second duct 80 and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b through the second opening 81b, becoming return air.

[0084] In the air conditioning room 51b shown in Figure 8, the movement of warm air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in heating mode will be explained using Figure 10. Figure 10 is a view from direction A in Figure 8. In this case, the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant, and the fan of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started to operate. At the same time, the second fan 83a is operated to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50b to the underfloor space 10.

[0085] In Figure 10, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the upper floor space 30 (return air), the solid black arrows represent the air after the return air has been heated by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (warm air), and the shaded arrows represent the mixed air formed by the return air and warm air mixing in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50b. As mentioned above, even for heating, the standard structure for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4 is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the unit and blow it out diagonally below.

[0086] In this state, when the second blower 83a starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b from the first opening 71 of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81b. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. The warm air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is then blown out diagonally downwards and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71 to form a mixture that is at an intermediate temperature between the warm air and the return air. This mixture is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of air—return air, mixture, and warm air—are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b.

[0087] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b, the space is divided into three layers of different temperatures, upper, middle, and lower, as shown by the dashed lines D and E in Figure 10. As heating continues in the air conditioning room 51b, the return air, mixed air, and warm air will have different temperatures (differences in air density). The lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71 and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b (the surface shown by the dashed line D), will be the layer of return air with the lowest temperature. Above this lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and the second opening 81b in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b (the surface shown by the dashed line E), will be the intermediate space. In this intermediate space, except near the outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air will mix, forming a layer of mixed air with an intermediate temperature between the return air and warm air. Furthermore, the area above the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b becomes the upper space, where the mixed air is further heated and accumulates, forming a layer that rises to a temperature close to that of warm air.

[0088] Although the air conditioning unit room 51b does not have a bulging section at the top, the second duct 80 is in an inverted U shape from the second opening 81b as described above, thus creating a narrow space above it. As a result, the narrow inverted U-shaped space of the second duct 80 becomes the place where the most heated air in the warm air layer is collected, making it possible to quickly send the warm air from the second opening 81b through the second duct 80 to the underfloor space 10.

[0089] This layer of warm air is sent from the second opening 81b to the second duct 80 by the operation of the second blower 83a, and at the second duct connection 82, the underfloor space 10, the lower floor space 20, the interfloor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the lower floor space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upper floor space 30 in Figure 1, The air will be sent up to the upper floor space 30. In this case, along with the airflow from the second blower 83a, the natural rise due to the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is higher than the temperature of the air in the underfloor space 10, also contributes to the air being sent up to the upper floor space 30.

[0090] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the second blower 83a. Therefore, the warm air that is sent up to the upper floor space 30 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the second blower 83a to the first duct connection member 72, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b through the first opening 71 via the first duct 70, becoming return air.

[0091] (Fourth embodiment) A fourth embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning unit room 51c, will be described using Figures 11 and 12. The air conditioning unit room 51c and the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c formed by the air conditioning unit room 51c are modified from the air conditioning unit room 51 and air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 of the first embodiment to reduce the volume of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 and reduce the surface area of ​​the air conditioning unit room 51, thereby improving the thermal insulation performance. Therefore, the description of building 1 in Figure 1 and the description of air conditioning unit room 51 in Figure 2 of the first embodiment will be omitted, with the same reference numerals used.

[0092] In Figures 11 and 12, the air conditioning unit room 51c is formed from a rectangular base member 52c, side wall members 53c, 54c, 55c, and 56c that rise up to surround the four sides of the rectangular base member 52c, and upper members 57 and 58 that close the openings at the top of the side wall members 53c, 54c, 55c, and 56c. Note that in Figures 11 and 12, the side wall member 56c is shown removed for illustrative purposes.

[0093] In the first embodiment, the air conditioning room 51 differs from the air conditioning room 51 in that the bottom member 52 of the air conditioning room 51 was horizontal, similar to the ceiling panel 32. However, the bottom member 52c of the air conditioning room 51c is formed so that the part where it is joined to the side wall member 53c does not block the air outlet of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, but is raised to near the bottom of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and slopes upward in the direction of the indoor air conditioning unit 4. Furthermore, the first opening 71c of the air conditioning room 51c, which was located at the lower center of the side wall member 55 in the air conditioning room 51, is located on the side wall member 54c in the air conditioning room 51c, and its position is lower and closer to the side wall member 55c.

[0094] The second opening 81c of the air conditioning unit room 51c is similar to the first embodiment in that it is an upwardly bulging area near the joint between the upper member 57 and the upper member 58, and the second duct 80 is also positioned to penetrate the bottom member 52c and be perpendicular to the ceiling panel 32. However, the position where the second duct 80 penetrates the bottom member 52c is different from the position in the first embodiment in that it is positioned near the side wall member 56c, where it was approximately in the center of the bottom member 52 of the air conditioning unit room 51.

[0095] As a result, while the first opening 71c is located below the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the height direction, and the second opening 81c is located above it, in terms of depth as shown in Figure 11, the first opening 71c is formed towards the back of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and the second opening 81c is formed towards the front. The arrangement of the first opening 71c and the second opening 81c relative to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 places them between the left and right sides, making it easier to separate the cold air and return air, and the warm air and return air, from the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0096] The bottom member 52c of the air conditioning room 51c is formed to be an upward-sloping surface towards the bottom of the indoor air conditioning unit 4. This makes it possible to create an indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50c in which the cold or warm air blown out by the indoor air conditioning unit 4 does not spread into wasted space. As a result, the surface area of ​​the air conditioning room 51c can be reduced, and the thermal insulation performance can be improved.

[0097] Figure 11 illustrates the movement of cool air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in cooling mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50c of the air conditioning unit room 51c shown in Figure 11. In this case, the cooled refrigerant is configured to circulate through the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, and the operation of the fan attached to the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the motor of the first fan 73 is rotated forward to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50c to the upper floor space 30. Note that for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4, regardless of whether it is cooling or heating, the standard structure is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the indoor air conditioning unit 4 and blow it out diagonally downward.

[0098] In Figure 11, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the underfloor space 10 (return air), and the white arrows represent the air after the return air has been cooled by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (cold air).

[0099] In this state, when the first blower 73 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) is generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c from the second opening 81c of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71c. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air is drawn in from the second opening 81c to the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer. The cold air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is then blown out diagonally downwards and is drawn into the first opening 71c while riding on the flow of air (return air) from the second opening 81c to the first opening 71c. At this time, as mentioned above, since the bottom member 52c is provided so as to be aligned with the direction of discharge of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the cold air is smoothly drawn into the first opening 71c.

[0100] Furthermore, in Figure 11, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51c, due to the temperature difference (difference in air density) between the cold air and the return air, the upper space above the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c becomes a layer of warmer return air, while the lower space below the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c becomes a layer of colder return air. As a result, the plane indicated by the dashed line C divides the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c into two layers of air, upper and lower.

[0101] This layer of cold air is sent from the first opening 71c to the first duct 70 by the first blower 73, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the interfloor space, the lower floor space 20, and the underfloor space 10, which are formed by the ceiling boards 22 of the upper floor space 30 and the floor board 31 of the upper floor space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, the air is sent down to the underfloor space 10 due to the combined effect of airflow from the first blower 73 and the difference in specific gravity of the air, as the cold air being sent is at a lower temperature than the air in the upper floor space 30.

[0102] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the first blower 73. Therefore, the cool air that is sent to the underfloor space 10 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually warmed is collected up to the second duct connection 82 in the underfloor space 10, rises through the second duct 80 and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c through the second opening 81c, becoming return air.

[0103] Figure 12 illustrates the movement of warm air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in heating mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50c of the air conditioning unit room 51c. In this case, the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant, and the fan of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started to operate. At the same time, the motor of the first fan 73 is reversed to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50c to the underfloor space 10.

[0104] In Figure 12, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the upper floor space 30 (return air), the solid black arrows represent the air after the return air has been heated by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (warm air), and the shaded arrows represent the mixed air formed by the return air and warm air mixing in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50c. As mentioned above, even for heating, the standard structure for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4 is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the unit and blow it out diagonally below.

[0105] In this state, when the first blower 73 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c from the first opening 71c of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81c. At this time, as mentioned above, since the bottom member 52c is provided with an upward slope toward the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air will flow smoothly to the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Furthermore, since the fan of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air is drawn into the intake side of the indoor air conditioning unit 4. The warm air blown out from the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is then blown out diagonally downwards and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71c to form a mixture that is at an intermediate temperature between the warm air and the return air. This mixture is then further heated by the indoor air conditioning unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of air—return air, mixture, and warm air—are formed in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50c.

[0106] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c, the space is divided into three layers of different temperatures, upper, middle, and lower, as shown by the dashed lines D and E in Figure 12. As heating continues in the air conditioning room 51c, the return air, mixed air, and warm air will have different temperatures (differences in air density). The lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71c and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c (the surface shown by the dashed line D), will be the layer of return air with the lowest temperature. Above this lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and the second opening 81c in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c (the surface shown by the dashed line E), will be the intermediate space. In this intermediate space, except near the outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air will mix, forming a layer of mixed air with an intermediate temperature between the return air and warm air. Furthermore, the area above the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c becomes the upper space, where the mixed air is further heated and accumulates, forming a layer that rises to a temperature close to that of warm air.

[0107] Regarding the air conditioning unit room 51c, as mentioned above, the upper members 57 and 58 are formed such that the space above the second opening 81c bulges upward at the upper center of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c, and the space gradually narrows as it goes upward. Therefore, by positioning the second opening 81c so that it enters the bulging space above, it becomes possible to place it near the point where the most heated air in the warm air layer is collected, and it becomes possible to quickly send the warm air from the second opening 81c through the second duct 80 to the underfloor space 10.

[0108] This layer of warm air is sent to the second duct 80 by the first blower 73, which is reversed from the second opening 81c, and then sent to the second duct connection 82, the underfloor space 10, the lower floor space 20, the interfloor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the lower floor space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upper floor space 30, and the upper floor space 30. In this case, along with the airflow from the reversed first blower 73, the warm air is also sent to the upper floor space 30 due to the effect of natural rising caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, as the temperature of the warm air is higher than that of the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0109] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the first blower 73. Therefore, the warm air that is sent up to the upper floor space 30 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the first blower 73 to the first duct connecting member 72, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c through the first opening 71c via the first duct 70, becoming return air.

[0110] As described above, the formation of the air conditioning room 51c in the fourth embodiment makes it possible to provide whole-building air conditioning using the indoor air conditioning unit 4 of an air conditioner that is generally available on the market.

[0111] (Fifth embodiment) A fifth embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning unit room 51d, will be described using Figures 13 and 14. The air conditioning unit room 51d and the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d formed by the air conditioning unit room 51d are modified from the air conditioning unit room 51a and air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a of the second embodiment to reduce the volume of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a and reduce the surface area of ​​the air conditioning unit room 51a, thereby improving the thermal insulation performance. Therefore, the explanation of building 1 in Figure 1 of the first embodiment and the explanation in Figure 5 of the second embodiment will be omitted, with the same reference numerals used.

[0112] In Figures 13 and 14, the air conditioning unit room 51d is formed from a rectangular base member 52d, side wall members 53d, 54d, 55d, and 56d that rise up to surround the four sides of the rectangular base member 52d, and an upper member 57d that closes the openings at the top of the side wall members 53d, 54d, 55d, and 56d. Note that in Figures 13 and 14, the side wall member 56d is shown removed for illustrative purposes.

[0113] Regarding the differences between the air conditioning unit room 51a of the second embodiment and the air conditioning unit room 51a, While the bottom member 52 was horizontal, similar to the ceiling panel 32, the bottom member 52d of the air conditioning unit room 51d is formed so that the part where it is joined to the side wall member 53d does not block the air outlet of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, but is raised to near the bottom of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and slopes upward in the direction of the indoor air conditioning unit 4.

[0114] Furthermore, regarding the first opening 71d of the air conditioning unit room 51d, in the air conditioning unit room 51a it was located at the lower center of the side wall member 55, but in the air conditioning unit room 51d it is located at the lower part closer to the side wall member 56d. Regarding the second opening 81d of the air conditioning unit room 51d, in the air conditioning unit room 51a of the second embodiment it was located at the upper center of the side wall member 53a, but in the second embodiment it is formed at the upper rear of the side wall member 53d, closer to the side wall member 54d.

[0115] As a result, while the first opening 71d and the second opening 81d are both located below and above the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the height direction, as explained in Figure 13, the first opening 71d is formed towards the back of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and the second opening 81d is formed towards the front. The arrangement of the first opening 71d and the second opening 81d relative to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 places them between the left and right sides, making it easier to separate the cold air and return air, and the warm air and return air from the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0116] The bottom member 52d of the air conditioning room 51d is formed to be an upward-sloping surface towards the bottom of the indoor air conditioning unit 4. This makes it possible to create an indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50d in which the cold or warm air blown out by the indoor air conditioning unit 4 does not spread into wasted space. As a result, the surface area of ​​the air conditioning room 51d can be reduced, and the thermal insulation performance can be improved.

[0117] Figure 13 illustrates the movement of cool air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in cooling mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50d of the air conditioning unit room 51d. In this case, the cooled refrigerant is configured to circulate through the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, and the operation of the fan attached to the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the motor of the second fan 83 is rotated in reverse to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50d to the upper floor space 30. Note that for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4, regardless of whether it is cooling or heating, the standard structure is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the indoor air conditioning unit 4 and blow it out diagonally below.

[0118] In Figure 13, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the underfloor space 10 (return air), and the white arrows represent the air after the return air has been cooled by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (cold air).

[0119] In this state, when the second blower 83 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d from the second opening 81d of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71d. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81d. The cold air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 will then be blown diagonally downwards and drawn into the first opening 71d, riding on the air (return air) flow from the second opening 81d to the first opening 71d.

[0120] Furthermore, in Figure 13, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51d, due to the temperature difference (difference in air density) between the cold air and the return air, the upper space above the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d becomes a layer of warmer return air, while the lower space below the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d becomes a layer of cold return air. As a result, the plane indicated by the dashed line C divides the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d into two layers of air, upper and lower.

[0121] This layer of cold air is sent from the first opening 71d to the first duct 70 by the second blower 83, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the interfloor space, the lower floor space 20, and the underfloor space 10, which are formed by the ceiling boards 22 of the upper floor space 30 and the floor boards 31 of the upper floor space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, along with the air being blown by the second blower 83, the effect of natural flow due to the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is lower in temperature than the air in the upper floor space 30, is also added, and the air is sent down to the underfloor space 10.

[0122] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the second blower 83. Therefore, the cool air that is sent to the underfloor space 10 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually warmed is collected up to the second duct connection 82 in the underfloor space 10, rises up the second duct 80 and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d through the second opening 81d, becoming return air.

[0123] Figure 14 illustrates the movement of warm air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in heating mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50d of the air conditioning unit room 51d. In this case, the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant, and the fan of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started to operate. At the same time, the motor of the second fan 83 is rotated forward to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50d to the underfloor space 10.

[0124] In Figure 14, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the upper floor space 30 (return air), the solid black arrows represent the air after the return air has been heated by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (warm air), and the shaded arrows represent the mixed air formed by the mixing of return air and warm air in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50d. As mentioned above, even for heating, the standard structure for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4 is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the unit and blow it out diagonally below.

[0125] In this state, when the second blower 83 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d from the first opening 71d of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81d. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. The warm air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is then blown out diagonally downwards and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71d to form a mixture that is at an intermediate temperature between the warm air and the return air. This mixture is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of air—return air, mixture, and warm air—are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d.

[0126] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d, the space is divided into three layers of different temperatures, upper, middle, and lower, as shown by the dashed lines D and E in Figure 14. As heating continues in the air conditioning room 51d, the return air, mixed air, and warm air will have different temperatures (differences in air density). The lower space (shown by the dashed line D) up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71d and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d will be the layer of return air with the lowest temperature. Above this lower space, the area (shown by the dashed line E) up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and the second opening 81d in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d will be the intermediate space. In this intermediate space, except near the outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air will mix, forming a layer of mixed air with an intermediate temperature between the return air and warm air. Furthermore, the area above the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d becomes the upper space, where the further heated mixture accumulates and rises to a temperature close to that of warm air. As for the lower layer, which is the return air layer, due to its relationship with the bottom member 52d near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the intermediate layer of the mixture is pushed down on the side closer to the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and the return air layer gradually expands upward as it moves away from the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0127] As mentioned above, in the air conditioning unit room 51d, the space above the second opening 81d bulges upward near the upper part of the side wall member 53d, and is formed so that the space gradually narrows as it goes upward. Therefore, because the area above the second opening 81d bulges upward, it becomes possible to position the air conditioning indoor unit in the space 50d near the point where the most heated warm air in the warm air layer is collected, and it becomes possible to quickly send the warm air from the second opening 81d through the second duct 80 to the underfloor space 10.

[0128] This layer of warm air is sent from the second opening 81d to the second duct 80 by the second blower 83, which is rotating in the forward direction, and then sent at the second duct connection 82 to the underfloor space 10, the lower floor space 20, the interfloor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the lower floor space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upper floor space 30, and the upper floor space 30. In this case, along with the airflow from the first blower 73, which is rotating in the reverse direction, the warm air is also sent to the upper floor space 30 due to the effect of natural rising caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, as the temperature of the warm air is higher than that of the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0129] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the second blower 83. Therefore, the warm air that is sent up to the upper floor space 30 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the second blower 83 to the first duct connection member 72, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d through the first opening 71d via the first duct 70, becoming return air.

[0130] (Sixth embodiment) The sixth embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning unit room 51e, will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16. The air conditioning unit room 51e and the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e formed by the air conditioning unit room 51e are modified from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b of the air conditioning unit room 51b of the third embodiment to eliminate wasted space, making the volume smaller than the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b and the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c, thereby improving thermal insulation performance, and also providing return air and cold air during cooling, and return air, mixed air and warm air during heating, as will be described later. The shape is designed to facilitate the flow of fluids. The explanation of building 1 in Figure 1 of the first embodiment and the explanation in Figure 8 of the third embodiment will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used.

[0131] In Figures 15 and 16, the air conditioning unit room 51e is formed by joining two rectangular bottom members 52e and 59 of the same size in a valley fold manner. Two rectangular side wall members 53e and 55e of the same size are joined to the bottom members 52e and 59 from the left and right directions in the figure. In this case, the lower edges of the side wall members 53e and 55e and the joints between the bottom members 52e and 59 are formed to be horizontal. Two rectangular upper members 57e and 58e of the same size are joined to the upper edges of the side wall members 53e and 55e in a mountain fold manner, with the upper member 57e joined to the side wall member 53e and the upper member 58e joined to the side wall member 55e. Then, side wall members 54e and 56e, which are sized to fit the hexagonal openings formed by the bottom members 52e and 59, the side wall members 53e and 55e, and the upper members 57e and 58e, are joined to the two hexagonal openings, respectively, thereby closing the two openings and forming the air conditioner room 51e. Note that in Figures 15 and 16, side wall member 56e is shown removed for illustrative purposes.

[0132] In contrast to the air conditioning unit room 51b of the third embodiment, the bottom member 52 and upper member 57b of the air conditioning unit room 51b are each provided as a single horizontal piece, whereas in the air conditioning unit room 51e, two pieces, bottom member 52e and bottom member 59, are formed in a valley fold shape, and two pieces, upper member 57e and upper member 58e, are formed in a mountain fold shape. As a result, the side wall members 54e and 56e are formed in a roughly hexagonal shape.

[0133] Therefore, the bottom member 59 forms a slope at the lower part of the air conditioning unit room 51e, and a first opening 71e is provided in this sloped bottom member 59. The upper member 57e also forms a slope at the upper part of the air conditioning unit room 51e, and a second opening 81e is provided in this sloped upper member 57e. The first opening 71e and the second opening 81e are joined to the slope with the cylindrical first tact 70 and second duct 80 respectively in a horizontal position. Compared to a vertical connection, the opening area is larger, and the opening into the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e is shaped to allow for smooth airflow. Furthermore, the first opening 71e is connected to the air conditioning unit room 51e from below, and the second opening 81e is connected to the air conditioning unit room 51e from above. The first opening 71e of the air conditioning unit room 51e is located at the front of the air conditioning unit room 51e, closer to the side wall member 56e. The second opening 81e of the air conditioning unit room 51e is located at the back of the air conditioning unit room 51e, closer to the side wall member 54e.

[0134] At the point where the bottom member 52e and the side wall member 53e are joined, the air outlet of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is not blocked, but the joint is raised to near the bottom of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and formed to have an upward slope in the direction of the indoor air conditioning unit 4. The joint between the upper member 57e and the side wall member 53e is not designed to block the air intake of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, but rather to extend downwards to near the top of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and formed to descend in the direction of the indoor air conditioning unit 4.

[0135] As a result, while the first opening 71e is located below the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the height direction, and the second opening 81e is located above it, in terms of depth as shown in Figure 15, the first opening 71e is formed towards the front of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and the second opening 81e is formed towards the back. The arrangement of the first opening 71e and the second opening 81e relative to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 places them on either side, making it easier to separate the cold air and return air, and the warm air and return air from the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0136] The bottom member 52e of the air conditioning unit room 51e is formed to be a slope that rises towards the bottom of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, and the bottom member 59 is tilted, so that the first opening 71e collects cold air in the case of cooling and prevents return air from spreading into the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e in the case of heating. In addition, the upper members 57e and 58e are tilted, so that the second opening 81e guides return air to the intake side of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 in the case of cooling and prevents warm air from spreading into the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e in the case of heating. As a result, it is possible to create an indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e in which the cold air, warm air, and return air blown out by the indoor air conditioning unit 4 do not spread into wasted space, and as a result it is possible to reduce the surface area of ​​the air conditioning unit room 51e and improve the thermal insulation performance.

[0137] Figure 15 illustrates the movement of cool air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in cooling mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e of the air conditioning unit room 51e. In this case, the cooled refrigerant is configured to circulate through the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4, and the operation of the fan attached to the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the motor of the first fan 73a is rotated to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e to the upper floor space 30. Note that for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4, regardless of whether it is cooling or heating, the standard structure is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the indoor air conditioning unit 4 and blow it out diagonally below.

[0138] In Figure 15, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the underfloor space 10 (return air), and the white arrows represent the air after the return air has been cooled by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (cold air).

[0139] In this state, when the first blower 73a starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e from the second opening 81e of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71e. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81e. The cold air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 will then be blown diagonally downwards and drawn into the first opening 71e, riding on the air (return air) flow from the second opening 81e to the first opening 71e.

[0140] Furthermore, in Figure 15, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51e, due to the temperature difference (difference in air density) between the cold air and the return air, the upper space above the center of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e becomes a layer of warmer return air, while the lower space below the center of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e becomes a layer of colder return air. As a result, the plane indicated by the dashed line C divides the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e into two layers of air, upper and lower.

[0141] As mentioned above, in the air conditioning unit room 51e, the space near the first opening 71e is narrowed in a valley-fold shape by the bottom members 52e and 59, so that the space gradually narrows as you go downwards. As a result, the cold air is collected toward the first opening 71e, making it possible to quickly send the cold air from the first opening 71e through the first duct 70 to the upper floor space 30 in Figure 1.

[0142] This layer of cold air is sent from the first opening 71e to the first duct 70 by the first blower 73a, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the interfloor space, the lower floor space 20, and the underfloor space 10, which are formed by the ceiling boards 22 of the upper floor space 30 and the floor boards 31 of the upper floor space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, along with the air being blown by the first blower 73a, the effect of natural flow due to the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is lower in temperature than the air in the upper floor space 30, is also added, and the air is sent down to the underfloor space 10.

[0143] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the first blower 73a. Therefore, the cool air that is sent to the underfloor space 10 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually warmed is collected at the second duct connection 82 in the underfloor space 10, rises through the second duct 80 and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e through the second opening 81e, becoming return air.

[0144] Figure 16 illustrates the movement of warm air when the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is operating in heating mode in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e of the air conditioning unit room 51e. In this case, the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant, and the fan of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 is also started to operate. At the same time, the motor of the second fan 83a is rotated to blow air from the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e to the underfloor space 10.

[0145] In Figure 16, the diagonal arrows represent the air returning from the upper floor space 30 (return air), the solid black arrows represent the air after the return air has been heated by the heat exchanger of the indoor air conditioning unit 4 (warm air), and the shaded arrows represent the mixed air formed by the return air and warm air mixing in the indoor air conditioning unit installation space 50e. As mentioned above, even for heating, the standard structure for wall-mounted indoor air conditioning units 4 is to draw in air from the top or diagonally above the unit and blow it out diagonally below.

[0146] In this state, when the second blower 83a starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) will be generated in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e from the first opening 71e of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81e. Since the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be drawn into the intake side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. The warm air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is then blown out diagonally downwards and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71e to form a mixture that is at an intermediate temperature between the warm air and the return air. This mixture is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of air—return air, mixture, and warm air—are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e.

[0147] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e, the space is divided into three layers of different temperatures, upper, middle, and lower, as shown by the dashed lines D and E in Figure 16. As heating continues in the air conditioning room 51e, the return air, mixed air, and warm air will have different temperatures (differences in air density). The lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71e and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e (the surface shown by the dashed line D), will be the layer of return air with the lowest temperature. Above this lower space, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and the second opening 81e in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e (the surface shown by the dashed line E), will be the intermediate space. In this intermediate space, except near the outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air will mix, forming a layer of mixed air with an intermediate temperature between the return air and warm air. Furthermore, the area above the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e becomes the upper space, where the further heated mixture accumulates and rises to a temperature close to that of warm air. As for the lower layer, which is the return air layer, due to the relationship between the bottom member 52e and bottom member 59 near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the intermediate layer of the mixture is pushed down on the side closer to the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and the return air layer gradually expands upward as it moves away from the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0148] As mentioned above, the air conditioning unit room 51e is formed by the upper members 57e and 58e so that the space above the second opening 81e bulges upward and gradually narrows as it goes upward. Therefore, by positioning the second opening 81e so that it enters a space that bulges upward and gradually narrows as it goes upward, it becomes possible to place it near the point where the most heated air in the warm air layer is collected, and it becomes possible to quickly send the warm air from the second opening 81e through the second duct 80 to the underfloor space 10.

[0149] This layer of warm air is sent to the second duct 80 by the second blower 83a, which is rotating from the second opening 81e, and then sent to the second duct connection 82, the underfloor space 10, the lower floor space 20, the interfloor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the lower floor space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upper floor space 30, and the upper floor space 30. In this case, along with the airflow from the first blower 73, which is in reverse, the warm air is also sent to the upper floor space 30 due to the effect of natural rising caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, as the temperature of the warm air is higher than that of the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0150] As mentioned above, due to the internal structure of building 1, air circulation occurs within building 1 by the second blower 83a. Therefore, the warm air that is sent up to the upper floor space 30 by the air circulation inside building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the second blower 83a to the first duct connection member 72, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e through the first opening 71e via the first duct 70, becoming return air.

[0151] Although the first to sixth embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the first to sixth embodiments. For example, the bottom member 52d of the fifth embodiment can be replaced with the bottom member 52e and bottom member 59 of the sixth embodiment to provide a first opening 71e, or the upper member 57d of the fifth embodiment can be replaced with the upper member 57e and upper member 58e of the sixth embodiment to provide a second opening 81e. It is possible to implement the invention by changing the combination of these members. Furthermore, the left-right positional relationship between the first opening 71 and the second opening 81 and the air conditioning indoor unit 4 does not have a significant impact on the effects of the invention compared to the vertical positional relationship with the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Therefore, it is possible to implement the invention by changing the left-right positional relationship with the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0152] Furthermore, in all embodiments, the difference in height between floor vents and ceiling vents is utilized to provide air conditioning for the lower and upper floor spaces, and the effect of natural airflow due to the difference in air density is also added, thereby improving the airflow efficiency of the ducts connected to the air conditioning unit room. Therefore, even if the air conditioning unit room is located in the space above the ceiling, or in the lower, inter-floor, or upper floor space, as long as the air conditioning effect inside the air conditioning unit room remains the same, all embodiments can be implemented in the same way. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0153] 1: Building 3:Air conditioner outdoor unit 4: Indoor unit of the air conditioner 5: Piping 10: Underfloor space 11: Joist 12: Ohbiki 13: Bunch 14: Foundation stone 16: Building wall 17: Basics 18: Roof 20: Downstairs space 21, 21a, 31: Floorboard 22, 32: Ceiling panels 23, 33, 86: Floor vents 24: Ceiling vent 30: Upper floor space 36: Ventilation holes 40: Attic space 50, 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, 50e: Air conditioning indoor unit installation space 51, 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d, 51e: Air conditioner room 52, 52c, 52d, 52e, 59: Bottom member 53, 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d, 53e: Side wall members 54, 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, 54e: Side wall members 55, 55c, 55d, 55e: Side wall members 56, 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d, 56e: Side wall members 57, 57a, 57b, 57c, 57d, 57e, 58, 58e: Upper members 70: First duct 71, 71c, 71d, 71e: First opening 72: First duct connecting member 73, 73a: First blower 80: Second duct 81, 81a, 81b, 81c, 81d: Second opening 82: Second duct connection 83, 83a: Second blower

Claims

1. An air conditioning room characterized in that, in an air conditioning indoor unit installation space which is formed to be highly airtight except for a first opening and a second opening and in which an air conditioning indoor unit is installed inside, a first duct with a first blower installed in the middle is connected to the first opening, the second opening is formed as an opening of a second duct that opens to the upper part of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space, and the air conditioning indoor unit is installed above the first opening and below the second opening.

2. The air conditioning unit room according to claim 1, characterized in that the second opening is formed to be the end of the second duct that is raised within the space where the indoor air conditioning unit is installed.

3. The air conditioning unit room according to claim 1, characterized in that the second opening is formed to be the end of the second duct connected from outside the space where the air conditioning indoor unit is installed.

4. The air conditioning room according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, within the space where the indoor unit of the air conditioning system is installed, the space near the location where the second opening is provided is formed such that its volume decreases as it goes upwards.

5. The air conditioning room according to claim 4, characterized in that the end of the second duct opposite to the second opening is provided with a second duct connection portion that connects to the underfloor space, and the underfloor space is provided with a plurality of floor vents that open to the living room side, and the distance from the second duct connection portion to the plurality of floor vents is approximately equal.

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