Air conditioning room

Abstract

Air conditioning equipment that uses refrigerants generally has a heat pump cycle function and can be used for heating as well as cooling, but installing separate heating equipment for whole-building air conditioning has the problem of requiring a lot of work for installation. [Solution] The air conditioning room 51 is characterized in that, except for the first opening 71 and the second opening 81, it is formed to be highly airtight and is an air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 in which an air conditioning indoor unit 4 is installed, a first duct 70 having a first blower 73 installed midway is connected to the first opening 71, the second opening 81 is formed by the opening of the second duct 80 which opens to the top 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]

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

[0002] Buildings, especially homes, are becoming more highly insulated and airtight in order to save energy and achieve comfortable living. Traditionally, intermittent air conditioning was the norm, with air conditioners installed in each room and turned on when people were in residence. However, because the large temperature differences between rooms made it uncomfortable and unhealthy, many homes have recently adopted whole-house air conditioning, which uses small air conditioners or small-capacity ducted air conditioners to distribute conditioned air using fans and other devices to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the home.

[0003] As a conventional example, various structures and functions have been proposed for air conditioning systems that condition the entire interior of buildings such as ordinary houses, but one related to the present invention is the "Air-conditioning and heating building using a cold air storage tank and air-conditioning and heating method for the air-conditioning 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 space under the floor, and the cold air is allowed to flow down naturally, and when heating is in operation, the warm air from the heating equipment installed in the space under the floor is allowed to rise naturally. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-38450 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

[0015] of the "Description of the Invention" states, "...and therefore, configured as a box-like structure with an open top," which explicitly or implies that the top of the cold air storage tank is open. When the cooling device performs cooling, the cold air that naturally flows down into the room convects in the room, and the air drawn into the cooling device (return air, hereinafter referred to as "return air") comes into contact with stagnant air heated by external heat transmitted from the underside of the roof in the attic space. In this case, convection does not occur between the air stagnating in the attic space and the return air, but heat conduction does occur, causing the temperature of the return air to rise. This reduces the cooling capacity of the cooling device.

[0007] In addition, air conditioning equipment that uses the refrigerants currently used in ordinary homes generally has a heat pump cycle function and can be used for heating as well as cooling. As there is little demand for dedicated cooling units, it is difficult to arrange such units. Furthermore, installing heating equipment in the space under the floor poses the problem of increased installation work and higher equipment costs.

[0008] The invention of Patent Document 1 relies on the natural downward flow of cool air and the natural upward flow of warm air, so there is a problem in that it takes time for the cooling or heating effect to appear after the cooling or heating equipment is operated. Therefore, it is assumed that the cooling or heating will be performed constantly, which causes a problem in that running costs (utility costs such as electricity and fuel costs) are incurred.

[0009] In the prior art described in paragraphs

[0002] to

[0005] of the [Background Art] section of Patent Document 1 and in [Fig. 3] and [Fig. 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 flow inside the room, the system cools or heats the entire building by operating cooling equipment or heating equipment to allow the natural flow of cold air and the natural rise of warm air, just like the invention of Patent Document 1. This has the same problems as the invention of Patent Document 1.

[0010] Incidentally, in paragraph

[0003] of the [Background Art] section of Patent Document 1, the room is described as an air-conditioned room 67. However, as mentioned above, the blower fan 70 merely performs the same function as a ceiling fan (ceiling fan), and its sole purpose is to mix the indoor air and maintain a constant temperature at the top and bottom of the building.

[0011] Although the room is described as an air-conditioning room 67, there are a pair of partition walls 66 around the ceiling fan. Although it is explained that air is blown downward from vent 69 provided in second floor ceiling 62, there is no explanation for the flow of air returning from second floor space 63 to attic space 65, and structurally, even if blower fan 70 is operated, in the case of heating, a small amount of air may blow downward from vent 69 provided in second floor ceiling 62, but in the case of cooling, it is not thought that air will blow downward from vent 69. Therefore, operation of blower fan 70 only agitates the air in attic space 65 and has almost no effect on agitating the air in second floor space 63 or first floor space 59, which posed the problem of it being ineffective in air-conditioned room 67 where blower fan 70 is installed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0013] The air conditioning room of the first invention is A building that is highly airtight and highly insulated from the outdoors, comprising an attic space and an underfloor space, separated above and below by ceiling panels and a roof, and a space sandwiched between the attic space and the underfloor space, wherein a part of the attic space is partitioned by a member having thermal insulation properties and an air conditioning room is provided with an air conditioning indoor unit installed inside, and a plurality of floor vents and ceiling vents are provided in the space sandwiched between the attic space and the underfloor space, thereby enabling ventilation from the underfloor space to the ceiling panels that make up the attic space. In the product, the air conditioning room is provided with a first opening, which is the other end of a first duct connected to a first duct connecting member provided in a ceiling board that constitutes the attic space and has a first fan installed midway, and a second opening, which is the other end of a second duct connected to a second duct connecting part that communicates with the underfloor space, and the air conditioning room is separated by a highly airtight member, so that it is formed as an air conditioning indoor unit installation space in which all ventilation occurs only between the first opening and the second opening, and in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space, The air conditioning indoor unit is installed above the first opening and below the second opening. The air conditioning 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 stands upright within the air conditioning indoor unit installation space. The air conditioning room of 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 air conditioning indoor unit installation space. The air conditioning room of the fourth invention is an invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that within the air conditioning indoor unit installation space, the volume of the space near the location where the second opening is provided decreases as it goes upward. The air conditioning room of the fifth invention is the invention described in claim 4, The air conditioning indoor unit installation space is characterized in that the volume thereof is formed to decrease from the space near the lower side of the air conditioning indoor unit downward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The technical means described above provides the following effects.

[0015] By using the air conditioning room of the present invention, whole-building air conditioning becomes possible by installing an air conditioning indoor unit equipped with a heating and cooling function that is used in an ordinary home. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

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

[0017] The embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] (First embodiment) An air-conditioning room 51 of the present invention in a building 1 will be described using Figure 1. In Figure 1, the building 1 is a two-story building, and is a perspective view showing a state in which it has an underfloor space 10, a downstairs space 20 (first floor in Figure 1), an upstairs space 30 (second floor in Figure 1), and an attic space 40. In order to make it easier to understand the interior of the so-called two-story building 1 that forms the air-conditioning indoor unit installation space 50, the attic space 40 is illustrated so that the interior of the building 1 can be seen, with parts such as the building wall 16 and floorboards 21 and 31 on the near side removed. The exterior of the building 1 has building walls 16 on four sides (windows and entrances are necessary in some parts of the building walls, but they are not shown or explained in this drawing), and a roof 18 on the top.

[0019] The underfloor space 10 is formed by supporting floorboards 21 with joists 11, joists 12, beams 13, and foundation stones 14 on top of a concrete foundation 17 with a generally concave cross-section and an open top. In the first embodiment, a second duct 80 (described later) is connected to the underfloor space 10, so the foundation 17 does not have any underfloor ventilation openings. The underfloor space 10 is airtight except for the floor vents 23 provided in the floorboards 21 and the second duct 80. The floor structure supporting the floorboards 21 may also include metal or synthetic resin brackets (not shown), which facilitates air circulation in the underfloor space compared to the joist and beam construction method. This method can also be implemented with underfloor ventilation openings that can be closed.

[0020] The downstairs space 20 is divided into upper and lower sections by floorboards 21 and ceiling boards 22, and is surrounded on all sides by building walls 16. Furthermore, the floorboards 21 are provided with a plurality of floor vents 23 in communication with the underfloor space 10 near the building walls 16, and the ceiling boards 22 are provided with ceiling vents 24 that communicate with the upper space 30 via the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling boards 22 and the floorboards 31 of the upper space 30, which will be described later, through a plurality of floor vents 33 in the floorboards 31 of the upper space 30. Apart from the plurality of floor vents 23 and ceiling vents 24 provided in the floorboards 21, the downstairs space 20 is formed to be highly airtight.

[0021] The position of the ceiling vent 24 on the ceiling board 22 is preferably set approximately in the center of the ceiling board 22, so that it is evenly spaced from the positions of the floor vents 33 provided in the floor boards 31. This is because the amount of air passing through the floor vents 33 provided in the floor boards 31 can be evenly distributed, making it possible to evenly distribute the amount of cold and warm air sent to the upper space 30, and also making the cooling and heating effects on the floor boards 31 even.

[0022] In addition, the ceiling boards 22, the floor boards 31 of the upper floor space 30, and the inter-floor space formed by being surrounded by the building walls 16 are also configured to be highly airtight except for the ceiling vent 24 and multiple floor vents 33.

[0023] The upper space 30 is divided into upper and lower sections by floor panels 31 and ceiling panels 32, and is surrounded on all sides by building walls 16. In addition, the floor panels 31 are provided with a plurality of floor vents 33 near the building walls 16, which communicate with the downstairs space 20 via the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling panels 22 and the floor panels 31, and a first duct connecting member 72 is attached to the ceiling panels 32, which connects a first duct 70 (described below) with the upper space 30. Apart from the plurality of floor vents 33 and first duct connecting member 72 provided in the floor panels 31, the upper space 30 is formed to be highly airtight.

[0024] In the case of wooden frame construction, for example, the structural materials supporting the floor of the upper living space are first assembled using floor beams and joists to support the floorboards 31 of the upper floor, and then the ceiling boards 22 of the space below 20 are attached to the floor beams and joists that support the floorboards 31 of the space above 30, using hanging wood or hanging hardware to provide base framework such as joists and joist supports. Therefore, the above-mentioned 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 above-mentioned structural materials of the building 1. Note that while pillars are also structural materials for the building 1, they are not structural materials that close the inter-floor space, so their description will be omitted. In addition to wooden frame construction, there are various other construction methods for typical detached houses, such as two-by-four construction, concrete construction, and prefabricated construction.In all cases, inter-floor spaces are provided for purposes such as fire prevention, soundproofing, and preventing vibrations from the floor above.

[0025] The attic space 40 is divided into upper and lower sections by ceiling panels 32 and a roof 18, and is surrounded on all sides by building walls 16. The floor panels 21 are provided with a plurality of floor vents 23 that communicate with the underfloor space 10, and the ceiling panels 22 are provided with ceiling vents 24 that communicate with the upper space 30 via the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling panels 22 and the floor panels 31 of the upper space 30, which will be described later, through a plurality of floor vents 33 in the floor panels 31 of the upper space 30. Apart from the floor vents 23 and ceiling vents 24 provided in the floor panels 21, the lower space 20 is formed to be highly airtight. In addition, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 and the floor board 31 of the upper space 30 is also formed to be highly airtight except for the ceiling vent 24 and multiple floor vents 33.

[0026] 1, the downstairs space 20 and the upstairs space 30 are shown as not being separated into rooms, so the ceiling vent 24 is described as being one location, and the floor vents 23 are described as being multiple locations. If the downstairs space 20 is separated into multiple rooms, one or multiple ceiling vents 24 may be provided for each room. Furthermore, the plurality of floor vents 33 are provided in the vicinity of the building wall 16 of the floor boards 21 and 31 .

[0027] As described above, the entire building 1 is highly airtight, at least in the underfloor space 10, the downstairs space 20, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling boards 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor boards 31 of the upstairs space 30, and the upstairs space 30. In addition, the building walls 16, foundation 17, and roof 18 of the entire building 1 are formed of materials and structures that provide high thermal insulation.

[0028] An air conditioning room 51 is provided in the attic space 40, and an air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 is formed by separating a portion of the interior space of the attic space 40. A first opening 71 at the end of the first duct 70 and a second opening 81 at the end of the second duct 80 are connected to the air conditioning room 51, and the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 is formed to be highly airtight except for the first opening 71 and second opening 81 connected to the air conditioning room 51.

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

[0030] The position of the second duct connection part 82 on the floorboard 21 is preferably set approximately in the center of the floorboard 21, so that it is evenly spaced from the position of the floor vent 23 provided on the floorboard 21. This is because the amount of air passing through the floor vent 23 provided on the floorboard 21 can be evenly distributed, the amount of cold air and warm air sent to the downstairs space 20 can be evenly distributed, and the cooling and heating effect on the floorboard 21 can be evenly distributed.

[0031] Furthermore, depending on the airflow rate of the first blower 73, the airflow rate is distributed in the underfloor space 10 by the floor vents 23, and the underfloor space 10 has a predetermined extent, so that dust and dirt can be trapped in the underfloor space 10, which is the lowest part of the building 1, and clogging of the filters in the air conditioning indoor unit 4 can be reduced. Furthermore, during cooling periods such as in the summer, the indoor air in the downstairs, upstairs, and attic spaces, which is affected by sunlight and outside air, is cooled by radiating geothermal heat from the ground, which is relatively lower and more stable than the outside air temperature, as it passes through the underfloor space, which is energy-efficient and effective when cooled by the air conditioning indoor unit. Furthermore, during cooling periods such as in the summer, when air passes through the underfloor space, the temperature of the circulating air is lower than the air temperature in the spaces below, above, and in the attic, which are affected by sunlight and outside air, due to the radiation of geothermal heat from the soil, which is relatively lower and more stable than the outside air temperature, so it is energy-efficient and effective to cool it using the air conditioning indoor unit.

[0032] In the embodiments of the present application, only a two-story building is described, but the present invention can also be implemented in a single-story building or in buildings with two or more floors. Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented not only in houses but also in high-rise buildings such as facilities, apartments, and condominiums.

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

[0034] In the following, the flow of air heated by the indoor unit blower (fan) of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 will be referred to as warm air for short, and the flow of air cooled by the indoor unit blower will be referred to as cold air for short. The air conditioning outdoor unit 3 and the air conditioning indoor unit 4 are heated or cooled by compressing a refrigerant, or by cooling water or antifreeze in a refrigeration system and then heating the water or antifreeze with electricity, oil, gas, etc.

[0035] The air conditioner room 51 forming the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50 will be described with reference to FIG. The air conditioning chamber 51 is formed from a rectangular bottom member 52, side wall members 53, 54, 55, and 56 that stand upright to surround the four sides of the rectangular bottom member 52, and upper members 57 and 58 that close the upper openings of the side wall members 53, 54, 55, and 56.

[0036] The shapes of the various members of the air conditioning machine room 51 are such that the side wall members 53, 55 are rectangular and of the same size, while the side wall members 54, 56 are formed so that the upper centers of the side wall members 54, 56 bulge triangularly in the height direction of the side wall members 53, 55, in other words, are pentagonal in shape roughly like home plate, with rectangular upper members 57, 58 of the same size formed to close the upper triangular bulge. As a result, the upper part of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 is formed so as to bulge at the point where the upper member 57 and upper member 58 join. The bottom member 52, the side wall members 53, 54, 55, 56, and the upper members 57, 58 are each formed from a material having heat insulating properties, or are formed so that the entire air-conditioning chamber 51 is covered with heat insulating material.

[0037] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is attached approximately in the center of the side wall member 53. A first opening 71 is provided on the underside of the side wall member 55. Furthermore, a second duct 80 stands up approximately vertically in approximately the center of the bottom member 52, and a second opening 81 is provided at the upper end of the second duct 80. The air conditioning indoor unit 4 is attached so that it is at a height halfway between the first opening 71 and the second opening 81. In addition, the second opening 81 is provided at a height such that it can be inserted into the space formed by tilting a roughly triangular prism formed by the upper members 57 and 58 at the top of the approximately cubic space of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50. The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 is configured to be highly airtight when the first opening 71 and the second opening 81 are closed. As is the same in the following embodiments, any of the side wall members 53, 54, 55, 56 or the upper members 57, 58 may be structured to be openable and closable, thereby providing 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 room 51. A first duct connecting member 72 is attached to the opening at the end of the first duct 70 opposite to the first opening 71, corresponding to a hole opened in the ceiling panel 32, for communicating with the upper space 30. A first blower 73 is also attached midway through the first duct 70. The first blower 73 is a blower that can blow air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 to the upstairs space 30 when the motor that rotates the blades is rotated forward, and can blow air from the upstairs space 30 to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 when the motor that rotates the blades is rotated reversely.

[0039] The second duct 80, which is erected approximately vertically at approximately the center of the bottom member 52 of the air conditioning 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 by a second duct connection part 82 so that the end opposite the second opening 81 opens into the inside of the underfloor space 10.

[0040] The ducts in the first duct 70 and the second duct 80 are pipes that transport gas and are also called air ducts, ventilation pipes, or air ducts. Circular pipes are common for ducts because they are easy to manufacture, and although circular pipes are shown in the drawings explaining this embodiment, square pipes can also be used. In this embodiment, the ducts are used for heating and cooling, so they are implemented using ducts whose outer periphery is covered with a heat insulating material (the same explanation of ducts applies below, and will be omitted).

[0041] The movement of cool air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs cooling operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 in the air conditioning unit room 51 in Figure 2 will be explained using Figure 3. Note that Figure 3 is a view from the direction A in Figure 2. In this case, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate cooled refrigerant in its heat exchanger, and operation by the air conditioning indoor unit 4's blower is also started. At the same time, the motor of the first blower 73 is rotated forward to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 to the upper space 30. Note that the standard structure for wall-mounted air conditioning indoor units 4, whether for cooling or heating, is to draw air in from the top surface or diagonally above the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and blow it out diagonally downward.

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

[0043] In this state, if the first blower 73 starts blowing, a flow of air (return air) will be generated from the second opening 81 of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be sucked into the suction side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 which is closer to the second opening 81. The cool air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is blown out diagonally downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and is sucked 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] 3, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51, due to the temperature difference between the cold air and the return air (difference in specific gravity of the 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 return air that is warmer than the cold air, and 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 cold air that is cooler than the return air. For this reason, the surface indicated by the two-dot chain line C creates air layers that divide the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 into two, upper and lower.

[0045] This layer of cool 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 upper space 30, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1, the downstairs space 20, and the underfloor space 10. In this case, in addition to the air blown by the first blower 73, the cool air is 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 cool air is lower than that of the air in the upstairs space 30.

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

[0047] The movement of warm air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs heating operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 in the air conditioning unit room 51 in Figure 2 will be explained using Figure 4. Note that Figure 4 is a view from the direction A in Figure 2. In this case, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant in its heat exchanger, and operation of the blower provided in the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also started. At the same time, the motor of the first blower 73 is rotated in the reverse direction to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 to the underfloor space 10.

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

[0049] In this state, if the first blower 73 starts blowing, a flow of air (return air) will occur from the first opening 71 of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be sucked into the suction 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 downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71 to form a mixture air whose temperature is intermediate between the warm air and the return air. The mixture air is further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and becomes warm air, and roughly three layers of return air, mixed air, and warm air are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50.

[0050] The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 is divided into three areas—top, middle, and bottom—by these different temperature layers, as shown in Figure 4 by the surfaces indicated by dashed two-dot lines D and E. As heating continues in the air conditioning room 51, the temperature difference (difference in air specific gravity) between the return air, mixed air, and warm air causes the lower space (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line D) to become a layer of return air with the lowest temperature, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71 of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Above the lower space, the area (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line E) to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 and the second opening 81 forms an intermediate space, and in this intermediate space, except near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air mix, forming a layer of air with a temperature intermediate between the return air and the warm air. The upper side of the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 becomes the upper space, where the further heated air-fuel mixture gathers and forms a layer whose temperature has risen to a level close to that of warm air.

[0051] In the air conditioning room 51, as described above, the upper members 57, 58 are formed so that the space above the second opening 81 bulges upward at the top center of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50, and the space gradually narrows as it goes upward. For this reason, if the second opening 81 is made to bulge upward and enter a space that gradually narrows as it goes upward, it can be positioned near the point where the most heated air in the warm air layer is collected, and the warm air can be sent quickly from the second opening 81 through the second duct 80 into the underfloor space 10.

[0052] This layer of warm air is sent to the second duct 80 by the first fan 73, which is rotated in the reverse direction, from the second opening 81, and is then sent at the second duct connection 82 to the underfloor space 10, the downstairs space 20, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30, and the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, the warm air is sent to the upstairs space 30 by the effect of natural rising due to the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is higher in temperature than the air in the underfloor space 10, in addition to the air blown by the first fan 73, which is rotated in the reverse direction.

[0053] As described above, due to the internal structure of the building 1, air is circulated inside the building 1 by the first blower 73. For this reason, the warm air that is sent up to the upper space 30 by the air circulation inside the building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the first blower 73 into the first duct connecting member 72, passes through the first duct 70, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 from the first opening 71, becoming return air.

[0054] As described above, by forming the air conditioning room 51 of the first embodiment, it is possible to perform whole-building air conditioning using an air conditioning indoor unit 4 of an air conditioner that is generally available on the market.

[0055] (Second embodiment) The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of an air conditioning chamber 51a, and will therefore be described 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, and parts related to Figure 1 of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Air conditioning chamber 51a, the second embodiment of the present invention, is formed from a rectangular bottom member 52, side wall members 53a, 54a, 55, and 56a that stand up so as to surround the four sides of rectangular bottom member 52, and an upper member 57a that closes the upper openings of side wall members 53a, 54a, 55, and 56a.

[0056] With regard to the shapes of the respective members of the air conditioning unit room 51a, both sidewall members 53a and 55 are approximately rectangular, but sidewall member 53a is formed to be higher than sidewall member 55. Therefore, sidewall members 54a and 56a are formed in a shape such that the side connected to sidewall member 53a is higher and the side connected to sidewall member 55 is lower, in other words, a trapezoid laid on its side, and the oblique opening surrounded by sidewall members 53a, 54a, 55, and 56a is formed by a single rectangular upper member 57a shaped to be able to close it. As a result, the space near the top of sidewall member 53a in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a is formed so that it bulges out at the top. The bottom member 52, the side wall members 53a, 54a, 55 and 56a, and the upper member 57a are each formed from a material having heat insulating properties, or are formed so that the entire air conditioning chamber 51a is covered with heat insulating material.

[0057] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is attached approximately in the center of the side wall member 53a, and a second opening 81a is provided a predetermined distance from the top surface of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. A first opening 71 is provided below the side wall member 55. The air conditioning indoor unit 4 is attached so that it is at a height halfway between the first opening 71 and the second opening 81a. Furthermore, because the height of the upper side wall member 53a of the approximately cubic space of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50 is higher than the side wall member 55, the second opening 81a is provided at a height such that the upper approximately triangular prism can be inserted into the space when it is tilted down. The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a is formed so as 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 room 51a. A first duct connecting member 72 is attached to an opening at the end of the first duct 70 opposite to the first opening 71, corresponding to a hole opened in the ceiling panel 32, for communicating with the upper space 30.

[0059] A second duct 80, which stands up approximately vertically on the top and bottom panels 32 outside the air conditioning room 51a, penetrates the ceiling panel 32, the floor panel 31, the ceiling panel 22, and the floor panel 21, and is connected to the floor panel 21 by a second duct connection part 82 so that the end opposite the second opening 81a opens into the underfloor space 10. A second blower 83 is attached midway through the second duct 80 near the air conditioning room 51a. The second blower 83 is a blower that can blow air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a to the underfloor space 10 when a 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 reversely.

[0060] The movement of cool air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs cooling operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a in the air conditioning unit room 51a in Figure 5 will be described using Figure 6. Note that Figure 6 is a view from the direction A in Figure 5. In this case, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate cooled refrigerant, and operation by the air conditioning indoor unit 4's blower is also started. At the same time, the motor of the second blower 83 is rotated in the reverse direction to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a to the upper space 30. Note that the standard structure for wall-mounted air conditioning indoor units 4, whether for cooling or heating, is to draw air in from the top surface or diagonally above the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and blow it out diagonally downward.

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

[0062] In this state, if the second blower 83 starts blowing, 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. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be sucked into the suction side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 which is closer to the second opening 81a. The cool air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is blown out diagonally downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and is sucked into the first opening 71 while riding on the flow of air (return air) from the second opening 81a to the first opening 71.

[0063] 6, as cooling continues in the air-conditioning room 51a, the temperature difference between the cold air and the return air (difference in air specific gravity) causes the upper space above the center of the air-conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air-conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a to become a layer of return air that is warmer than the cold air, and the lower space below the center of the air-conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air-conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a to become a layer of cold air. For this reason, an air layer is created that divides the air-conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a into two halves, upper and lower, by the plane indicated by the two-dot chain line C.

[0064] This layer of cool air is sent from the first opening 71 to the first duct 70 by the second fan 83, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the upper space 30 and the lower space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upper space 30 in Figure 1, the lower space 20, and the underfloor space 10. In this case, as the cool air is sent by the second fan 83, the cool air is 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 air is lower than that of the air in the upper space 30.

[0065] As described above, due to the internal structure of the building 1, air is circulated by the second fan 83 inside the building 1. For this reason, the cool air that is sent to the underfloor space 10 by the air circulation inside the building 1 and gradually warmed is collected up to the second duct connection part 82 in the underfloor space 10, rises through the second duct 80, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a from the second opening 81a, becoming return air.

[0066] The movement of warm air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs heating operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a in the air conditioning unit room 51a in Figure 5 will be described using Figure 7. Note that Figure 7 is a view from the direction A in Figure 5. In this case, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant in its heat exchanger, and operation of the air conditioning indoor unit 4's blower is also started. At the same time, the motor of the second blower 83 is rotated forward to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a to the underfloor space 10.

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

[0068] In this state, if the second blower 83 starts blowing, 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. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be drawn into the suction 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 downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71 to form a mixture whose temperature is intermediate between the warm air and the return air. The mixture is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of return air, mixed air, and warm air are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a.

[0069] The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a is divided into three areas—upper, middle, and lower—by these different temperature layers, as shown in Figure 7 by the surfaces indicated by dashed two-dot lines D and E. As heating continues in the air conditioning unit room 51a, the temperature difference (difference in specific gravity) between the return air, mixed air, and warm air causes the lower space (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line D) to become the lowest-temperature return air layer, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Above the lower space, the area (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line E) to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a and the second opening 81a forms an intermediate space, and in this intermediate space, except near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air mix, forming a layer of air at an intermediate temperature between the return air and the warm air. The upper side of the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a becomes the upper space, where the further heated air-fuel mixture gathers and forms a layer whose temperature has risen to a level close to that of warm air.

[0070] As described above, the air conditioning room 51a is formed so that the space above the second opening 81a expands upward near the upper side of the sidewall member 53a, and the space gradually narrows as it goes upward. Therefore, by connecting the second opening 81a to the vicinity of the upwardly expanding space, it is possible to form the air conditioning room 51a in a shape that allows it to be located near the point where the most heated air in the warm air layer is collected, and it is possible to quickly send the warm air from the second opening 81a through the second duct 80 into the underfloor space 10.

[0071] This layer of warm air is sent from the second opening 81a to the second duct 80 by the second fan 83 which is rotating in the forward direction, and then sent at the second duct connection 82 to the underfloor space 10, the downstairs space 20, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30, and the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, the warm air is sent to the upstairs space 30 by the air blown by the first fan 73 which is rotating in the reverse direction, and also by the effect of natural rising due to the difference in specific gravity of the air because the temperature of the warm air is higher than that of the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0072] As described above, due to the internal structure of the building 1, air is circulated inside the building 1 by the second blower 83. For this reason, the warm air that is sent up to the upper space 30 by the air circulation inside the building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the second blower 83 into the first duct connecting member 72, passes through the first duct 70, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a from the first opening 71, becoming return air.

[0073] (Third embodiment) The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of air conditioning chamber 51b, and will be described using Figure 8 corresponding to Figure 2 of the first embodiment, Figure 9 corresponding to Figure 3, and Figure 10 corresponding to Figure 4, and parts related to Figure 1 of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Air conditioning chamber 51b, the third embodiment of the present invention, is formed from a rectangular bottom member 52, side wall members 53b, 54b, 55b, and 56b standing upright so as to surround the four sides of rectangular bottom member 52, and an upper member 57b that closes the upper openings of side wall members 53b, 54b, 55b, and 56b.

[0074] The shapes of the various components of the air conditioning unit room 51b are as follows: side wall members 53b and 55b are rectangular and both are the same size; side wall members 54b and 56b are also rectangular and both are the same size; and a single rectangular upper member 57b is formed that can close the opening surrounded by side wall members 53b, 54b, 55b, and 56b. As a result, the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped. The bottom member 52, the side wall members 53b, 54b, 55b, and 56b, and the upper member 57b are each formed from a member with heat insulating properties, or are formed so as to cover the entire air conditioner room 51b with heat insulating material. Furthermore, strictly speaking, the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and if the side wall members 54b and 56b are uneven, the number of side wall members and upper members will increase accordingly, in addition to the side wall members 53b and 55b.

[0075] In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is attached 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 a predetermined distance from the top surface of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. A first opening 71 is provided below the side wall member 55b. The air conditioning indoor unit 4 is attached so that it is at a height midway between the first opening 71 and the second opening 81b. The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b is formed so as 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 room 51b. A first duct connecting member 72 is attached to an opening at the end of the first duct 70 opposite to the first opening 71, corresponding to a hole opened in the ceiling panel 32, for communicating with the upper space 30. A first fan 73a is attached midway through the first duct 70. The first fan 73a can send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b to the upper space 30 when an electric motor rotates the blades.

[0077] A second duct 80 is bent in an inverted U shape from a second opening 81b provided in approximately the center of the upper member 57b of the air conditioning room 51b and stands approximately vertically on the ceiling board 32 outside the air conditioning room 51b. The second duct 80 penetrates the ceiling board 32, floor board 31, ceiling board 22, and floor board 21 and is connected to the floor board 21 by a second duct connection part 82 so that the end opposite the second opening 81b opens into the underfloor space 10. A second fan 83a is attached midway along the second duct 80 near the air conditioning room 51b. When the motor of the second fan 83a rotates its blades, it can send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b to the underfloor space 10.

[0078] The movement of cool air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs cooling operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b in the air conditioning unit room 51b in Figure 8 will be described using Figure 9. Note that Figure 9 is a view from the direction A in Figure 8. In this case, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate cooled refrigerant, and operation of the air conditioning indoor unit 4's blower is also started. At the same time, the first blower 73a is operated to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b to the upper space 30. Note that the standard structure for wall-mounted air conditioning indoor units 4, whether for cooling or heating, is to draw air in from the top surface or diagonally above the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and blow air out diagonally downward.

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

[0080] In this state, if the first fan 73a starts blowing, 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. Then, because the fan of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the suction side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81b. The cool air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is blown out diagonally downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and is drawn into the first opening 71 while riding on the flow of air (return air) from the second opening 81b to the first opening 71.

[0081] 9, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51b, the temperature difference between the cold air and the return air (difference in specific gravity of the air) causes the upper space above the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b to become a layer of return air that is warmer than the cold air, and the lower space below the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b to become a layer of cold air that is cooler than the return air. For this reason, the surface indicated by the two-dot chain line C creates air layers that divide the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b into two, upper and lower.

[0082] This layer of cool 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 upper space 30, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1, the downstairs space 20, and the underfloor space 10. In this case, in addition to the air blown by the first blower 73a, the cool air is sent to the underfloor space 10 due to the effect of natural flow caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is lower in temperature than the air in the upstairs space 30.

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

[0084] The movement of warm air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs heating operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b in the air conditioning unit room 51b in Figure 8 will be explained using Figure 10. Note that Figure 10 is a view seen from the direction A in Figure 8. In this case, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant in its heat exchanger, and operation of the air conditioning indoor unit 4's blower is also started. At the same time, the second blower 83a is operated to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b to the underfloor space 10.

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

[0086] In this state, if the second blower 83a starts blowing, a flow of air (return air) will occur in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b from the first opening 71 of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81b. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be sucked into the suction 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 downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71 to form a mixture whose temperature is intermediate between the warm air and the return air. The mixture is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of return air, mixed air, and warm air are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b.

[0087] The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b is divided into three areas—top, middle, and bottom—by these different temperature layers, as shown in Figure 10 by the surfaces indicated by dashed two-dot lines D and E. As heating continues in the air conditioning unit room 51b, the temperature difference (difference in specific gravity) between the return air, mixed air, and warm air causes the lower space (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line D) to become the lowest-temperature return air layer, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Above the lower space, the area (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line E) to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b and the second opening 81b forms an intermediate space, and in this intermediate space, except near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air mix, forming a layer of air at an intermediate temperature between the return air and the warm air. The upper side of the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b becomes the upper space, where the further heated air-fuel mixture gathers and forms a layer whose temperature has risen to a level close to that of warm air.

[0088] The air conditioning room 51b does not have a bulging portion at the top, but the second duct 80 has an inverted U-shape from the second opening 81b as described above, which means that a narrow space is formed above it. For this reason, the narrow inverted U-shaped space of the second duct 80 is where the most heated air in the warm air layer is collected, and the warm air can be quickly sent from the second opening 81b through the second duct 80 into 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 fan 83a, and at the second duct connection part 82, it is sent to the underfloor space 10, the downstairs space 20, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30 in FIG. The warm air is then sent to the upper space 30. In this case, the warm air is sent to the upper space 30 by the air blown by the second fan 83a and the effect of natural rising due to the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is caused by the warm air being at a higher temperature than the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0090] As described above, due to the internal structure of the building 1, the second fan 83a circulates air inside the building 1. For this reason, the warm air that is sent up to the upper space 30 by the air circulation inside the building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the second fan 83a into the first duct connecting member 72, passes through the first duct 70, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50b from the first opening 71, becoming return air.

[0091] (Fourth embodiment) An air conditioner room 51c according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 11 and 12. The air conditioner room 51c and the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50c formed by the air conditioner room 51c are modified from the air conditioner room 51 and the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50 of the first embodiment, reducing the volume of the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50 and the surface area of the air conditioner room 51, thereby modifying the shape to improve insulation performance. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used in the description of the building 1 in Figure 1 of the first embodiment, and the description of the air conditioner room 51 in Figure 2 will be omitted.

[0092] 11 and 12, air conditioning chamber 51c is formed from rectangular bottom member 52c, side wall members 53c, 54c, 55c, and 56c that stand upright to surround the four sides of rectangular bottom member 52c, and upper members 57 and 58 that close the upper openings of side wall members 53c, 54c, 55c, and 56c. For the sake of explanation, side wall member 56c is shown removed in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0093] As for the differences from the air conditioner room 51 of the first embodiment, the bottom member 52 of the air conditioner room 51 was horizontal like the ceiling board 32, but the bottom member 52c of the air conditioner room 51c is formed so that the part where it joins with the side wall member 53c does not block the air outlet of the air conditioner indoor unit 4, but is raised to near the underside of the air conditioner indoor unit 4 and is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, sloping upward toward the air conditioner indoor unit 4. Furthermore, the first opening 71c of the air conditioner room 51c was provided at the lower center of the side wall member 55 in the air conditioner room 51, but in the air conditioner room 51c it is provided in the side wall member 54c, and is positioned at the bottom near the side wall member 55c.

[0094] Similarly, the second opening 81c of the air conditioning room 51c is an upwardly bulging portion near the joint between the upper members 57 and 58, and the second duct 80 is also provided so as 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 approximately in the center of the bottom member 52 of the air conditioning room 51 in the first embodiment, but is now formed so as to be near the side wall member 56c.

[0095] As a result, the first opening 71c and the second opening 81c are similarly located on the lower side and the second opening 81c on the upper side in the height direction of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, but in terms of depth in Figure 11, the first opening 71c is formed on the far side and the second opening 81c is formed on the near side with respect to the air conditioning indoor unit 4. The arrangement of the first opening 71c and the second opening 81c with respect to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 positions the air conditioning indoor unit 4 so that it is sandwiched between them from the left and right, resulting in an arrangement that makes it easy to separate the cool air and return air, and the warm air and return air in the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0096] By forming the bottom member 52c of the air conditioning room 51c as an upwardly sloping surface toward the bottom of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, it is possible to create an air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c in which the cold air and warm air blown out by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 does not spread into unnecessary space, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the surface area of the air conditioning room 51c and improve insulation performance.

[0097] The movement of cool air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs cooling operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c in the air conditioning unit room 51c in Fig. 11 will be described using Fig. 11. In this case, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate cooled refrigerant, and operation is also started by the blower provided in the air conditioning indoor unit 4. At the same time, the motor of the first blower 73 is rotated forward to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c to the upper space 30. Note that the standard structure for wall-mounted air conditioning indoor units 4, whether for cooling or heating, is to draw air in from the top surface or diagonally above the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and blow it out diagonally downward.

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

[0099] In this state, if 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 second opening 81c of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71c. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the suction side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81c. The cool air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is blown out diagonally downward 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, because the bottom member 52c is arranged so as to follow the air outlet direction of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, as described above, the cool air will be smoothly drawn into the first opening 71c.

[0100] 11, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51c, the temperature difference between the cold air and the return air (difference in air specific gravity) causes the upper space above the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c to become a layer of return air that is warmer than the cold air, and the lower space below the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c to become a layer of cold air that is cooler than the return air. For this reason, the surface indicated by the two-dot chain line C creates air layers that divide the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c into two halves, upper and lower.

[0101] This layer of cool air is sent from the first opening 71c to the first duct 70 by the first fan 73, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the upper space 30, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1, the downstairs space 20, and the underfloor space 10. In this case, the cool air is sent to the underfloor space 10 due to the effect of natural flow caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is due to the fact that the first fan 73 is blowing air and the sent cool air is at a lower temperature than the air in the upstairs space 30.

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

[0103] The movement of warm air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs heating operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c in the air conditioning room 51c will be described using Figure 12. In this case, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant through its heat exchanger, and the air conditioning indoor unit 4's blower also starts operating. At the same time, the motor of the first blower 73 is rotated in reverse to blow air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c to the underfloor space 10.

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

[0105] In this state, when the first fan 73 starts blowing air, a flow of air (return air) is generated from the first opening 71c of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81c in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c. At this time, as described above, because the bottom member 52c is provided with an upward gradient toward the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air flows smoothly to the suction side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. And because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air is drawn into the suction 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 downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and mixed with air (return air) from the first opening 71c to form a mixture air whose temperature is intermediate between the warm air and the return air. The mixture air is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of return air, mixed air, and warm air are formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c.

[0106] The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c is divided into three areas—top, middle, and bottom—by these different temperature layers, as shown in Figure 12 by the surfaces indicated by dashed two-dot lines D and E. As heating continues in the air conditioning unit room 51c, the temperature difference (difference in specific gravity) between the return air, mixed air, and warm air causes the lower space (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line D) to become the lowest-temperature return air layer, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71c of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Above the lower space, the area (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line E) to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and the second opening 81c of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c becomes an intermediate space, and in this intermediate space, except near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air mix, forming a layer of air with a temperature intermediate between the return air and the warm air. The upper side of the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c becomes the upper space, where the further heated air-fuel mixture gathers and forms a layer whose temperature has risen to a level close to that of warm air.

[0107] As for the air conditioning room 51c, as described above, the upper members 57, 58 are formed so that the space above the second opening 81c expands upward at the upper center of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c, and the space gradually narrows as it goes upward. For this reason, if the second opening 81c is positioned in the upper expanded space, it can be positioned 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 81c through the second duct 80 into the underfloor space 10.

[0108] This layer of warm air is sent from the second opening 81c to the second duct 80 by the first fan 73 which is being rotated in the reverse direction, and is then sent at the second duct connection part 82 to the underfloor space 10, the downstairs space 20, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30, and the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, in addition to the air blown by the first fan 73 which is being rotated in the reverse direction, the warm air is sent to the upstairs space 30 due to the effect of natural rising caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is due to the temperature of the air being higher than that of the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0109] As described above, due to the internal structure of the building 1, air is circulated inside the building 1 by the first blower 73. For this reason, the warm air that is sent up to the upper space 30 by the air circulation inside the building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the first blower 73 into the first duct connecting member 72, passes through the first duct 70, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50c from the first opening 71c, becoming return air.

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

[0111] (Fifth embodiment) An air conditioning room 51d according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 13 and 14. The air conditioning room 51d and the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d formed by the air conditioning room 51d are modified from the air conditioning room 51a and the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a of the second embodiment, reducing the volume of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50a and the surface area of the air conditioning room 51a, thereby modifying the shape to improve thermal insulation performance. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used to denote the building 1 in Figure 1 of the first embodiment and the description of the second embodiment in Figure 5, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0112] 13 and 14, air conditioning room 51d is formed from rectangular bottom member 52d, side wall members 53d, 54d, 55d, and 56d that stand upright to surround the four sides of rectangular bottom member 52d, and upper member 57d that closes the upper openings of side wall members 53d, 54d, 55d, and 56d. Note that, for the sake of explanation, side wall member 56d is shown removed in FIGS. 13 and 14.

[0113] The differences from the air conditioning room 51a of the second embodiment are as follows: The bottom member 52 is horizontal like the ceiling panel 32, but the bottom member 52d of the air conditioning 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 air conditioning indoor unit 4, but is raised to near the bottom of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, with an upward slope toward the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0114] Furthermore, the first opening 71d of the air conditioning room 51d, which was provided at the lower center of the side wall member 55 in the air conditioning room 51a, is provided at a lower position closer to the side wall member 56d in the air conditioning room 51d. The second opening 81d of the air conditioning room 51d, which was provided at the upper center of the side wall member 53a in the air conditioning room 51a of the second embodiment, is now formed at the upper back side of the side wall member 53d so as to be closer to the side wall member 54d.

[0115] As a result, the first opening 71d and the second opening 81d are similarly located on the lower side and the upper side in the height direction of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, but in terms of depth in Figure 13, the first opening 71d is formed on the far side and the second opening 81d on the near side with respect to the air conditioning indoor unit 4. The arrangement of the first opening 71d and the second opening 81d with respect to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 positions the air conditioning indoor unit 4 so that it is sandwiched between them from the left and right, resulting in an arrangement that makes it easy to separate the cool air and return air, and the warm air and return air in the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0116] By forming the bottom member 52d of the air conditioning room 51d so that it slopes upward toward the bottom of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, it is possible to create an air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d in which the cold air and warm air blown out by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 does not spread into unnecessary space, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the surface area of the air conditioning room 51d and improve insulation performance.

[0117] The movement of cool air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs cooling operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d in the air conditioning unit room 51d will be described using Figure 13. In this case, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate cooled refrigerant, and operation is also started by the blower provided in the air conditioning indoor unit 4. At the same time, the motor of the second blower 83 is rotated in reverse to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d to the upper space 30. Note that the standard structure for wall-mounted air conditioning indoor units 4, whether for cooling or heating, is to draw air in from the top surface or diagonally above the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and blow it out diagonally downward.

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

[0119] In this state, if the second blower 83 starts blowing, a flow of air (return air) will be generated from the second opening 81d of the second duct 80 to the first opening 71d in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the suction side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81d. The cool air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is blown out diagonally downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and is drawn into the first opening 71d from the second opening 81d while riding on the flow of air (return air) at the first opening 71d.

[0120] 13, as cooling continues in the air conditioning room 51d, the temperature difference between the cold air and the return air (difference in air specific gravity) causes the upper space above the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d to become a layer of return air that is warmer than the cold air, and the lower space below the center of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d to become a layer of cold air that is cooler than the return air. For this reason, the surface indicated by the two-dot chain line C creates air layers that divide the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d into two, upper and lower.

[0121] This layer of cool air is sent from the first opening 71d to the first duct 70 by the second fan 83, and then sent by the first duct connecting member 72 to the upper space 30, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1, the downstairs space 20, and the underfloor space 10. In this case, in addition to the air sent by the second fan 83, the cool air is 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 cool air is lower than that of the air in the upstairs space 30.

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

[0123] The movement of warm air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs heating operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d in the air conditioning room 51d will be described using Figure 14. In this case, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant through its heat exchanger, and the air conditioning indoor unit 4's blower also starts operating. At the same time, the motor of the second blower 83 is rotated forward to blow air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d to the underfloor space 10.

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

[0125] In this state, if the second blower 83 starts blowing, a flow of air (return air) will occur in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d from the first opening 71d of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81d. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be drawn into the suction 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 downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71d to form a mixture whose temperature is intermediate between the warm air and the return air. The mixture is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and becomes warm air, and roughly three layers of return air, mixed air, and warm air, will be formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d.

[0126] The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d is divided into three areas—top, middle, and bottom—by these different temperature layers, as shown in Figure 14 by the surfaces indicated by dashed two-dot lines D and E. As heating continues in the air conditioning unit room 51d, the temperature difference (difference in specific gravity) between the return air, mixed air, and warm air causes the lower space (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line D) to become the lowest-temperature return air layer, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71d in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Above the lower space, the area (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line E) to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d and the second opening 81d forms an intermediate space, and in this intermediate space, except near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air mix, forming a layer of air at an intermediate temperature between the return air and the warm air. The area above the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d becomes the upper space, where the further heated air-fuel mixture gathers and forms a layer that has risen to a temperature close to that of warm air. Note that with regard to the lower layer, which is the layer of return air, due to its relationship with the bottom member 52d close to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 outlet, the intermediate layer of the air-fuel mixture is pushed down on the side closer to the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and the layer of return air gradually spreads upward as it moves away from the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0127] As described above, the air conditioning unit room 51d is formed so that the space above the second opening 81d bulges upward near the upper side of the sidewall member 53d, and the space gradually narrows as it goes upward. Therefore, by having the upper vicinity of the second opening 81d bulge upward, it is possible to position the second opening 81d near the point where the most heated warm air in the warm air layer is collected in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d, and the warm air can be quickly sent from the second opening 81d through the second duct 80 into 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 fan 83 which is rotating in the forward direction, and then sent at the second duct connection 82 to the underfloor space 10, the downstairs space 20, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30, and the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, the warm air is sent to the upstairs space 30 by the air blown by the first fan 73 which is rotating in the reverse direction, and also by the effect of natural rising due to the difference in specific gravity of the air caused by the temperature of the warm air being higher than that of the air in the underfloor space 10.

[0129] As described above, due to the internal structure of the building 1, air is circulated inside the building 1 by the second blower 83. For this reason, the warm air that is sent up to the upper space 30 by the air circulation inside the building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the second blower 83 into the first duct connecting member 72, passes through the first duct 70, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50d from the first opening 71d, becoming return air.

[0130] (Sixth embodiment) An air conditioner room 51e according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16. The air conditioner room 51e and the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50e formed by the air conditioner room 51e are modified from the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50b of the air conditioner room 51b of the third embodiment to eliminate wasted space, making the volume smaller than the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50b and the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50c, improving the heat insulation performance, and allowing for the return air and cold air during cooling, and the return air, mixed air, and warm air during heating, which will be described later, to be stored in the air conditioner room 51e. The shape is such that the flow of water becomes smoother. The explanation of the building 1 in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment and the explanation of the third embodiment in FIG. 8 will be omitted by assigning the same reference numerals.

[0131] 15 and 16, an air conditioning room 51e has two rectangular bottom members 52e and 59 that are joined in a valley fold, and two rectangular side wall members 53e and 55e that are joined to the bottom member 52e and the bottom member 59, respectively, from the left and right of 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 form horizontal planes. Two rectangular upper members 57e and 58e that are the same size are joined to the upper edges of the side wall members 53e and 55e in a mountain fold, and the upper member 57e is joined to the side wall member 53e, and the upper member 58e is joined to the side wall member 55e. Then, sidewall members 54e and 56e, each of which is sized to fit the two substantially hexagonal openings formed by bottom members 52e and 59, sidewall members 53e and 55e, and upper members 57e and 58e, are joined to close the two openings, thereby forming air-conditioning chamber 51e. Note that, for the sake of explanation, sidewall member 56e is shown removed in Figures 15 and 16.

[0132] The difference from air conditioner chamber 51b of the third embodiment is that, whereas bottom member 52 and upper member 57b of air conditioner chamber 51b were each provided horizontally as a single member, in air conditioner chamber 51e, bottom member 52e and bottom member 59 are formed as two valley-folded members, and upper member 57e and upper member 58e are formed as two mountain-folded members. Therefore, side wall member 54e and side wall member 56e are formed as a substantially hexagonal shape.

[0133] Therefore, the bottom member 59 forms a slope at the bottom of the air conditioning chamber 51e, and a first opening 71e is provided in this sloped bottom member 59. Furthermore, the upper member 57e forms a slope at the top of the air conditioning chamber 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 sloped surface with the cylindrical first duct 70 and second duct 80, respectively, horizontally positioned. Therefore, compared to when they are joined vertically, their opening areas are larger, and they open into the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e in a shape that allows for smooth airflow. Furthermore, the first opening 71e is formed so as to be connected to the air conditioning chamber 51e from below, while the second opening 81e is formed so as to be connected to the air conditioning chamber 51e from above. The first opening 71e of the air conditioning room 51e is provided at the front of the air conditioning room 51e, at the bottom close to the side wall member 56e. The second opening 81e of the air conditioning room 51e is formed at the back of the air conditioning room 51e close to the side wall member 54e.

[0134] The portion where the bottom member 52e and the side wall member 53e are joined does not block the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, but is raised to the vicinity of the lower side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and is formed so as to slope upward in the direction of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. The area where the upper member 57e and the side wall member 53e are joined does not block the intake port of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, but is lowered to near the upper side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and is formed so as to slope downward toward the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0135] As a result, the first opening 71e and the second opening 81e are similarly located on the lower side and the upper side in the height direction of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, but in terms of depth in Fig. 15, the first opening 71e is formed on the front side and the second opening 81e is formed on the back side with respect to the air conditioning indoor unit 4. The arrangement of the first opening 71e and the second opening 81e with respect to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 positions the air conditioning indoor unit 4 so that it is sandwiched between them from the left and right, resulting in an arrangement that makes it easy to separate the cool air and return air, and the warm air and return air in the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0136] Because the bottom member 52e of the air conditioner chamber 51e is formed with an upward slope toward the bottom of the air conditioner indoor unit 4 and the bottom member 59 is tilted, the first opening 71e collects cool air in cooling mode and makes it difficult for return air to spread into the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50e in heating mode. Also, because the upper members 57e and 58e are tilted, the second opening 81e guides return air to the suction side of the air conditioner indoor unit 4 in cooling mode and makes it difficult for warm air to spread into the air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50e in heating mode. This makes it possible to create an air conditioner indoor unit installation space 50e in which the cool air, warm air, and return air blown out by the air conditioner indoor unit 4 do not spread into unnecessary space, which results in a smaller surface area of the air conditioner chamber 51e and improved insulation performance.

[0137] The movement of cool air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs cooling operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e in the air conditioner room 51e will be described using Figure 15. In this case, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate cooled refrigerant, and operation is also started by the blower provided in the air conditioning indoor unit 4. At the same time, the motor of the first blower 73a is rotated to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e to the upper space 30. Note that the standard structure for wall-mounted air conditioning indoor units 4, whether for cooling or heating, is to draw air in from the top surface or diagonally above the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and blow it out diagonally downward.

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

[0139] In this state, if the first fan 73a starts blowing, 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. Then, because the fan of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, the return air will be drawn into the suction side of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, which is closer to the second opening 81e. The cool air blown out from the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is blown out diagonally downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and is drawn into the first opening 71e from the second opening 81e while riding on the flow of air (return air) from the first opening 71e.

[0140] 15, as cooling continues in the air-conditioning room 51e, due to the temperature difference between the cold air and the return air (difference in specific gravity of the air), the upper space above the center of the air-conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air-conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e becomes a layer of return air that is warmer than the cold air, and the lower space below the center of the air-conditioning indoor unit 4 in the air-conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e becomes a layer of cold air that is cooler than the return air. For this reason, the surface indicated by the two-dot chain line C creates air layers that divide the air-conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e into two halves, upper and lower.

[0141] As described above, the air conditioning room 51e is formed such that the space near the first opening 71e is narrowed in a valley fold by the bottom members 52e and 59, and the space gradually narrows downward. This causes the cool air to be gathered toward the first opening 71e, enabling the cool air to be quickly sent from the first opening 71e through the first duct 70 to the upper space 30 in FIG. 1.

[0142] This layer of cool 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 upper space 30, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1, the downstairs space 20, and the underfloor space 10. In this case, in addition to the air blown by the first blower 73a, the cool air is sent to the underfloor space 10 due to the effect of natural flow caused by the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is due to the temperature of the air being lower than that of the air in the upstairs space 30.

[0143] As described above, due to the internal structure of the building 1, air is circulated by the first fan 73a inside the building 1. For this reason, the cool air that is sent to the underfloor space 10 by the air circulation inside the building 1 and gradually warmed is collected at the second duct connection part 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] The movement of warm air when the air conditioning indoor unit 4 performs heating operation in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e in the air conditioner room 51e will be described using Figure 16. In this case, the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is configured to circulate heated refrigerant through its heat exchanger, and operation of the air conditioning indoor unit 4's blower is also started. At the same time, the motor of the second blower 83a is rotated to send air from the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e to the underfloor space 10.

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

[0146] In this state, if the second blower 83a starts blowing, a flow of air (return air) will occur in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e from the first opening 71e of the first duct 70 to the second opening 81e. Then, because the blower of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 is also operating, some of the return air will be drawn into the suction 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 downward by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and mixed with the air (return air) from the first opening 71e to form a mixture whose temperature is intermediate between the warm air and the return air. The mixture is then further heated by the air conditioning indoor unit 4 to become warm air, and roughly three layers of return air, mixed air, and warm air, will be formed in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e.

[0147] The air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e is divided into three areas—upper, middle, and lower—by these different temperature layers, as shown in Figure 16 by the surfaces indicated by dashed two-dot lines D and E. As heating continues in the air conditioning unit room 51e, the temperature difference (difference in specific gravity) between the return air, mixed air, and warm air causes the lower space (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line D) to become the lowest-temperature return air layer, up to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the first opening 71e of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e and the lower end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4. Above the lower space, the area (surface indicated by dashed two-dot line E) to approximately the midpoint between the upper end of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 of the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e and the second opening 81e forms an intermediate space, and in this intermediate space, except near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4, the return air and warm air mix, forming a layer of air at an intermediate temperature between the return air and the warm air. The area above the intermediate space in the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e becomes the upper space, where the further heated air-fuel mixture gathers and forms a layer whose temperature rises to a level close to that of warm air. Note that with regard to the lower layer, which is the layer of return air, due to the relationship between the bottom member 52e near the air outlet of the air conditioning indoor unit 4 and the bottom member 59, the intermediate layer of the air-fuel mixture is pushed down on the side closer to the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and the return air layer gradually spreads upward as it moves away from the air conditioning indoor unit 4.

[0148] As described above, the air conditioning room 51e is formed by the upper members 57e and 58e so that the space above the second opening 81e expands upward and gradually narrows as it goes up. Therefore, by expanding the second opening 81e and making it enter a space that gradually narrows as it goes up, it becomes possible to position the second opening 81e near the location 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 into the underfloor space 10.

[0149] This layer of warm air is sent from the second opening 81e to the second duct 80 by the second fan 83a which is rotating, and then sent at the second duct connection 82 to the underfloor space 10, the downstairs space 20, the inter-floor space formed by the ceiling board 22 of the downstairs space 20 and the floor board 31 of the upstairs space 30, and the upstairs space 30 in Figure 1. In this case, the warm air is sent to the upstairs space 30 by the effect of natural rising due to the difference in specific gravity of the air, which is higher in temperature than the air in the underfloor space 10, as well as the air blown by the first fan 73 which is rotating in the reverse direction.

[0150] As described above, due to the internal structure of the building 1, the second fan 83a circulates air inside the building 1. For this reason, the warm air that is sent up to the upper space 30 by the air circulation inside the building 1 and gradually cooled is collected by the second fan 83a into the first duct connecting member 72, passes through the first duct 70, and returns to the air conditioning indoor unit installation space 50e from the first opening 71e, 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, and various combinations can be used, such as replacing the bottom member 52d of the fifth embodiment with the bottom member 52e and bottom member 59 of the sixth embodiment and providing a first opening 71e, or replacing the upper member 57d of the fifth embodiment with the upper member 57e and upper member 58e of the sixth embodiment and providing a second opening 81e. Furthermore, the left-right positional relationship of the first opening 71 and the second opening 81 with respect to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 does not have a significant impact on the effects of the invention compared to the up-down positional relationship with the air conditioning indoor unit 4, and therefore the left-right positional relationship with respect to the air conditioning indoor unit 4 can be changed.

[0152] Furthermore, in all of the embodiments, the difference in elevation between the floor vents and ceiling vents is utilized to air-condition the spaces below and above, and the effect of natural flow due to the difference in specific gravity of the air is also added to improve the ventilation effect of the duct connected to the air-conditioning room. Therefore, even if the air-conditioning room is located in the attic space, the space below, between floors, or the space above, as long as the air-conditioning effect within the air-conditioning room is the same, all of these can be implemented in the same way. [Explanation of symbols]

[0153] 1: Building 3:Air conditioner outdoor unit 4: Air conditioning indoor unit 5: Piping 10: Underfloor space 11: Joist 12: Overhang 13: Bunch 14: Footstone 16: Building wall 17: Basics 18: Roof 20: Downstairs space 21, 21a, 31: Floorboard 22, 32: Ceiling board 23, 33, 86: Floor vents 24: Ceiling vent 30: Upstairs space 36: Ventilation hole 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 connection 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. A building that is highly airtight and highly insulated from the outdoors, comprising an attic space and an underfloor space, each separated above and below by a ceiling board and a roof, and a space sandwiched between the attic space and the underfloor space, An air conditioning room is provided in a part of the ceiling space, the air conditioning room being separated by a member having heat insulating properties and having an air conditioning indoor unit installed therein; In a building constructed so that a plurality of floor vents and ceiling vents are provided in the space between the attic space and the underfloor space, thereby enabling ventilation from the underfloor space to the ceiling board that constitutes the attic space, The air conditioning room is provided with a first opening, which is the other end of a first duct connected to a first duct connecting member provided on a ceiling board constituting the attic space and having a first fan installed midway, and a second opening, which is the other end of a second duct connected to a second duct connecting portion that communicates with the underfloor space, and the air conditioning room is separated by a highly airtight member, so that all ventilation is performed only between the first opening and the second opening, In the air conditioning indoor unit installation space, the air conditioning indoor unit is installed above the first opening and below the second opening.

2. The air conditioning room according to claim 1, wherein the second opening is formed so as to be an end of the second duct that rises up into the air conditioning indoor unit installation space.

3. The air conditioning room according to claim 1, wherein the second opening is formed to be an end of the second duct connected from outside the air conditioning indoor unit installation space.

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

5. An air conditioning room as described in Claim 4, characterized in that the volume within the air conditioning indoor unit installation space is formed to become smaller as it moves downward from the space near the bottom of the air conditioning indoor unit.

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