Duct structure and air conditioning system equipped therewith

Abstract

To provide a duct structure which is easy to attach and remove and can perform high-efficiency air-conditioning operation with low energy loss, and a mobile air conditioner including the same.SOLUTION: A duct structure has an exhaust duct 40 for use with a mobile air-conditioner 1. The duct 40 has and an inlet opening 41 which is detachably connected to the air conditioner 1 and into which air from the air conditioner 1 flows, and an outlet opening 42 for upwardly blowing out air entering from the inlet opening 41. The duct 40 is detachably fixed to a wall face 53 which surrounds a target space being air-conditioned. This enables high-efficiency air-conditioning operation with reduced mixing of cold air and hot air, without performing large-scale remodeling construction. Also, the duct 40 may be detachably fixed to the lower face 53 which is located below a ventilation fan 54. This allows air unnecessary for air-conditioning to be discharged to the outside of the target space by using the duct 40, which is easily attachable, and the existing ventilation fan 54.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a duct structure of an air conditioner and an air conditioner provided with the duct structure, and particularly to a duct structure of a movable air conditioner in which a user-side unit and a heat source-side unit are integrally provided.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a mobile air conditioner that uses a refrigeration cycle and has a user-side unit and a heat source-side unit provided on a single movable pedestal.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner including an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor blower fan that sends air flowing through the indoor heat exchanger into the room, an outdoor heat exchanger connected to the indoor heat exchanger so that refrigerant can circulate, an outdoor blower fan that sends air flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger, and a pedestal on which the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are placed so that the suction ports of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger face each other and have wheels for mobility.

[0004] This type of air conditioner is used for spot air conditioning, such as efficiently cooling or heating a working space by sending cold or warm air near workers in a large space where it is difficult to install a normal air conditioner, for example, in a factory, a workplace, a logistics warehouse, a stadium, etc.

[0005] Also, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses an air duct connection structure connected to this type of air conditioner, including an air supply duct that guides air cooled or heated by an air conditioner placed outdoors into the room, a return duct that guides indoor air to the air conditioner, and an air duct connection plate formed with an air supply port to which the air supply duct is connected and a return port to which the return duct is connected, and the air duct connection plate is removably placed in an opening connected to the room.

[0006] This configuration allows for efficient circulation of air cooled or heated by an air conditioner placed outdoors into the room via supply and return air ducts. Therefore, even with a transport-type air conditioning system where the user unit and heat source unit are integrated outdoors, it can perform highly efficient circulating cooling or heating, just like a typical air conditioner where the indoor unit is installed indoors and the outdoor unit is installed outdoors. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-11984 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-173444 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, the conventional mobile air conditioning systems described above had areas that needed improvement in order to facilitate installation in existing spaces to be air-conditioned, as well as to further improve the efficiency of cooling or heating.

[0009] Specifically, the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 has excellent performance in cooling operations in large spaces such as factories, for example, by powerfully blowing cool air from the indoor unit, which acts as the user-side unit, toward the user. However, from the outdoor unit, which acts as the heat source side unit and is integrally provided with the indoor unit, warm air heated by the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger, which acts as a condenser, is blown into the room.

[0010] Therefore, in order to operate the air conditioner efficiently, it is necessary to send the warm air blown out from the outdoor unit to an area outside the space being cooled. However, it is not easy to send the exhaust from an air conditioner to the outside of the space being air-conditioned.

[0011] Specifically, buildings and other structures that constitute the air-conditioned space may not have exhaust vents or air conditioning ducts for discharging exhaust from air conditioning equipment to the outside. In order to discharge exhaust from a portable air conditioning unit to the outside in an air-conditioned space that does not have air conditioning ducts, it is necessary to install new exhaust vents, exhaust ducts, fans, etc. in the building or other structure that constitutes the air-conditioned space.

[0012] However, remodeling existing buildings to install new air conditioning ducts and other systems is not easy. Furthermore, for example, if a rented logistics warehouse is the space to be air-conditioned, modifications or alterations to walls, structures, etc., may not be permitted. Therefore, there was a need for a configuration that would enable highly efficient air conditioning operation without altering existing walls, etc.

[0013] Furthermore, by adopting the air conduit connection structure disclosed in Patent Document 2, even in an air conditioning system in which the user-side unit and the heat source-side unit are integrally provided, efficient air conditioning operation can be performed, similar to a typical air conditioner in which the indoor unit is installed outdoors.

[0014] In other words, the air that has undergone heat exchange with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger of the outdoor unit is not brought into the room, and the air that has been cooled or heated in the indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit is circulated to the air-conditioned space via the supply duct and return duct, enabling efficient air conditioning operation.

[0015] However, such air conduit connection structures require components such as supply air ducts, return air ducts, and air conduit connection plates, and require assembly work for these components. Furthermore, work is required to attach and detach the air conduit connection plates, etc., to openings in the air-conditioned space. Therefore, there was a need for a configuration with fewer parts that would make work such as moving and installation easier.

[0016] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a duct structure and an air conditioning device equipped with the duct structure that are easy to install and remove, can efficiently deliver exhaust heat air generated during cooling or heating operation in a portable air conditioning device, and enable highly efficient air conditioning operation with minimal energy loss. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] The duct structure of the present invention has an exhaust duct used in a mobile air conditioning system, the duct has an inlet opening that is detachably connected to the air conditioning system and into which air from the air conditioning system flows, and an outlet opening that blows out the air that has flowed in from the inlet opening, the outlet opening is formed on the upper surface of the duct, and the duct is detachably fixed to a wall surface surrounding the space to be air-conditioned. Furthermore, the air conditioning device of the present invention is characterized by comprising the duct structure described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The duct structure of the present invention has an exhaust duct used in a portable air conditioning unit, the duct having an inlet opening that is detachably connected to the air conditioning unit and into which air from the air conditioning unit flows, and an outlet opening that blows out the air that has flowed in from the inlet opening, the outlet opening being formed on the upper surface of the duct, and the duct being detachably fixed to a wall surrounding the space to be air-conditioned. With this configuration, a detachable duct can be fixed to an existing wall without performing major renovation work, and air that is not needed for air conditioning blown out from the air conditioning unit can be sent upward to the space to be air-conditioned, away from the air-conditioned object. As a result, highly efficient air conditioning operation is possible in which the mixing of cold air and hot air blown out from the air conditioning unit is suppressed.

[0019] Further, according to the duct structure of the present invention, the duct may be detachably fixed to the wall surface below the ventilation fan provided on the wall that discharges the air in the air-conditioned space to the outside. Thereby, without performing renovation work such as forming a new exhaust port or the like on the wall or the like of the building constituting the air-conditioned space, by using the duct that can be easily attached and the existing ventilation fan, the air unnecessary for air conditioning blown out from the air conditioner can be discharged to the outside of the air-conditioned space.

[0020] Specifically, when a mobile air conditioner disposed inside the air-conditioned space is used for cooling operation, most of the high-temperature air including the exhaust heat from the condensed refrigerant is discharged to the outside of the air-conditioned space through the exhaust duct and the ventilation fan without being returned near the object to be air-conditioned. Therefore, highly efficient cooling operation can be performed.

[0021] Also, when the air conditioner in the air-conditioned space is used for heating operation, most of the low-temperature air deprived of heat by the evaporating refrigerant is discharged to the outside of the air-conditioned space through the exhaust duct and the ventilation fan without being returned near the object to be air-conditioned. Therefore, highly efficient heating operation can be performed.

[0022] Further, according to the duct structure of the present invention, the inlet opening is formed at the lower front part of the duct, and the back surface of the duct may be detachably fixed to the wall surface. Thereby, the back surface of the duct can be fixed to the wall surface forming the air-conditioned space, and an air outlet for blowing out the air unnecessary for the air-conditioning operation of the air conditioner can be connected to the lower front part of the duct. Therefore, only the air necessary for heating and cooling can be efficiently blown toward the object to be air-conditioned.

[0023] Further, according to the duct structure of the present invention, the duct may be formed in a parallelogram shape or a trapezoid shape in side view. Thereby, a suitable air passage with a small air resistance from the inlet opening to the outlet opening and capable of efficiently flowing air can be obtained. Therefore, highly efficient air-conditioning operation can be performed.

[0024] Further, according to the duct structure of the present invention, the duct may be fixed to the wall surface by a surface fastener or a magnet. Thereby, the duct can be easily attached and detached, and the duct can be firmly supported on the existing wall surface.

[0025] Moreover, according to the duct structure of the present invention, the air conditioner includes a user-side unit provided with a user-side heat exchanger and a user-side blower fan, a heat-source-side unit provided with a heat-source-side heat exchanger and a heat-source-side blower fan, and a pedestal on which the user-side unit and the heat-source-side unit are placed. The inlet opening may be connected to the outlet of the heat-source-side unit. With such a configuration, the movement, installation of the air conditioner, and the attachment and detachment operations of the duct can be efficiently performed. And the air conditioner disposed inside the air-conditioned space can discharge the high-temperature exhaust air radiated from the heat-source-side heat exchanger or the low-temperature exhaust air absorbed through the duct, a ventilation fan, etc. to the outside of the air-conditioned space. Therefore, a highly efficient air-conditioning operation with less energy loss can be performed.

[0026] In addition, according to the duct structure of the present invention, the duct may be connected such that the inner peripheral surface of the inlet opening is connected to the outer peripheral surface of a duct support portion provided around the outlet by a surface fastener or a magnet. Thereby, the work of attaching and detaching the duct to and from the air conditioner can be easily performed, and the duct can be firmly supported so as not to be peeled off by the wind pressure.

[0027] Furthermore, according to the duct structure of the present invention, the duct may be formed of a synthetic resin sheet material, a woven fabric or a non-woven fabric made of synthetic fibers. Thereby, attachment and detachment, transportation, and storage are easy, and a high-performance duct can be obtained.

[0028] In addition, the air conditioner of the present invention is characterized in that the duct structure is provided. Thereby, the exhaust blown out from the air conditioner can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the air-conditioned space, and a highly efficient air-conditioning operation can be performed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0029] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing the installed state of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the main body of an air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the duct of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] Hereinafter, an air conditioning system 1 equipped with a duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioning system 1 is a portable, powerful spot air conditioner in which a user-side unit 10 and a heat source-side unit 20 are integrally mounted on a frame 30, and is equipped with a duct 40 connected to the heat source-side unit 20.

[0031] Air conditioning system 1 is a device capable of cooling or heating large spaces where it is difficult to install conventional packaged air conditioners or other air conditioning units. For example, it is used for air conditioning in logistics warehouses, factories, workshops, gymnasiums, etc.

[0032] Figure 2 is a side view showing the installed state of the air conditioning unit 1. As shown in Figure 2, the air conditioning unit 1 is movably mounted on the floor surface 59 in an indoor space 50 such as a logistics warehouse, which is the space to be air-conditioned. Specifically, the main body 2 of the air conditioning unit 1 can be easily moved on the floor surface 59 by operation by the user. The main body 2 is installed in front of the wall 52 such that the outlet 26 of the heat source side unit 20 faces the outside 51, that is, the outlet 26 faces the wall 52.

[0033] The air conditioning unit 1 is connected to the building's wall 53, etc., via a detachable duct 40. More specifically, the air conditioning unit 1 is installed on the wall 52 where the ventilation fan 54 is located, and is detachably fixed to the wall 53 below the ventilation fan 54.

[0034] The ventilation fan 54 is installed in an opening formed in the wall 52 and discharges the air from the air-conditioned space to the outside 51. The form of the ventilation fan 54 is not particularly limited. For example, the ventilation fan 54 may be connected to the outside 51 via an exhaust duct or the like (not shown) and discharge air to the outside 51. Also, the ventilation fan 54 may be a ventilation opening or the like without a blower fan, as long as it is configured to discharge the air from the air-conditioned space to the outside 51.

[0035] Duct 40 is an exhaust duct that discharges air that is not needed for cooling or heating, blown out from the heat source unit 20, to the upper part of the space to be air-conditioned. More specifically, duct 40 is an exhaust duct that discharges air that is not needed for cooling or heating, blown out from the heat source unit 20, to the vicinity of the ventilation fan 54. The air that is not needed for cooling or heating that has flowed through duct 40 is discharged to the outside 51 via the ventilation fan 54.

[0036] The duct 40 has a roughly rectangular prism shape, with the lower part of its front surface 43 detachably connected to the main body 2 of the air conditioning unit 1, and its rear surface 44 detachably connected to the wall surface 53 of a logistics warehouse or the like, which is the space to be air-conditioned. The top surface 47 of the duct 40 has an outlet opening 42 through which air is discharged. Air blown out from the outlet 26 of the heat source unit 20 passes through the duct 40 and is blown out from the outlet opening 42 to the upper part of the space to be air-conditioned, where it is drawn in by the ventilation fan 54 and discharged to the outside 51.

[0037] Figure 3 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the main body 2 of the air conditioning unit 1. Referring to Figure 3, the user-side unit 10 is a device that cools or heats the air on the user side and supplies it. The user-side unit 10 has a configuration equivalent to the indoor unit of a typical packaged air conditioner.

[0038] Specifically, the user-side unit 10 has a housing 11 which is a roughly box-shaped enclosure made of a metal plate or the like, and a user-side heat exchanger 12 and a user-side blower fan 13, which are components that make up the refrigeration cycle, are provided inside the housing 11.

[0039] The heat source unit 20 is a device that dissipates or absorbs heat from the exhaust air. The heat source unit 20 has a configuration equivalent to the outdoor unit of a typical packaged air conditioner.

[0040] Specifically, the heat source side unit 20 has a housing 21 as the user side housing, which is a roughly box-shaped enclosure made of metal sheet material or the like, and a heat source side heat exchanger 22 and a heat source side blower fan 23, which are components that constitute the refrigeration cycle, are provided inside the housing 21.

[0041] The user-side heat exchanger 12 of the user-side unit 10 is connected to the heat source-side heat exchanger 22 of the heat source-side unit 20 via refrigerant piping 28. More specifically, the user-side heat exchanger 12 and the heat source-side heat exchanger 22 are connected via a compressor (not shown) that compresses low-pressure refrigerant to high pressure, an expansion valve (not shown) that expands high-pressure refrigerant to low pressure, refrigerant piping 28, and other refrigerant piping (not shown), forming a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle circuit. The refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle is, for example, an HFC refrigerant.

[0042] The user-side unit 10 has an air intake port 15 for drawing in air and an air outlet port 16 for blowing out air. Inside the air intake port 15, there is a user-side heat exchanger 12 that performs heat exchange between the air drawn in from outside the housing 11 and the refrigerant. As a result, for example, during cooling operation, the user-side heat exchanger 12 acts as an evaporator, and the air drawn in from outside the housing 11 is cooled by the refrigerant that evaporates inside the user-side heat exchanger 12.

[0043] Inside the outlet 16, a user-side blower fan 13 is provided to blow out the air from inside the housing 11 that has exchanged heat with the user-side heat exchanger 12. The user-side blower fan 13 is, for example, a propeller fan and is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown).

[0044] In the air conditioning system 1 according to this embodiment, a particularly powerful user-side blower fan 13 is installed. Specifically, the user-side blower fan 13 has a powerful air-blowing capacity that blows air from the outlet 16 at a wind speed of 8 m / s. As a result, a strong, directional airflow can be delivered far from the outlet 16 in the room 50 (see Figure 2), enabling efficient cooling or heating of the large room 50.

[0045] The air outlet 16 is provided with a wind direction guide 14 for adjusting the direction of airflow supplied by the user-side blower fan 13. The wind direction guide 14 has an outer circumference that surrounds the outer circumference of the user-side blower fan 13, for example, having a substantially cylindrical shape. The interior of the wind direction guide 14, surrounded by its outer circumference, is an opening connected to the air outlet 16, where a variable wind direction adjustment plate (not shown) for adjusting the airflow may be provided.

[0046] The heat source unit 20 has an air intake port 25 for drawing in air and an air outlet port 26 for blowing out air. Inside the air intake port 25, there is a heat source side heat exchanger 22 that performs heat exchange between the air drawn in from the outside and the refrigerant. As a result, for example, during cooling operation, the refrigerant in the heat source side heat exchanger 22 is cooled by the air flowing in from the air intake port 25. In other words, the air drawn in from the air intake port 25 is heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the heat source side heat exchanger 22.

[0047] Inside the outlet 26, a heat source side blower fan 23 is provided to blow out the air from inside the housing 21 that has exchanged heat with the heat source side heat exchanger 22. The heat source side blower fan 23 is, for example, a propeller fan and is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). For example, two heat source side blower fans 23 are provided, one above the other.

[0048] Furthermore, the air outlet 26 may be provided with an airflow guide 24 for adjusting the direction of air blown out by the heat source side blower fan 23. The airflow guide 24 has an outer frame that surrounds the outer circumference of the heat source side blower fan 23, for example, in a roughly rectangular shape, and is made of a metal plate material, a resin plate material, or the like. The airflow guide 24 is provided in pairs, for example, one above the other, corresponding to the two heat source side blower fans 23 that are provided separately above and below each other.

[0049] On the outer circumference of the wind direction guide 24, hook-and-loop fasteners 27 are provided as duct support parts for connecting the duct 40 (see Figure 2). The hook-and-loop fasteners 27 have, for example, male sides and are detachably joined to hook-and-loop fasteners 48 (see Figure 4) provided on the inner circumferential surface of the inlet opening 41 of the duct 40.

[0050] The support frame 30 is a base that integrally supports the user-side unit 10 and the heat source-side unit 20. The support frame 30 is formed from, for example, angle steel, channel steel, or other steel materials. A base 31 is formed at the lower part of the support frame 30, with its outer circumference forming a roughly rectangular frame shape when viewed from above. The heat source-side unit 20 is fixed to the upper part of the base 31.

[0051] The frame 30 has a user-side unit mounting base 32 for mounting the user-side unit 10. The user-side unit mounting base 32 is formed to protrude upward from the top of the base 31 so that the bottom of the user-side unit 10 can be supported at a higher position than the bottom of the heat source-side unit 20.

[0052] By providing a user-side unit mounting base 32 on top of the base 31, the user-side unit 10 is fixed at a higher position than the heat source-side unit 20. As a result, the position of the air outlet 16 of the user-side unit 10 is raised, allowing air to be blown widely and efficiently to work spaces and other areas that require cool or warm air for air conditioning.

[0053] Furthermore, the user-side unit 10 is mounted on top of the user-side unit mounting base 32, and the top surface of the user-side unit 10 and the top surface of the heat source-side unit 20 are at approximately the same height. The top of the user-side unit 10 and the top of the heat source-side unit 20 are connected and fixed by a connecting member 33. This connecting member 33 supports the top of the user-side unit 10 and the top of the heat source-side unit 20, suppressing deformation of the air conditioning system 1 due to vibrations during transport and use.

[0054] A drain pan (not shown) may be provided below the user-side unit 10 and the heat source-side unit 20. The drain pan is a component for receiving moisture that adheres to and drips from the user-side heat exchanger 12 of the user-side unit 10 or the heat source-side heat exchanger 22 of the heat source-side unit 20, and draining it into a drain pipe (not shown). By providing a drain pan, moisture dripping from the user-side heat exchanger 12 or the heat source-side heat exchanger 22 can be collected and drained effectively, preventing moisture from splashing into the work area, etc.

[0055] Wheels 34 are provided near the lower corners of the base 31. The wheels 34 are casters, for example, rubber wheels, and one end may be a fixed wheel that can move in a predetermined direction, while the other end may be a swivel wheel that can change direction. With the wheels 34 provided, the frame 30 is configured to be movable while integrally supporting the user-side unit 10 and the heat source-side unit 20.

[0056] The user-side unit 10 and the heat source-side unit 20 are mounted on the frame 30 such that their air intake ports 15 and 25 face each other. In other words, the user-side unit 10 and the heat source-side unit 20 are arranged so that the user-side heat exchanger 12 side and the heat source-side heat exchanger 22 side face each other.

[0057] In other words, the user-side unit 10 and the heat source-side unit 20 are arranged back-to-back so that their outlets 16 and 26 face in opposite directions, respectively, causing them to blow air in opposite directions.

[0058] As described above, by arranging the intake ports 15 and 25 opposite each other so that the air outlets 16 and 26 blow air in opposite directions, and by arranging the user-side unit 10 and the heat source-side unit 20 back to back, efficient air conditioning can be achieved for logistics warehouses, large factories, gymnasiums, and the like.

[0059] In other words, the cooling or heating air can be efficiently and powerfully blown from the outlet 16 of the user-side unit 10 into the room 50 to be air-conditioned. Then, air that is not needed for air conditioning operation can be discharged to the outside 51 (see Figure 2) via the duct 40 and ventilation fan 54 (see Figure 2) from the outlet 26 of the heat source-side unit 20, which faces the opposite side of the outlet 16 of the user-side unit 10.

[0060] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the duct 40 of the air conditioning unit 1. Referring to Figures 2 and 4, the duct 40 has a roughly rectangular prism shape, with an inlet opening 41 formed at the lower part of the front surface 43 and an outlet opening 42 formed over almost the entire upper surface 47.

[0061] The inlet opening 41 is an opening through which air flows in from the heat source side unit 20 of the air conditioning system 1. The outlet 26 of the heat source side unit 20 is detachably connected to the inlet opening 41. The outlet opening 42 is an opening through which the air that has flowed into the duct 40 from the inlet opening 41 is blown out.

[0062] The duct 40 is formed from a sheet material made of synthetic resin or a woven or nonwoven fabric made of synthetic fibers. This makes it easy to install, remove, transport, and store, and provides a high-performance duct 40.

[0063] Furthermore, the duct 40 may be made of a slightly breathable material. This prevents condensation on the surface of the duct 40 when cold air is flowed through it, for example, during heating operation.

[0064] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, a hook-and-loop fastener 48 is provided near the inner circumferential surface of the inlet opening 41 as a support member for connecting the duct 40 to the air conditioning unit 1. The hook-and-loop fastener 48 has, for example, a female side on its inner circumferential surface and is detachably joined to the outer circumferential surface of a hook-and-loop fastener 27 provided on the heat source side unit 20.

[0065] This configuration allows for easy and efficient attachment and detachment of the duct 40 to the main body 2 of the air conditioning unit 1. Furthermore, the main body 2 of the air conditioning unit 1 and the duct 40 are securely fixed together by the pressure of the air supplied from the heat source side blower fan 23, preventing them from coming loose.

[0066] Referring to Figures 2 and 4, hook-and-loop fasteners 49 are provided near the back surface 44 of the duct 40 as support members for fixing the duct 40 to the wall surface 53 surrounding the room 50. More specifically, a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners 49 are provided on the left and right sides near the left and right edges of the back surface 44, extending substantially vertically along the edges of the back surface 44. Furthermore, hook-and-loop fasteners 55 are provided on the wall surface 53 as duct support parts.

[0067] The hook-and-loop fastener 49 provided on the duct 40 has, for example, a female side on its outer circumference, and the hook-and-loop fastener 55 provided on the wall surface 53 has, for example, a male side on its inner circumference. With this configuration, the work of attaching and detaching the duct 40 from the wall surface 53 is easy. In addition, the duct 40 and the wall surface 53 can be securely connected so that the duct 40 does not detach from the wall surface 53.

[0068] In this way, the air conditioning unit 1 can fix the back surface 44 of the duct 40 to the wall surface 53 that forms the space to be air-conditioned, and can connect an outlet 26 that blows out air unnecessary for air conditioning operation to the lower part of the front surface 43 of the duct 40. Therefore, the air conditioning unit 1 can send the air unnecessary for heating and cooling blown out from the outlet 26 of the heat source side unit 20 to the upper part of the room 50, and efficiently blow only the air necessary for heating and cooling blown out from the outlet 16 of the user side unit 10 towards the space to be air-conditioned.

[0069] Referring to Figures 2 to 4, in the air conditioning unit 1 installed in the room 50, exhaust air that has become hot due to heat dissipation from the heat source side heat exchanger 22, or exhaust air that has become cold due to heat absorption, is sent via duct 40 to the vicinity of the ventilation fan 54. The exhaust air blown out from duct 40 is then discharged to the outside 51 via ventilation fan 54. Therefore, the air conditioning unit 1 can perform highly efficient air conditioning operation with minimal energy loss.

[0070] Furthermore, instead of using the aforementioned hook-and-loop fasteners 27, 48, 49, and 55 to connect the duct 40, a connection method utilizing magnetism may be employed. Specifically, a support member including neodymium or other magnets may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the inlet opening 41 of the duct 40 in place of the hook-and-loop fastener 48, and a magnetic material may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the air direction guide 24 of the heat source side unit 20 in place of the hook-and-loop fastener 27.

[0071] Furthermore, support members containing magnets such as neodymium may be provided near, for example, both left and right edges of the back surface 44 of the duct 40 instead of hook-and-loop fasteners 49, and magnetic material may be provided on the wall surface 53 instead of hook-and-loop fasteners 55. Also, the mounting targets for the magnets and magnetic material may be reversed as described above. With such a configuration, the duct 40 and the wall surface 53 are firmly fixed so as not to come apart, and the connection work between the duct 40 and the wall surface 53 is easy.

[0072] As shown in Figure 2, the duct 40 is formed in a substantially parallelogram shape when viewed from the side. That is, both the left and right sides 45 of the duct 40 are substantially parallelogram shapes, and the bottom surface 46 and top surface 47 are substantially rectangular in shape and inclined upward toward the rear surface 44. Here, the inclination angle θ of the bottom surface 46 is approximately 20 to 70 degrees, preferably 30 to 60 degrees, and more preferably 40 to 50 degrees.

[0073] As the bottom surface 46 is inclined at a suitable angle θ so as to rise toward the rear surface 44, i.e., toward the wall surface 53, air resistance is reduced from the inlet opening 41 to the outlet opening 42, resulting in good airflow within the duct 40. That is, the air blown out from the outlet 26 toward the wall surface 53 is suitably guided by the bottom surface 46, changes direction, and rises within the duct 40. Therefore, efficient exhaust becomes possible.

[0074] Furthermore, the upper surface 47 of the duct 40 is also inclined so as to be roughly parallel to the bottom surface 46, with the rear side 44, i.e., the side facing the wall 53, being higher. The outlet opening 42 is formed to be inclined at an angle approximately equal to the inclination angle θ, with the side facing the room 50 being lower and the side facing the wall 53 being higher.

[0075] Because the outlet opening 42 has this shape, the air in the room 50 and the air blown out from the outlet opening 42 of the duct 40 can be suitably combined and drawn in by the ventilation fan 54 and discharged to the outside 51. Therefore, highly efficient air conditioning is possible with the air conditioning system 1 equipped with the duct 40.

[0076] Furthermore, the duct 40 may be formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side. That is, the side surface 45 of the duct 40 has a substantially trapezoidal shape, and the bottom surface 46 and top surface 47 are each formed at a suitable inclination angle. This makes it possible to suit the airflow that flows into the duct 40 from the inlet opening 41 and is drawn into the ventilation fan 54 via the outlet opening 42, and the airflow that is drawn directly into the ventilation fan 54 from the top of the room 50, thereby enabling highly efficient air conditioning operation.

[0077] As described above, the duct structure of the mobile air conditioning unit 1 according to this embodiment has an exhaust duct 40 that is detachably connected. Specifically, the duct 40 has an inlet opening 41 into which air from the heat source unit 20 flows, which is detachably connected to the main body 2 of the air conditioning unit 1, and an outlet opening 42 that blows the air that has flowed in from the inlet opening 41 upward. The duct 40 is detachably fixed to the wall surface 53 surrounding the room 50, which is the space to be air-conditioned.

[0078] This configuration allows for the easy installation and removal of ducts 40 without requiring extensive renovation work, and enables highly efficient air conditioning operation by fixing them to the existing wall surface 53. Specifically, it allows for the air that is not needed for air conditioning, blown out from the heat source side unit 20 of the air conditioning unit 1, to be sent upwards to the room 50, away from the area to be air-conditioned. As a result, highly efficient air conditioning operation is possible, which suppresses the mixing of cold and hot air blown out from the air conditioning unit 1.

[0079] Furthermore, the duct 40 may be detachably fixed to the wall surface 53 below the ventilation fan 54 of the wall 52, which is equipped with a ventilation fan 54 that discharges indoor air 50 to the outside 51. This allows for efficient discharge of air that is not needed for air conditioning from the air conditioning unit 1 to the outside 51, without requiring renovation work to create new exhaust vents or the like in the walls 52 of the building that constitute the air-conditioned space, by utilizing the easily installed duct 40 and the existing ventilation fan 54.

[0080] Specifically, when the portable air conditioning unit 1 installed in the room 50 is used for cooling operation, the high-temperature air containing waste heat from the condensing refrigerant is largely discharged to the outside 51 via the duct 40 and ventilation fan 54, without being returned to the vicinity of the air-conditioned area. Therefore, the air conditioning unit 1 can perform cooling operation with high efficiency.

[0081] Furthermore, when the indoor air conditioning unit 1 is used for heating, the low-temperature air, which has lost heat to the evaporating refrigerant, is largely discharged to the outside 51 via the duct 40 and ventilation fan 54, without being returned to the vicinity of the air-conditioned area. Therefore, the air conditioning unit 1 can perform heating operation with high efficiency.

[0082] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Air conditioning system 2 Main unit 10 User Units 11 Housing 12 User side heat exchanger 13. User-side blower fan 14 Wind Direction Guide 15 Inlet 16 Air outlet 20 Heat source side unit 21 Housing 22 Heat source side heat exchanger 23 Heat source side blower fan 24 Wind Direction Guide 25 Inlet 26 Air outlet 27-sided fastener 28 Refrigerant Piping 30 mounting bases 31 Base 32. Installation stand for user-side unit 33 Connecting member 34 wheels 40 ducts 41 Entrance opening 42 Exit opening 43 Front 44 Back 45 Side view 46 Bottom 47 Top 48-sided zipper 49-sided fastener 50 Indoor 51 Outdoors 52 Wall 53 Wall surface 54 Ventilation fan 55-sided fastener 59 Floor θ Tilt angle

Claims

1. It has an exhaust duct used in a portable air conditioning system, The duct has an inlet opening that is detachably connected to the air conditioning unit and into which air from the air conditioning unit flows, and an outlet opening that blows out the air that has flowed in from the inlet opening. The outlet opening is formed on the upper surface of the duct, The duct structure is characterized in that the duct is detachably fixed to the wall surface surrounding the space to be air-conditioned.

2. The duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the duct is detachably fixed to the wall surface below the ventilation fan on the wall where the ventilation fan that discharges the air from the space to be air-conditioned to the outside is installed.

3. The aforementioned inlet opening is formed in the lower front part of the duct, The duct structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the rear of the duct is detachably fixed to the wall surface.

4. The duct structure according to claim 3, characterized in that the duct is formed in a parallelogram shape or trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side.

5. The duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the duct is fixed to the wall surface by hook-and-loop fasteners or magnets.

6. The air conditioning system comprises a user-side unit equipped with a user-side heat exchanger and a user-side blower fan, a heat source-side unit equipped with a heat source-side heat exchanger and a heat source-side blower fan, and a frame on which the user-side unit and the heat source-side unit are mounted. The duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the inlet opening is connected to the outlet of the heat source side unit.

7. The duct structure according to claim 6, characterized in that the inner circumferential surface of the inlet opening of the duct is connected by a hook-and-loop fastener or magnet to the outer circumferential surface of a duct support provided around the outlet.

8. The duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the duct is formed from a sheet material made of synthetic resin or a woven or nonwoven fabric made of synthetic fibers.

9. An air conditioning system characterized by being provided with a duct structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images