[0001] The present invention relates to an air treatment apparatus and in particular to
a ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus and to a method for treating air therewith.
[0002] The ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus works by drawing in air from the surrounding
room space into an air inlet located in a lower centre of the apparatus, and blowing
it through an air filter and heat exchangers in order to cool or heat the air drawn
in. Then, the cooled or heated air is sent through air outlets which have substantially
horizontal air vanes to help disperse the air.
[0003] The apparatus according to the present invention is of the type of a ceiling-recessed
equipment whose main housing which embodies, e.g., a fan motor, a blower, a heat exchanger
assembly and control means, is at least partially embedded in the ceiling. It is suitable
for air conditioning homes, offices, or buildings etc. that require comfort air conditioning.
It works by drawing in air from the room into an air inlet at the lower centre of
the evaporator housing assembly. The air is drawn through the air filter and heat
exchangers and is then released back into the room in preferably four directions.
[0004] This type of Apparatus preferably comprises an air filter which is folded into a
pleated pattern and not a flat surface, so that there is more space for filtering
the drawn in air at a much reduced pressure drop.
[0005] The fan and the motor used for this Apparatus must be of the types which generate
adequate power to circulate the air through the air filter, heat exchanger and the
exit air vents which release the air back into the room.
[0006] The air vents that surround the outer heat exchanger sides are preferably arranged
at a certain distance from the heat exchanger. The upper side is preferably narrower
than the lower side, and/or the surfaces of the air vent walls are preferably curved
so that the air passing through the heat exchangers has a substantially consistent
speed on both the upper and lower sides, as well as ensuring enough speed when the
air is released.
[0007] The exit air vents have to disperse air into the room or a desired area so that the
air does not flow back into the lower centre air inlet which is close by. The exit
air vent preferably is also responsible for controlling the flow of air so that it
is dispersed left and right.
[0008] Inside the exit air vent there is a horizontal air guide vane for controlling the
air flow, e.g., up or down. The air guide vane is preferably in the shape of a curved
blade like a half-cut tube without any angle so that the air that flows through the
air vent is not obstructed and does not backflow and cause turbulence when it comes
into contact with the air vane. Moreover, the lower surface of the air vane preferably
has a set of divergent ridges on the surface to assist in controlling the air flow,
e.g., left and right.
[0009] A motor propels the horizontal air guide vane up and down. The air guide vane is
preferably also controlled by a system which, besides constantly moving the air vane
up and down, also moves the air vane up and down at an angle upon each depression
of the louver button on the control system. Preferably, it moves up and down twice
or every 40 seconds before stopping at the uppermost position for a predetermined
time and preferably for about 40 seconds. After that, the cycle is repeated to create
comfortable surrounding for the room occupants.
[0010] Because the apparatus is recessed and suspended from the ceiling and the air vent
is also close to the ceiling, the air has a tendency to be thrust upwards towards
the ceiling. Therefore, the air vent preferably has an outer exit wall lip parallel
to the ceiling to direct the air flow in a manner that it is parallel to the ceiling.
By this way the ceiling does not become dirty or smudged easily.
[0011] In the following, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described
with reference to the drawings in which,
- Fig. 1
- shows the components of a ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus according to the
present invention which are below a ceiling;
- Fig. 2
- shows the components outside the air conditioner of Fig. 1;
- Fig. 3
- shows an exploded view of preferred components of the ceiling-recessed apparatus according
to Fig. 1;
- Fig. 4
- shows a partial cross sectional view of the apparatus according to the present invention;
- Fig. 5
- shows a partial cross sectional view of preferred components inside the air passage
of the decorative panel of the apparatus according to the present invention; and
- Fig. 6
- shows a plan view on the air passage of the decorative panel according to Fig. 5.
[0012] Fig. 1 illustrates the components of an apparatus which are arranged below the ceiling 22.
A decorative panel 20, preferably made from high impact polystyrene, comprises at
least one air inlet 23 and at least one, preferably four, air outlet passage(s) 24,
25, 26 and 27
[0013] Fig. 2 illustrates the components outside the air conditioner which comprises the decorative
panel 20 and the apparatus main housing 28.
[0014] Fig. 3 illustrates preferred components of the ceiling-recessed apparatus, comprising an
inner body 29. an outer casing 28 of the inner body 29, a heat exchanger 30, a fan
31, a water drain tray 32, a water pump 34, a decorative panel frame 35, an air filter
38 and the air inlet grill 23.
[0015] The outer casing 28 of the inner body 29 is preferably made from galvanized iron,
and the outer wall is preferably covered with polystyrene foam insulation. The inner
body 29 is preferably made from expanded polystyrene foam and/or the heat exchanger
30 is preferably made from copper pipe mechanically inserted into aluminum fins, and
bent into a curve to surround the fan assembly.
[0016] The fan 31 is preferably installed at the centre of the apparatus for drawing in
air from the outside and blowing it through the heat exchangers to the air dispersion
vent and out into the room.
[0017] The water drain tray 32 to collect the water that is condensed from the water vapour
in the air when it passes through the heat exchangers is preferably made from polystyrene
laminated onto the top of the expanded polystyrene foam with vent 33 which is preferably
part of the air passage. The water drain tray 32 preferably comprises two vents 33
on each side of four sides of the water drain tray 32.
[0018] The water pump 34 is used for sucking the water in the water drain tray to the waste
water pipe 39 which is preferably located on the upper' side of the apparatus. The
decorative panel frame is preferably made from high impact polystyrene 35 with air
passages 36 on preferably four sides. An air vane 37 is preferably inside the air
passage. Inside the decorative panel is preferably another layer of the formed panel
which is made from expanded polystyrene foam coupled as another layer.
[0019] The outer frame of air filter 38 is preferably made from polypropylene with pleated
air filter to increase the space for air filtering. It is preferably removable, e.g.,
for cleaning.
[0020] The air inlet 23 is preferably made from high impact polystyrene located in the centre
of the apparatus and preferably attached thereto by a hinge and lock mechanism. This
also makes it convenient when removing the air filter, e.g., for cleaning.
[0021] Fig. 4 is a cross section showing air circulation inside the apparatus starting from the
air inlet 23, and then passing through the heat exchanger 30 to the exit air vents
and out through the air passage to the outside.
[0022] Preferably, for the inner body, the inside upper housing comprises two shoulders
40 and one shoulder 40-1 (see detail A) that protrudes to sit snugly on the heat exchanger
top and that surrounds the upper section of the heat exchanger to prevent the air
from escaping without passing through the heat exchanger fins or the discharged air
from returning into the inlet chamber which may cause a short air flow circuit, reducing
the cooling or heating performance. The upper wall on the vertical side which surrounds
the heat exchangers is preferably also used as the wall for the air passage. Preferably,
the upper side of this wall has a shoulder 40-2 (see detail B). This shoulder is designed
to deflect the discharged air in the manner that the air velocity is greater at the
shoulder and less down the passage wall. The upper passage wall is thicker than the
lower side in the form of a downward gradient. The thickness of the wall is preferably
gradually reduced so that the distance between the heat exchangers and the air passage
wall is less on the upper side than that of the lower side. The shoulder and the downward
gradient wall shall balance the discharged air of various velocities to a steady stream
of discharged air before being released out through the air vents. This steady discharged
air flow will increase cooling or heating performance.
[0023] Regarding the water drain tray, the section over which the heat exchanger is positioned
is preferably constructed in the form of a trough to receive the condensed water from
the cooled air. The water trough is preferably inclined toward the pit where the drain
pump is located to facilitate the flow of the water at the centre of the rail 41 with
a lower level to allow water to flow to the water pump and prevent water from inundating
the heat ventilating partition which may cause inefficient heat ventilation.
[0024] Fig. 5 is a cross section showing components inside the air passage of the decorative panel.
The air vane 37 is, preferably shaped like the curve of a circle, the lower surface
of the vane, which is the outside curve, preferably has a row of slanted ridges to
control the air flow left and right. The tips of the air vane on both sides 42 are
welded to the air vane fastener 43 to the rotating shaft of the motor which drives
the air vane.
[0025] As can be seen in Fig. 6, the air passage 36 has an inner wall 44 which, preferably
has protruding edges for guiding the air straight forward. At the centre of the two
is to protect air from flowing back into the entrance air vent. The left and right
sides preferably have protruding ridge, three on each side in a slanting position
to control the air flow to the left and right in order to help disperse the air better.
The outside wall 45 preferably comprises seven protruding ridges to control air flow
to the air rudder, in order to make the air rudder work more effectively.
[0026] The lips of the decorative panel frame 46 (see detail A), which is the tip of the
air passage walls, are preferably substantially parallel to the ceiling for controlling
air which flows out so that it does not come into contact with the ceiling, but instead
flows parallel to the ceiling to prevent the ceiling from becoming dirty or smudged.
1. A ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus, having a main housing embodying a fan
motor, a blower, a heat exchanger assembly and control means, the apparatus further
comprising an air filter being folded into a pleated pattern and air vents surrounding
the outer heat exchanger sides, wherein a horizontal air guide vane is arranged inside
the exit air vent, a motor propels the horizontal air guide vane and the apparatus
being recessed and/or suspended from the ceiling and wherein the air dispersed into
the room does not flow back into an air inlet but has a tendency to be thrust substantially
upwards and then parallel to the ceiling because of horizontal lips of a panel frame
(46) so that the discharged air does not come into contact with the ceiling.
2. The ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising an
outer casing (28) of an inner body (29), a heat exchanger (30), a fan (31), a water
drain tray (32), a water pump (34), a decorative panel (35), an air filter (38), and
an air inlet (23), the upper inner housing having two shoulders (40-1, 40-2) protruding
and surrounding the upper section of the heat exchanger and the section over which
the heat exchanger is positioned being constructed in the form of a trough, an air
vane (37), and an air passage (36) with an inner wall (44).
3. The ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising
an operational control system for an air diffusion vane, which moves the vane up and
down at an angle upon each depression of the swing button on the control hand set.
4. The ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vane
is moved up and down either continuously to disperse the discharged air up and down,
wherein the vane is moved up and down and stops for a predetermined time when it reaches
the top most and/or the lowest position before it swings down or up again, and/or
wherein the air guide vane can be stopped at any angle without moving when it is so
required at an angle upon each depression of the swing button on the control hand
set.
5. The ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 4,
comprising an air diffusion vane (37) being shaped like a curve of a circle, the lower
surface of the vane having a row of slanted ridges to control the air flow left and
right so that the discharged air is distributed more widely and quietly into the air
conditioned room or space than any conventional air guide blade and wherein the tips
of the air vane are welded to an air vane fastener (43) to the rotating shaft of the
motor which drives the air vane.
6. The ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 5,
comprising an air passage (36), an inner wall (44) with at least one protruding edge
for guiding the air straight forward away from the central air inlet and the protruding
ridges in a slanting position for better air diffusion and an outside wall (45) comprising
protruding ridges for guiding the discharged air forward through the exit in a uniform
and much quiet manner.
7. A method for treating air with a ceiling-recessed air treatment apparatus according
to anyone of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vane is moved up and down at an angle upon
each depression of the swing button on the control hand set.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the vane is moved up and down either continuously
to disperse the discharged air up and down, wherein the vane is moved up and down
and stops for a predetermined time when it reaches the top most and/or the lowest
position before it swings down or up again, and/or wherein the air guide vane can
be stopped at any angle without moving when it is so required at an angle upon each
depression of the swing button on the control hand set.