Air conditioning system and method for controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021095868-A1
Application number	US-201817049929-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2018
Priority date	Apr 23, 2018
Publication date	Apr 1, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Air conditioning system and a method for controlling same. The air conditioning system is configured to carry out air conditioning in indoor space, and includes an indoor unit body. The indoor unit body includes a cavity and a heat exchanger arranged inside the cavity. The air conditioning system further includes at least one return air inlet connecting the indoor space to the cavity. The at least one return air inlet includes a first return air inlet, and the first return air inlet is located at a lower portion of the indoor space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An air conditioning system for air conditioning of indoor space, comprising an indoor unit body, the indoor unit body comprising a cavity and a heat exchanger provided in the cavity; the air conditioning system further comprises at least one return air inlet connecting the indoor space to the cavity, the at least one return air inlet comprising a first return air inlet; wherein the indoor unit body is located in an upper part of the indoor space, and the first return air inlet is located at a lower part of the indoor space.

2 . The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one return air inlet further comprises a second return air inlet located in the upper part of the indoor space, and the air conditioning system further comprises a first switch device, the first switch device connecting the cavity to at least one of the first return air inlet and the second return air inlet.

3 . The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein a cooking fume detection device is provided at the second return air inlet.

4 . The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein the air conditioning system further comprises an exhaust duct, and the exhaust duct connects the second return air inlet to an outdoor space.

5 . The air conditioning system according to claim 4 , wherein the air conditioning system further comprises an airflow driving device, and the airflow driving device drives air in the indoor space to be exhausted to the outdoor space through the second return air outlet and the exhaust duct.

6 . The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein an air inlet is provided in a cavity wall of the cavity; the air conditioning system further comprises an air duct structure communicating with the air inlet, and the first return air inlet and the second return air inlet are arranged on the air duct structure.

7 . The air conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein the air duct structure comprises a main air duct portion connected to the indoor unit body, and a plurality of branch air duct portions connected to the main air duct portion, and the first return air inlet and the second return air inlet are arranged on the branch air duct portion.

8 . The air conditioning system according to claim 7 , wherein:
(i) (a) the first switch device is disposed in an inner cavity of the main air duct portion; and; (b) the plurality of branch air duct portions comprise a first branch air duct portion and a second branch air duct portion, the first return air inlet being arranged on the first branch air duct portion, and the second return air inlet being arranged on the second branch air duct portion; or (ii) (a) the first switch device is disposed in an inner cavity of the main air duct portion; or (b) the plurality of branch air duct portions comprise a first branch air duct portion and a second branch air duct portion, the first return air inlet being arranged on the first branch air duct portion, and the second return air inlet being arranged on the second branch air duct portion.

9 . The air conditioning system according to claim 8 , wherein: (i) the first branch air duct portion and the second branch air duct portion are arranged to extend in a vertical direction, or
(ii) the first branch air duct portion or the second branch air duct portion are arranged to extend in a vertical direction.

10 . The air conditioning system according to claim 8 , wherein the first branch air duct portion is arranged inside a wall, and the first return air inlet is exposed outside the wall.

11 . The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein the air conditioning system is configured for air conditioning in a kitchen; the first return air inlet is arranged on a cabinet in the kitchen or arranged on a wall close to a floor of the kitchen; and the second return air inlet is arranged on a ceiling of the kitchen or on a wall adjacent to the ceiling.

12 . A method for controlling the air conditioning system of claim 2 , wherein a cooking fume detection device is provided at the second return air inlet, and the method comprises:
controlling the first switch device to allow the cavity to communicate only with the first return air inlet when a detection value of the cooking fume detection device is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; or, controlling the first switch device to allow the cavity to communicate only with the second return air inlet when a detection value of the cooking fume detection device is less than a predetermined value, and when the indoor unit body is operating for cooling; or, controlling the first switch device to allow the cavity to communicate only with the first return air inlet when a detection value of the cooking fume detection device is less than a predetermined value, and when the indoor unit body is operating for heating.

13 . The method for controlling the air conditioning system according to claim 12 , wherein the air conditioning system further comprises an exhaust duct, the exhaust duct connects the second return air inlet to an outdoor space, and the method comprises:
opening the exhaust duct to allow the second return air inlet to communicate with the outdoor space when the detection value of the cooking fume detection device is greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

14 . The air conditioning system according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of branch air duct portions comprises a first branch air duct portion and a second branch air duct portion; one end of the first branch air duct portion is connected to the main air duct portion through a first port, and the first return air inlet is disposed at another end of the first branch air duct portion.

15 . The air conditioning system according to claim 14 , wherein one end of the second branch air duct portion is connected to the main air duct portion through a second port, and the second return air inlet is disposed at another end of the second branch air duct portion.

16 . The air conditioning system according to claim 15 , wherein the first switch device comprises a first partition arranged between the first port and the second port, a first baffle hinged to the first partition, and a first driving device driving the first baffle to rotate.

17 . The air conditioning system according to claim 4 , wherein the air conditioning system further comprises a second switch device, and the second switch device connects the exhaust duct to the second return air inlet, or disconnects the exhaust duct from the second return air inlet.

18 . The air conditioning system according to claim 17 , wherein the second switch device comprises a second baffle and a second driving device that drives the second baffle to rotate; the second baffle is hinged to one side edge of the exhaust duct.

19 . The air conditioning system according to claim 14 , wherein a cooking fume detection device is provided at the second return air inlet, and the cooking fume detection device is arranged inside the second branch air duct portion.

Assignees

• Gree Electric Appliances Inc Zhuhai

Inventors

• Huang Haiwei
• Wang Kai
• Huang Fengqiang

Classifications

• F24F2007/002

  Junction box, e.g. for ducts from kitchen, toilet or bathroom · CPC title

• F24F11/33

  to fire, excessive heat or smoke · CPC title

• F24F7/08 Primary

  with separate ducts for supplied and exhausted air {with provisions for reversal of the input and output systems} · CPC title

• F24F1/0007 Primary

  Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units (self-contained units F24F1/02) · CPC title

• F24F1/0041 Primary

  characterised by exhaustion of inside air from the room (in combination with simultaneous introduction of outside air F24F1/0038) · CPC title