JP7844616B2 - Air conditioning system and air conditioning method - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an air conditioning system.

Conventionally, in air conditioning systems equipped with heating and cooling functions, a single air conditioning unit is known to heat the first and second floors of a detached house using the heating function, or to cool them using the cooling function (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-325569

When using a single air conditioning unit to heat both the first and second floors of a detached house in winter, the temperature at floor level on the first floor may not rise sufficiently, resulting in poor heating performance. Similarly, when using a single air conditioning unit to cool both the first and second floors of a detached house in summer, the temperature on the second floor may not drop sufficiently, resulting in poor cooling performance.
On the other hand, increasing the heating or cooling capacity of the air conditioning system and increasing the airflow to make the air conditioning more effective on the first and second floors of a house requires expensive and complex control, which tends to result in larger air conditioning systems and higher costs.
Therefore, there is a need for a system that can adjust the temperature throughout the entire house to a uniform temperature with a simple configuration.

The present invention aims to provide an air conditioning system that can adjust the overall temperature of a house to a uniform temperature with a simple configuration.

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system (e.g., air conditioning system 1, described later) comprising an air conditioning device (e.g., air conditioning device 2, described later) that supplies air from within a house (e.g., house 10, described later) introduced through a first air intake (e.g., a first-floor side circulation fan air intake 46, described later) or a second air intake (e.g., a second-floor side circulation fan air intake 55, described later) to the house after heating it with a heating function or cooling it with a cooling function. In the case of operating the heating function, the first air intake is located near the lowest part of the insulated section within the house, or near a finishing part located at the lowest part of the living space or non-living space. In the case of operating the cooling function, the second air intake is located near the highest part of the insulated section within the house, or near a finishing part located at the highest part of the living space or non-living space.

Furthermore, when the heating function is activated, the first air intake is preferably located near the bottom of the lowest floor in the case of a multi-story house, or near the bottom of each floor, or near the bottom in the case of a single-story house. The second air intake is preferably located near the top of the top floor in the case of a multi-story house, or near the top of each floor, or near the top in the case of a single-story house, when the cooling function is activated.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the first air intake is located under the floor (for example, in the underfloor space 114 described later), and the second air intake is located in the attic (for example, in the attic space 125 described later).

Furthermore, it is preferable that the air conditioning system has both the heating and cooling functions and includes a switching unit (for example, the switching unit 8 described later) that can switch the air introduced into the air conditioning system to be introduced through either the first air intake or the second air intake.

Furthermore, it is preferable to further include a ventilation device (for example, ventilation device 3 described later) that introduces outside air into the house and exhausts inside air to the outside. The ventilation device introduces outside air into the air conditioning system, and the air conditioning system heats the outside air introduced by the ventilation device using its heating function or cools it using its cooling function before supplying it to the house.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to an air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning device that introduces air from within a house through a first or second air intake, heats it using a heating function, or cools it using a cooling function, and supplies it to the house. In the case where the heating function is activated, the first air intake is located near the northernmost part of the house, and in the case where the cooling function is activated, the second air intake is located near the southernmost part of the house.

Furthermore, the system includes an air conditioning maintenance structure for performing maintenance on the air conditioning system (for example, the air conditioning maintenance structure 9, the first-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 91, and the second-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 92 described later), and the air conditioning maintenance structure includes an airtight intake space (for example, the first-floor intake airtight space 911 and the second-floor intake airtight space 921 described later) provided in a duct-arrangeable space (for example, the first-floor piping space 131 and the second-floor piping space 133 described later) and a maintenance duct, one end of which is connected to the intake airtight space with an opening within the intake airtight space, and the other end of which is directly or indirectly connected to the air conditioning device. Preferably, the system includes: a duct (for example, the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 and the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 described later); an intake port arranged to connect the airtight intake space with the space inside the house; a filter (for example, the first-floor filter 912 and the second-floor filter 922 described later) arranged inside the airtight intake space to cover the opening on the airtight intake space side of the maintenance duct; and a maintenance door (for example, the first-floor maintenance door 913 and the second-floor maintenance door 923 described later) configured to open and close the airtight intake space and positioned to allow maintenance of the filter.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioning system that can adjust the overall temperature inside a house to a uniform temperature with a simple configuration.

This figure shows the state during heating in a house equipped with an air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows the state during cooling in a house equipped with an air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows the state during heating and cooling in a house equipped with an air conditioning system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows the state during heating and cooling in a house equipped with an air conditioning system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows the state during heating and cooling in a house equipped with an air conditioning system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows the state during heating and cooling in a house equipped with an air conditioning system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows a house equipped with an air conditioning system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, in which the air conditioning device, ventilation device, and switching unit are integrated as an air conditioning unit.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the air conditioning system 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the state during heating in a house 10 equipped with the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the state during cooling in a house 10 equipped with the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air conditioning system 1 of the first embodiment is used, for example, in a two-story house 10. The house 10 is constructed with a highly airtight and highly insulated structure. By being used in a house 10 with a highly airtight and highly insulated structure, the air conditioning system 1 can be operated with low energy consumption. While this embodiment describes the use of the air conditioning system 1 in a two-story house 10 as an example, it is not limited to this. The air conditioning system may also be used in, for example, a house with three or more stories.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the house 10 is a two-story structure, for example, having a roof 13 and exterior walls 14. The house 10 is configured with foundation insulation material placed under the roof 13 and inside the exterior walls 14, resulting in foundation insulation throughout the entire house 10. The insulation section 18 of the house 10 comprises a roof-side insulation line 181 and an exterior wall-side insulation line 182. The roof-side insulation line 181 is composed of insulation material placed under the roof 13, inclined along the slope direction of the roof 13. The exterior wall-side insulation line 182 is composed of insulation material placed inside the exterior walls 14 and extending vertically from the roof 13 to the ground 101. The house 10 is insulated within the insulation section 18.

For example, the house 10 has, on the first floor, a first-floor bathroom space 111, a first-floor corridor space 112, a first-floor living space 113, and an underfloor space 114. On the second floor, it has, a second-floor storage space 121, a second-floor first living space 122, a second-floor corridor space 123, a second-floor second living space 124, and an attic space 125.

On the first floor, the first-floor bathroom space 111, the first-floor corridor space 112, and the first-floor living space 113 are arranged in this order from one side to the other (from left to right in Figures 1 and 2). Each space 111, 112, and 113 is formed by being enclosed by a floor, walls, and ceiling. On the first floor, the underfloor space 114 is located below the floor 16 of each space 111, 112, and 113. The underfloor space 114 is located inside the exterior wall insulation line 182 of the house 10 and is insulated.

On the first floor, a first-floor piping space 131 is provided between the other side wall surface 111a of the first-floor plumbing space 111 and the one side wall surface 112a of the first-floor corridor space 112.
Furthermore, a piping space 132 is provided on the upper side of the first floor, between the ceilings of each space 111, 112, and 113 on the first floor and the floors 17 of each space 121, 122, 123, and 124 on the second floor.

The first-floor bathroom space 111 and the first-floor corridor space 112 are connected at the bottom by a connecting passage 115. Since the air from the first-floor bathroom space 111 is discharged outside the house 10 via the first-floor bathroom space fan exhaust port 41 (described later), the air from the lower side of the first-floor corridor space 112 flows towards the first-floor bathroom space 111 in the connecting passage 115.
The first-floor corridor space 112 and the first-floor living space 113 are connected at the bottom by a connecting passage 116. Since the air in the first-floor corridor space 112 is discharged outside the house 10 via the exhaust port 42 of the first-floor corridor exhaust fan (described later), the air from the lower side of the first-floor living space 113 flows towards the first-floor corridor space 112 in the connecting passage 116.

On the second floor, the second-floor storage space 121, the second-floor first living space 122, the second-floor corridor space 123, and the second-floor second living space 124 are arranged in this order from one side to the other in the left-right direction (from left to right in Figures 1 and 2). Each space 121, 122, 123, and 124 is formed by being enclosed by a floor, walls, and ceiling. On the second floor, the attic space 125 is located between the roof ceiling 15 and the roof 13. The roof ceiling 15 constitutes the ceiling of the second-floor upper piping space 134, which is located above the ceilings of the second-floor storage space 121, the second-floor first living space 122, the second-floor corridor space 123, and the second-floor second living space 124. The attic space 125 is located below the roof-side insulation line 181 on the roof 13 side of the house 10 and is insulated. The attic space 125 is sometimes also called the loft or ceiling space. Furthermore, the attic space 125 may be configured as a living space for people to reside in.

On the second floor, a second-floor piping space 133 is provided between the other side wall surface 121a of the second-floor storage space 121 and the one side wall surface 122a of the second-floor first living space 122.
Furthermore, a piping space 134 is provided between the ceilings of each of the spaces 121, 122, 123, and 124 on the second floor and the roof ceiling 15.

The second-floor storage space 121 and the second-floor first living space 122 are connected at the bottom by a connecting passage 126. Since the air in the second-floor storage space 121 is discharged outside the house 10 through the exhaust fan outlet 51 (described later) for the second-floor storage space, the air from the lower side of the second-floor first living space 122 flows towards the second-floor storage space 121 in the connecting passage 126.
The second-floor first living space 122 and the second-floor corridor space 123 are connected at the bottom by a connecting passage 127. Since the air in the second-floor corridor space 123 is discharged outside the house 10 via the exhaust port 53 of the second-floor corridor exhaust fan (described later), the air from the lower side of the second-floor first living space 122 flows towards the second-floor corridor space 123 in the connecting passage 127.
The second-floor corridor space 123 and the second-floor living space 124 are connected at the bottom by a connecting passage 128. Since the air in the second-floor corridor space 123 is discharged outside the house 10 via the exhaust port 53 of the second-floor corridor exhaust fan (described later), the air from the lower side of the second-floor living space 124 flows towards the second-floor corridor space 123 in the connecting passage 128.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the floor 16 of the first floor of the house 10 constitutes the finishing surface (finishing section) located at the lowest point of the living or non-living space on the first floor. The floor 17 of the second floor of the house 10 constitutes the finishing surface (finishing section) located at the lowest point of the living or non-living space on the second floor. The roof ceiling 15 of the second floor of the house 10 constitutes the uppermost finishing surface (finishing section) of the non-living space on the second floor. Additionally, the ceilings of each space 111, 112, 113, 121, 122, 123, and 124 on each floor constitute the uppermost finishing surface (finishing section) of each space.

The air conditioning system 1 includes an air conditioning unit 2, a ventilation unit 3, a fan exhaust port 41 for the first-floor bathroom space, an exhaust fan exhaust port 42 for the first-floor corridor, an air intake port 43 for the first-floor first living space, an air intake port 44 for the first-floor second living space, an exhaust fan exhaust port 45 for the first-floor first living space, an air intake port 46 (first air intake port) for the first-floor circulation fan, an exhaust fan exhaust port 51 for the second-floor storage space, and a second-floor first living space The system includes an air intake port 52 for a space air supply fan, an exhaust port 53 for a second-floor corridor exhaust fan, an air intake port 54 for a second-floor living space air supply fan, an air intake port 55 (second air intake port) for a second-floor circulation fan, a first air supply chamber 71, a second air supply chamber 72, a Y-shaped pipe 73, a first exhaust chamber 74, a second exhaust chamber 75, a switching unit 8, an air supply duct L1, an exhaust duct L2, and a circulation air supply duct L3. The air supply duct L1, exhaust duct L2, and circulation air supply duct L3 are pipes that constitute a flow path for air, and are, for example, composed of ducts.

The air conditioning system 2 comprises an indoor unit 21 and an outdoor unit 22. The indoor unit 21 is located in the piping space 132 on the upper side of the first floor, between the first and second floors. The outdoor unit 22 is connected to the indoor unit 21 and is located, for example, on the ground 101 outside the exterior wall 14 of the house 10.

The indoor air conditioning unit 21 has a heating function for heating the interior of the house 10 and a cooling function for cooling the interior of the house 10. The indoor air conditioning unit 21 supplies air from inside the house 10, introduced via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 or the second-floor circulation fan intake 55, and air from outside the house 10, introduced by the ventilation device 3 (described later), to the house 10 after heating them with the heating function or cooling them with the cooling function. The indoor air conditioning unit 21 supplies air heated by the heating function or cooled by the cooling function to each of the spaces 113, 122, and 124 via the supply air duct L1, through the supply air fan intake 43 for the first-floor living space, the supply air fan intake 44 for the second-floor living space, the supply air fan intake 52 for the first-floor living space, and the supply air fan intake 54 for the second-floor living space.

The air intake fan vent 43 for the first-floor living space is located on the upper side of one wall surface 113a of the first-floor living space 113.
The air intake fan vent 44 for the second living space on the first floor is located on the first floor, near the center in the left-right direction of the interior ceiling 113b of the first-floor living space 113.
The air intake fan vent 52 for the second-floor first living space is located on the upper side of the other side wall surface 122b of the second-floor first living space 122.
The air intake fan vent 54 for the second living space on the second floor is located on the upper side of one side wall surface 124a of the second living space 124 on the second floor.

The air supply duct L1 is a piping system for introducing outside air from the house 10 into the ventilation system 3 (described later), introducing the air introduced into the ventilation system 3 into the air conditioning system 2, and supplying air heated by the heating function or cooled by the cooling function of the air conditioning system 2 to the first-floor living space 113, the second-floor first living space 122, and the second-floor second living space 124. The air supply duct L1 includes a ventilation system introduction duct L11, an air conditioning system introduction duct L12, a first-floor introduction duct L13, a first air supply duct L14, a second air supply duct L15, a second-floor introduction duct L16, a third air supply duct L17, and a fourth air supply duct L18.

The ventilation system introduction duct L11 is a pipe that introduces air from outside the house 10 into the ventilation system 3.
The air conditioning system introduction duct L12 is the piping from the ventilation system 3 to the indoor air conditioning unit 21.
The first-floor intake duct L13 is branched at the air conditioning indoor unit 21 and is piping from the air conditioning indoor unit 21 to the first supply air chamber 71.
The first air supply duct L14 is branched in the first air supply chamber 71 and is piping from the first air supply chamber 71 to the air supply fan inlet 43 for the first living space on the first floor.
The second air supply duct L15 is branched in the first air supply chamber 71 and is the piping from the first air supply chamber 71 to the air intake port 44 of the air supply fan for the second living space on the first floor.
The second-floor intake duct L16 is branched at the air conditioning indoor unit 21 and is piping from the air conditioning indoor unit 21 to the second supply air chamber 72.
The third air supply duct L17 is branched in the second air supply chamber 72 and is piping from the second air supply chamber 72 to the air supply fan inlet 52 for the first living space on the second floor.
The fourth air supply duct L18 is branched in the second air supply chamber 72 and is piping from the second air supply chamber 72 to the air supply fan inlet 54 for the second living space on the second floor.

When the heating function is activated, for example in winter, the air conditioning unit 2 receives cold air from near the lowest point of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10 via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46. The first-floor circulation fan intake 46 is connected to the air conditioning unit 2 by a circulation intake duct L3 (described later). In this embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 is located near the lowest point of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10.

In this embodiment, the vicinity of the lowest point of the insulated compartment 18 is preferably within a range of 1 meter above the lowest point of the insulated compartment 18, and more preferably within a range of 50 cm above the lowest point of the insulated compartment 18. The vicinity of the lowest point of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10 is conventionally a location where, even when the heating function of the air conditioning system 2 is activated in winter, the air within the house 10 is difficult to warm, resulting in poor performance of the air conditioning system 2. For example, generally, when the heating function is activated in winter, if the temperature at floor level in the living or non-living space is 3°C or more lower than the set heating temperature, the air conditioning is considered to be ineffective. In this embodiment, the vicinity of the lowest point of the insulated compartment 18 is a location where, when the heating function is activated, the temperature is 3°C or more lower than the set heating temperature.

In this embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 is located below the first-floor piping space 131, for example, in the underfloor space 114. In this embodiment, the underfloor space 114 is the lowest part of the lowest floor of the house 10, and also the lowest part of the insulated compartment 18.

Furthermore, when the cooling function is activated, for example in the summer, the air conditioning unit 2 receives warm air from near the top of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10 via the second-floor circulation fan intake 55. The second-floor circulation fan intake 55 is connected to the air conditioning unit 2 by a circulation intake duct L3 (described later). In this embodiment, the second-floor circulation fan intake 55 is located near the top of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10.

In this embodiment, the vicinity of the top of the insulated compartment 18 is preferably within a range of 1 meter below the top of the insulated compartment 18, and more preferably within a range of 50 cm below the top of the insulated compartment 18. The vicinity of the top of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10 is conventionally a location where, even when the cooling function of the air conditioning system 2 is operated in the summer, the air inside the house 10 does not cool easily, resulting in poor performance of the air conditioning system 2. For example, generally, when the cooling function is operated in the summer, if the temperature near the ceiling of the living space or non-living space is 3°C or more higher than the set temperature of the cooling system, the air conditioning is considered to be ineffective. In this embodiment, the vicinity of the top of the insulated compartment 18 is a location where, when the cooling function is operated, the temperature is 3°C or more higher than the set temperature of the cooling system.

In this embodiment, the second-floor circulation fan intake 55 is located, for example, in the attic space 125. In this embodiment, the attic space 125 is the uppermost part of the top floor of the house 10, and also the uppermost part of the insulated compartment 18.

The switching unit 8 is installed in the middle of the circulating intake duct L3. The switching unit 8 can switch the air from inside the house 10, which is introduced into the air conditioning unit 2, between cold air introduced via the first-floor circulating fan intake port 46, or warm air introduced via the second-floor circulating fan intake port 55.

The switching unit 8 is configured to selectively switch between two states within the circulation intake duct L3: a first-floor air intake state, where air drawn in through the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 is introduced into the air conditioning indoor unit 21, and a second-floor air intake state, where air drawn in through the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55 is introduced into the air conditioning indoor unit 21.

The circulating intake duct L3 is a pipe that circulates cold air near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18 or warm air near the top of the insulated compartment 18 to the air conditioning indoor unit 21. The circulating intake duct L3 includes a first-floor circulating intake duct L31, a second-floor circulating intake duct L32, and a common circulating intake duct L33.

When the circulating intake duct L3 is switched to the first-floor air intake state by the switching unit 8, it circulates the cold air near the top of the insulated compartment 18 to the air conditioning indoor unit 21 via the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 and the common circulating intake duct L33. Furthermore, when the circulating intake duct L3 is switched to the second-floor air intake state by the switching unit 8, it circulates the warm air near the top of the insulated compartment 18 to the air conditioning indoor unit 21 via the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 and the common circulating intake duct L33.

The first-floor circulation intake duct L31 is the piping from the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 to the switching section 8, and it circulates the air drawn in from the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 to the switching section 8.
The second-floor circulation intake duct L32 is the piping from the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55 to the switching section 8, and it circulates the air drawn in from the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55 to the switching section 8.
The common circulating intake duct L33 has one end connected to the switching unit 8 and the other end connected to the air conditioning indoor unit 21. It is a pipe that circulates the air that has flowed through either the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 or the second-floor circulating intake duct L32, which is switched by the switching unit 8, to the air conditioning indoor unit 21.

For example, in winter, when the air conditioning unit 2 is operating with its heating function, switching the switching unit 8 to the first-floor air intake state allows the air conditioning unit 2 to receive cold air from the underfloor space 114. Similarly, in summer, when the air conditioning unit 2 is operating with its cooling function, switching the switching unit 8 to the second-floor air intake state allows the air conditioning unit 2 to receive warm air from the attic space 125.

The switching unit 8 may be configured to switch between a first-floor air intake state and a second-floor air intake state by manual operation, or it may be configured to automatically switch between a first-floor air intake state and a second-floor air intake state in conjunction with the cooling or heating of the air conditioning unit 2.

In this embodiment, a common circulation intake duct L33 is provided in the circulation intake duct L3. However, the system is not limited to this configuration. Alternatively, a first-floor circulation intake duct L31 and a second-floor circulation intake duct L32 may be provided separately, each connected to the air conditioning indoor unit 21, and switched using a switching unit built into the air conditioning indoor unit 21.

The ventilation system 3 is located in the piping space 132 on the upper side of the first floor, between the first and second floors. The ventilation system 3 ventilates the house 10 by introducing outside air into the air conditioning system 2, thereby introducing outside air into the house 10 via the air conditioning system 2, and simultaneously exhausting the air inside the house 10 to the outside. Furthermore, the ventilation system 3 has a heat exchange function, performing heat exchange between the supply air and exhaust air while operating the supply and exhaust functions, thus providing 24-hour ventilation.

The ventilation system 3, via the exhaust duct L2, discharges air from predetermined spaces 111, 112, and 113 to the outside of the house 10 on the first floor, through the exhaust fan exhaust port 41 for the first-floor bathroom space, the exhaust fan exhaust port 42 for the first-floor corridor, and the exhaust fan exhaust port 45 for the first-floor living space. On the second floor, it discharges air from predetermined spaces 121 and 123 to the outside of the house 10, through the exhaust fan exhaust port 51 for the second-floor storage space and the exhaust fan exhaust port 53 for the second-floor corridor. The ventilation system 3 introduces air from outside the house 10 into the air conditioning system 2, thereby supplying air from outside the house 10 to predetermined spaces 113 on the first floor via the air intake ports 43 and 44, and supplying air from outside the house 10 to predetermined spaces 122 and 124 on the second floor via the air intake ports 52 and 54.

The fan exhaust vent 41 for the first-floor bathroom space is located on the first floor, on the interior ceiling 111b of the first-floor bathroom space 111.
The exhaust fan outlet 42 for the first-floor corridor is located on the first floor, on the interior ceiling 112b of the first-floor corridor space 112.
The exhaust fan outlet 45 for the first-floor living space is located on the other side of the interior ceiling 113b of the first-floor living space 113.

The exhaust fan outlet 51 for the second-floor storage space is located on the second floor, on the interior ceiling 121b of the second-floor storage space 121.
The exhaust fan outlet 53 for the second-floor corridor is located on the second floor, on the interior ceiling 123a of the second-floor corridor space 123.

The exhaust duct L2 is a pipe for discharging air from the first-floor bathroom space 111, the first-floor corridor space 112, the first-floor living space 113, the second-floor storage space 121, and the second-floor corridor space 123 to the outside of the house 10. The exhaust duct L2 includes the first-floor bathroom side exhaust duct L21, the first-floor corridor side exhaust duct L22, the first-floor living space side exhaust duct L23, the first-floor exhaust confluence duct L24, the second-floor storage space side exhaust duct L25, the second-floor corridor side exhaust duct L26, the second-floor exhaust confluence duct L27, the total exhaust confluence duct L28, and the exhaust discharge duct L29.

The exhaust duct L21 on the first floor water area side is the piping from the fan exhaust port 41 for the first floor water area space to the first exhaust chamber 74.
The exhaust duct L22 on the first-floor corridor side is the piping from the exhaust port 42 of the exhaust fan for the first-floor corridor to the first exhaust chamber 74.
The exhaust duct L23 on the first-floor living room side is the piping from the exhaust port 45 of the exhaust fan for the first living space on the first floor to the first exhaust chamber 74.
The exhaust junction duct L24 on the first floor is the piping from the first exhaust chamber 74 to the Y-shaped pipe 73.
The exhaust duct L25 on the second-floor storage space side is the piping from the exhaust port 51 of the exhaust fan for the second-floor storage space to the second exhaust chamber 75.
The exhaust duct L26 on the second-floor corridor side is the piping from the exhaust port 53 of the exhaust fan for the second-floor corridor to the second exhaust chamber 75.
The exhaust junction duct L27 on the second floor is the piping from the second exhaust chamber 75 to the Y-shaped pipe 73.
The all-exhaust confluence duct L28 is the piping from the Y-shaped pipe 73 to the ventilation device 3.
The exhaust duct L29 is a pipe that discharges the air expelled from the ventilation device 3 to the outside of the house 10.

The ventilation system 3 ventilates the house 10 24 hours a day, and ventilates whether the air conditioning system 2 is running or stopped. Even when the air conditioning system 2 is stopped, cooling and heating are not performed by the air conditioning system 2, but ventilation by the ventilation system 3 is still carried out as air that has passed through the inside of the air conditioning system 2 is introduced into the house 10.

In this embodiment, regarding the amount of air introduced into the indoor air conditioning unit 21 of the air conditioning system 2, as an example, the amount of air introduced by the ventilation system 3 is, for example, about 150 to 160 ^m³ /h (cubic meter), and the amount of air drawn in from inside the house 10 (the amount of air drawn in by the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 or the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55) is, for example, about 350 ^m³ /h (cubic meter). As a result, the indoor air conditioning unit 21 cools the introduced air with its cooling function and/or heats it with its heating function, supplying an amount of air of about 500 ^m³ /h (cubic meter) into the house 10. Here, for example, air drawn from inside the house 10 at a volume of about 350 ^m³ /h (cubic meter) and introduced into the air conditioning unit 2 is circulated within the house 10, cooled by the cooling function of the air conditioning unit 2, and heated by the heating function, and then supplied again to the predetermined spaces 113, 122, and 124.

Next, the operation of the air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment will be described. The operation of the air conditioning system 1 in winter and in summer will be described.

First, let's explain how to use air conditioning system 1 during the winter.
When using the air conditioning system 1 in winter, the ventilation and heat exchange functions of the ventilation device 3 are activated, the heating function of the air conditioning device 2 is activated, and the switching unit 8 is switched to the first-floor air intake state as shown in Figure 1.

Air from outside the house 10 is introduced into the air conditioning unit 2 from the ventilation unit 3. By switching the switching unit 8 to the first-floor air intake state, air from the underfloor space 114 is introduced via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46. The air conditioning unit 2 heats the air introduced by the ventilation unit 3 and the air introduced via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 using its heating function, and supplies it to the designated spaces 113, 122, and 124.

Specifically, in winter, the air temperature in the underfloor space 114 near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18 is difficult to warm. Therefore, by switching the switching unit 8 to the first-floor side air intake state, the cold air from the underfloor space 114 is drawn in by the first-floor side circulation fan intake 46 and introduced into the air conditioning unit 2. In this embodiment, the area near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18 is preferably within a range from the bottom of the insulated compartment 18 up to a position 1m above it, and more preferably within a range from the bottom of the insulated compartment 18 up to a position 50cm above it. The area near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10 is conventionally considered a location where, even when the heating function of the air conditioning unit 2 is activated in winter, the air within the house 10 is difficult to warm, resulting in poor performance of the air conditioning unit 2.

The air conditioning unit 2 then heats the air introduced from the ventilation unit 3 and the air introduced via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 by switching the switching unit 8 to the first-floor air intake state, using its heating function. On the first floor, it supplies air to predetermined spaces 113 via the air inlets 43 and 44, and on the second floor, it supplies air to predetermined spaces 122 and 124 via the air inlets 52 and 54.

In this embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 is located in the underfloor space 114. The first-floor circulation fan intake 46, located in the underfloor space 114 near the lowest part of the insulated compartment 18, draws in air from the underfloor space 114 near the lowest part of the insulated compartment 18, where the temperature is difficult to rise and heating is less effective, when the heating function of the air conditioning unit 2 is activated during winter. The cold air drawn in by the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 is then returned to the air conditioning unit 2, where it is heated again by the heating function of the air conditioning unit 2 and supplied to each of the spaces 113, 122, and 124. In this way, the air conditioning system 1 can introduce cold air from within the house 10 and circulate it while the heating function of the air conditioning unit 2 is activated.

Next, we will explain how to use air conditioning system 1 during the summer.
When using the air conditioning system 1 in the summer, the ventilation function and heat exchange function of the ventilation device 3 are operated, the cooling function of the air conditioning device 2 is operated, and the switching unit 8 is switched to the second-floor air intake state as shown in Figure 2.

Air from outside the house 10 is introduced into the air conditioning unit 2 from the ventilation unit 3. By switching the switching unit 8 to the second-floor air intake state, air from the attic space 125 is introduced via the second-floor circulation fan intake 55. The air conditioning unit 2 cools the air introduced by the ventilation unit 3 and the air introduced via the second-floor circulation fan intake 55 using its cooling function and supplies it to the designated spaces 113, 122, and 124.

Specifically, in summer, the air temperature in the attic space 125 near the top of the insulated compartment 18 is difficult to cool. Therefore, by switching the switching unit 8 to the second-floor air intake state, the warm air from the attic space 125 is drawn in by the second-floor circulation fan intake 55 and introduced into the air conditioning unit 2. In this embodiment, the area near the top of the insulated compartment 18 is preferably within a range of 1 m below the bottom of the insulated compartment 18, and more preferably within a range of 50 cm below the bottom of the insulated compartment 18. The area near the top of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10 is conventionally considered a location where, even when the cooling function of the air conditioning unit 2 is activated in summer, the air within the house 10 is difficult to cool, resulting in poor performance of the air conditioning unit 2.

The air conditioning unit 2 then cools the air introduced from the ventilation unit 3 and the air introduced via the second-floor circulation fan intake 55 by switching the switching unit 8 to the second-floor air intake state. On the first floor, it supplies air to predetermined spaces 113 via the air inlets 43 and 44, and on the second floor, it supplies air to predetermined spaces 122 and 124 via the air inlets 52 and 54.

In this embodiment, the second-floor circulation fan intake 55 is located in the attic space 125. The second-floor circulation fan intake 55, located in the attic space 125, draws in air from the attic space 125 near the top of the insulated compartment 18, where the temperature is difficult to lower and cooling is less effective, when the cooling function of the air conditioning unit 2 is activated during the summer. The warm air drawn in by the second-floor circulation fan intake 55 is then returned to the air conditioning unit 2, where it is cooled again by the cooling function of the air conditioning unit 2 and supplied to each space 113, 122, and 124. In this way, the warm air from within the house 10 is introduced into the air conditioning unit 2, circulating the air while the cooling function of the air conditioning unit 2 can be activated.

In the above-described air conditioning system 1, when heating in winter, the air conditioning unit 2 introduces cold air from the underfloor space 114 near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18, warms the introduced air, and supplies it to each of the spaces 113, 122, and 124 of the house 10. Similarly, when cooling in summer, the air conditioning unit 2 introduces warm air from the attic space 125 near the top of the insulated compartment 18, cools the introduced air, and supplies it to each of the spaces 113, 122, and 124 of the house 10. Therefore, by introducing either the cold air near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18 or the warm air near the top of the insulated compartment 18 and circulating the air while operating the heating or cooling function of the air conditioning unit 2, it is possible to create airflow and reduce the temperature difference of the air within the house 10.
Therefore, with a simple configuration, the temperature throughout the house 10 can be adjusted to a uniform temperature. In particular, in a house 10 with high airtightness and high insulation performance, the air conditioning system 1 can be operated with low power consumption.
Furthermore, the ventilation device 3 allows for ventilation within the house 10 while simultaneously adjusting the overall temperature inside the house 10 to a uniform temperature.

The air conditioning system of this embodiment described above provides the following effects.
The air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment is an air conditioning system 1 that includes an air conditioning device 2 that warms the air inside the house 10 introduced through a first-floor side circulation fan intake port 46 or a second-floor side circulation fan intake port 55 by a heating function or cools it by a cooling function and supplies it inside the house 10. When the heating function is activated, the first-floor side circulation fan intake port 46 is located near the lowest part of the insulated section 18 inside the house 10, and when the cooling function is activated, the second-floor side circulation fan intake port 55 is located near the highest part of the insulated section 18 inside the house 10.

Therefore, when the heating function is activated, the air conditioning unit 2 receives cold air from near the bottom of the insulated section 18 within the house 10 via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46, or when the cooling function is activated, it receives warm air from near the top of the insulated section 18 within the house 10 via the second-floor circulation fan intake 55. This allows the air conditioning unit 2 to circulate the cold or warm air within the house 10 to perform heating or cooling. Thus, with a simple configuration, the overall temperature within the house 10 can be adjusted to a uniform temperature. In particular, in a house 10 with high airtightness and high insulation performance, the air conditioning system 1 can be operated with low power consumption.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 is located in the underfloor space 114, and the second-floor circulation fan intake 55 is located in the attic space 125. Therefore, when the house 10 is a two-story building, by drawing in air from the area with the most severe temperature conditions and introducing it into the air conditioning unit 2, cooler or warmer air can be circulated to activate the heating or cooling functions, thereby providing air conditioning. This allows for more efficient adjustment of the overall temperature within the house 10 to a uniform temperature.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the air conditioning unit 2 has both heating and cooling functions, and is equipped with a switching unit 8 that can switch the air introduced into the air conditioning unit 2 between cold air introduced via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 or warm air introduced via the second-floor circulation fan intake 55. By switching using the switching unit 8, when operating the heating and cooling functions, for example, by switching the switching unit 8 according to the season (summer or winter), the overall temperature inside the house 10 can be adjusted to a uniform temperature.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a ventilation device 3 is provided to introduce outside air into the house 10 and discharge the air inside the house 10 to the outside. The ventilation device 3 introduces outside air into the air conditioning device 2, and the air conditioning device 2 heats the outside air introduced by the ventilation device 3 using its heating function or cools it using its cooling function and supplies it into the house 10. Thus, an air conditioning system 1 comprising the air conditioning device 2 and the ventilation device 3 can be created, realizing a system that can ventilate the house 10 while adjusting the overall temperature inside the house 10 to a uniform temperature.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the state during heating and cooling in a house 10A equipped with an air conditioning system 1A according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
The house 10A of the second embodiment differs from the house 10 of the first embodiment in that the insulation compartment 18A is different. Also, in the second embodiment, the positions of the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46A and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A are different from those of the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55 of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, components similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. Note that in Figure 3 of the second embodiment, the airflow during heating and cooling, which was described separately in Figures 1 and 2 of the first embodiment, is shown in a single figure. In Figure 3, the air drawn into the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46A during cooling is indicated by a solid arrow, and the air drawn into the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A during heating is indicated by a dashed arrow.

The insulated compartment 18A of the second embodiment does not have a roof-side insulation line 181 arranged along the roof 13 of the first embodiment, but has a roof insulation line 183 arranged along the roof ceiling 15 on the upper side of the roof ceiling 15. Furthermore, the insulated compartment 18A of the second embodiment has an outer insulation line 182A that has a shorter lower end than the outer wall-side insulation line 182 of the first embodiment and extends vertically from the roof 13 to the floor 16. In addition, the insulated compartment 18A has a floor-side insulation line 184 arranged along the floor 16 on the lower side of the floor 16.
In the second embodiment, the floor 16 of the first floor of the house 10 is positioned along the floor-side insulation line 184 of the insulation compartment 18A, thus forming an insulation compartment, and is also the lowest finishing surface (finished part) of the living space or non-living space on the first floor. The roof ceiling 15 of the second floor of the house 10 is positioned along the roof insulation line 183 of the insulation compartment 18A, thus forming an insulation compartment, and is also the highest finishing surface (finished part) of the non-living space on the second floor.

Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1A of the second embodiment has a first-floor circulation fan intake port 46A and a second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A, and the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46A and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A are positioned differently from the positions where the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55 of the first embodiment are located.

In the second embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46A is located near the floor 16 (insulated section 18A, finished area) below the first-floor piping space 131 on the first floor. The area near the floor 16 below the first-floor piping space 131 on the first floor is near the lowest part of the insulated section 18A of the house 10, and is near the floor 16 located at the lowest point of the non-residential space on the lowest floor of the two-story house 10.

In this embodiment, the vicinity of the floor 16 (insulated section 18A, finished area) located at the lowest point of the non-residential space on the lowest floor of the two-story house 10 is preferably within a range of 1 m above the top surface of the floor 16, and more preferably within a range of 50 cm above the top surface of the floor 16. The vicinity of the floor 16 at the lowest point of the non-residential space on the lowest floor of the two-story house 10 is conventionally a place where, even when the heating function of the air conditioning system 2 is activated in winter, the air inside the house 10 is difficult to warm, and the effectiveness of the air conditioning system 2 is considered poor. For example, generally, when the heating function is activated in winter, if the temperature at floor level in the living space or non-residential space is 3°C or more lower than the set heating temperature, the air conditioning is considered to be ineffective. In this embodiment, the vicinity of the floor 16 located at the lowest point of the non-residential space on the lowest floor of the two-story house 10 is a place where, when the heating function is activated, the temperature is 3°C or more lower than the set heating temperature.

Furthermore, the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A is located near the roof ceiling 15 (insulated section 18A, finished area) of the upper second-floor piping space 134. The area near the roof ceiling 15 above the upper second-floor piping space 134 is near the top of the insulated section 18A of the house 10, and is the vicinity of the roof ceiling 15 located at the top of the non-residential space on the top floor of the two-story house 10.

In this embodiment, the vicinity of the roof ceiling 15 (insulated section 18A, finished part) located at the top of the non-residential space on the top floor of the two-story house 10 is preferably within a range of 1 m below the bottom surface of the roof ceiling 15, and more preferably within a range of 50 cm below the bottom surface of the roof ceiling 15. The vicinity of the roof ceiling 15 at the top of the non-residential space on the top floor of the two-story house 10 is conventionally a place where, even when the cooling function of the air conditioning system 2 is operated in the summer, the air inside the house 10 does not cool down easily, and the air conditioning system 2 is considered to be ineffective. For example, generally, when the cooling function is operated in the summer, if the temperature near the ceiling of the living space or non-residential space is 3°C or more higher than the set temperature of the cooling system, the air conditioning is considered to be ineffective. In this embodiment, the vicinity of the roof ceiling 15 located at the top of the non-residential space on the top floor of the two-story house 10 is a place where, when the cooling function is operated, the temperature is 3°C or more higher than the set temperature of the cooling system.

The air conditioning system 1A of the second embodiment, configured as described above, can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. Specifically, in the air conditioning system 1A of the second embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake 46A is located near the lowest floor 16 of the non-residential space on the lowest floor of the house 10. The second-floor circulation fan intake 55A is located near the highest roof ceiling 15 of the non-residential space on the top floor of the house 10. This allows for the intake of air from areas with more severe temperature conditions and its introduction into the air conditioning unit 2, thereby circulating the cold air near the first-floor floor 16 or the warm air near the second-floor roof ceiling 15 within the house 10, enabling heating or cooling functions to be activated. Therefore, the overall temperature within the house 10A can be adjusted to a uniform temperature with a simple configuration.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the state during heating and cooling in a house 10A equipped with the air conditioning system 1B according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
In the third embodiment, the positions of the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55B differ from those of the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46A and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A in the second embodiment. In the third embodiment, components similar to those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. In Figure 4 of the third embodiment, as in Figure 3 of the second embodiment, the airflow during heating and cooling is shown in a single figure. In Figure 4, the air drawn into the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B during cooling is indicated by a solid arrow, and the air drawn into the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55B during heating is indicated by a dashed arrow.

The house 10A of the third embodiment is configured in the same way as the house 10A of the second embodiment, and the insulated compartment 18A is also configured in the same way.
Furthermore, the third embodiment has a first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B and a second-floor circulation fan intake port 55B, and the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55B are located in positions different from those where the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46A and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A are located in the second embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B is positioned near the floor 16 (insulated section 18A, finished area) below one side wall 112a of the first-floor corridor space 112. The vicinity of the floor 16 below one side wall 112a of the first-floor corridor space 112 is the vicinity of the floor 16 located at the lowest point of the non-residential space on the lowest floor of the two-story house 10. The interpretation of the vicinity of the floor 16 (insulated section 18A, finished area) located at the lowest point of the non-residential space on the lowest floor of the two-story house 10 is the same as in the second embodiment.

Furthermore, the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55B is located near the interior ceiling 123a above one side wall 123b of the second-floor corridor space 123. The area near the interior ceiling 123a above one side wall 123b of the second-floor corridor space 123 is near the interior ceiling 123a (finished surface) located at the very top of the non-residential space on the top floor of the two-story house 10.

In this embodiment, the vicinity of the interior ceiling 123a (finished part) of the second-floor corridor space 123 located at the top of the non-residential space on the top floor of the two-story house 10 is preferably within a range of 1 m below the bottom surface of the interior ceiling 123a, and more preferably within a range of 50 cm below the bottom surface of the interior ceiling 123a. The vicinity of the interior ceiling 123a at the top of the non-residential space on the top floor of the two-story house 10 is conventionally a place where, even when the cooling function of the air conditioning system 2 is operated in the summer, the air inside the house 10 does not cool down easily, and the effectiveness of the air conditioning system 2 is considered poor. For example, generally, when the cooling function is operated in the summer, if the temperature near the ceiling of the living space or non-residential space is 3°C or more higher than the set temperature of the cooling system, the effectiveness of the air conditioning is considered poor. In this embodiment, the area near the interior ceiling 123a located at the top of the non-residential space on the top floor of the two-story house 10 is considered to be at least 3°C higher than the set temperature of the air conditioning when the air conditioning function is activated.

In the third embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake 46B or the second-floor circulation fan intake 55B draws in air from the non-residential spaces, namely the first-floor corridor space 112 and the second-floor corridor space 123. In these non-residential spaces, air is not supplied from the air conditioning system 2 or ventilation system 3, and they are connected to adjacent spaces at the bottom, making them prone to accumulating polluted air. Therefore, by introducing air from these non-residential spaces, where heating and cooling are not performed, into the air conditioning system 2 via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46B or the second-floor circulation fan intake 55B, and supplying the cooled or heated air from the air conditioning system 2 to the living spaces, airflow is created, allowing the cooling or heating functions to operate efficiently. Thus, energy-saving effects can be achieved.

The air conditioning system 1B of the third embodiment, configured as described above, can achieve the same effects as the first and second embodiments. Specifically, in the air conditioning system 1B of the third embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B is located near the lowest floor 16 (insulated section 18A, finished part) of the first-floor corridor space 112 (non-residential space) on the lowest floor of the house 10. The second-floor circulation fan intake port 55B is located near the interior ceiling 123a (finished part) of the second-floor corridor space 123 (non-residential space) on the top floor of the house 10. By drawing in air from areas with more severe temperature conditions and introducing it into the air conditioning device 2, the cold air near the floor 16 of the first-floor corridor space 112 on the first floor of the house 10 or the warm air near the interior ceiling 123a of the second-floor corridor space 123 on the second floor can be circulated to activate the heating or cooling function and perform air conditioning. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the overall temperature inside the house 10A can be adjusted to a uniform temperature.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the state during heating and cooling in a house 10 equipped with the air conditioning system 1C according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
The air conditioning system 1C of the fourth embodiment is equipped with an air conditioning maintenance structure 9 in addition to the air conditioning system 1 of the first embodiment. Components similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. In Figure 5 of the fourth embodiment, as in Figure 3 of the second embodiment, the airflow during heating and cooling is shown in a single figure. In Figure 5, the air drawn into the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 during cooling is indicated by a solid arrow, and the air drawn into the second-floor circulation fan intake 55C during heating is indicated by a dashed arrow.

The air conditioning system 1C of the fourth embodiment includes an air conditioning maintenance structure 9 in addition to the configuration of the air conditioning system 1 of the first embodiment.
The air conditioning maintenance structure 9 is a structure for performing maintenance on the filters (first-floor filter 912, second-floor filter 922) of the air conditioning system 1. More specifically, the air conditioning maintenance structure 9 is a structure that allows for easy maintenance of the filters (first-floor filter 912, second-floor filter 922) installed in the circulation path that circulates air drawn in from the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55C to the air conditioning device 2 in the air conditioning system 1.

The air conditioning maintenance structure 9 of this embodiment comprises a first-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 91 provided on the first floor and a second-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 92 provided on the second floor.

In the fourth embodiment, on the first floor, the length of the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 shown in Figure 1 of the first embodiment was shortened by connecting the end on the first-floor circulating fan intake port 46 side to the switching unit 8 side, instead of connecting it to the first-floor circulating fan intake port 46, thereby providing a first-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 91. Furthermore, on the second floor, the length of the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 shown in Figure 1 of the first embodiment was shortened by connecting the end on the second-floor circulating fan intake port 55 side to the switching unit 8 side, instead of connecting it to the switching unit 8 side, thereby providing a second-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 92.

As shown in Figure 5, the first-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 91 includes a first-floor intake airtight space 911 (intake airtight space), a first-floor circulation intake duct L31 (maintenance duct), a first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 (intake port), a first-floor filter 912 (filter), and a first-floor maintenance door 913 (maintenance door).

The airtight intake space 911 on the first floor is provided using the piping space 131 (a space where ducts can be installed) located between the first-floor bathroom space 111 and the first-floor corridor space 112 in the left-right direction. The airtight intake space 911 extends vertically, including the piping space 131. It is possible to install an air supply duct in the space inside the piping space 131. Even when the airtight intake space 911 is provided within the piping space 131, it is still possible to install an air supply duct in the airtight intake space 911 located within the piping space 131.

The airtight intake space 911 on the first floor extends vertically, from partway through the underfloor space 114 to partway through the first-floor piping space 131. The airtight intake space 911 is constructed to be airtight, and air drawn in by the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46, which is connected to the lower side, flows through it toward the first-floor circulation intake duct L31, which is connected to the upper side.

The airtight intake space 911 on the first floor is formed, for example, as a cylindrical shape extending vertically, and is configured to allow cleaning of its interior by opening the first-floor maintenance door 913, which will be described later. Since the first-floor intake space 911 is constructed using the first-floor piping space 131, it is formed as a cylindrical shape with a larger opening area compared to the duct opening area. The first-floor intake space 911 is configured to be large enough for maintenance workers to clean it using cleaning tools, for example, by opening the first-floor maintenance door 913, which will be described later.

The lower end of the airtight space 911 for air intake on the first floor is connected to the first-floor circulating intake duct L31. One end of the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 is connected to the airtight space 911 for air intake on the first floor, and the other end is connected to the air conditioning unit 2 via the switching unit 8 and the common circulating intake duct L33.

One end of the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 is connected to the lower end of the first-floor intake air-tight space 911, with the end of L31 penetrating through the lower end of the air-tight space 911 and opening inside the space. The other end of L31 opens upwards inside the air-tight space 911. In this embodiment, the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 constitutes a maintenance duct, and a first-floor filter 912 is attached to the end that opens upwards inside the air-tight space 911.

The first-floor circulation fan intake 46 is positioned to connect the first-floor air intake airtight space 911 with the underfloor space 114 within the house 10. As mentioned above, the first-floor circulation fan intake 46 is located in the underfloor space 114 near the lowest point of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10. The first-floor circulation fan intake 46 draws in air from the underfloor space 114 in order to circulate the air from within the house 10 to the air conditioning unit 2.

The first-floor filter 912 is positioned inside the first-floor intake air seal space 911, covering the opening at the end of the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 on the first-floor intake air seal space 911 side. The first-floor filter 912 captures foreign matter such as dust contained in the air flowing through the first-floor intake air seal space 911 into the first-floor circulating intake duct L31. The first-floor filter 912 is installed at the opening at the end of the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 on the first-floor intake air seal space 911 side, allowing for maintenance such as replacement when the first-floor maintenance door 913 is open.

The first-floor maintenance door 913 is configured to open and close the first-floor intake airtight space 911 and is located below one side wall 112a of the first-floor corridor space 112. Because the first-floor maintenance door 913 is located below one side wall 112a of the first-floor corridor space 112, it is within reach, making it easy for maintenance workers to open and close the door. Furthermore, the first-floor maintenance door 913 is positioned and sized to allow maintenance workers to perform maintenance such as replacing the first-floor filter 912. Additionally, the first-floor maintenance door 913 is positioned and sized to allow maintenance workers to clean the inside of the first-floor intake airtight space 911.

Furthermore, the second-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 92 includes a second-floor intake airtight space 921 (intake airtight space), a second-floor circulation intake duct L32 (maintenance duct), a second-floor circulation fan intake port 55C (intake port), a second-floor filter 922 (filter), and a second-floor maintenance door 923 (maintenance door).

The airtight intake space 921 on the second floor is provided using the second-floor piping space 133 (duct-placeable space) located between the second-floor storage space 121 and the second-floor first living space 122 in the left-right direction. The airtight intake space 921 extends vertically, including the second-floor piping space 133. It is possible to place an air supply duct in the space inside the second-floor piping space 133. Even with the airtight intake space 921 provided in the second-floor piping space 133, it is still possible to place an air supply duct in the airtight intake space 921 located within the second-floor piping space 133. In this embodiment, the second-floor inlet duct L16, the second-floor exhaust confluence duct L27, and the second-floor storage space exhaust duct L25 are arranged through the airtight intake space 921 located within the second-floor piping space 133.

The airtight intake space 921 on the second floor extends vertically, from the upper end of the connecting passage 126 formed at the bottom of the second-floor piping space 133 to the lower end of the roof-side insulation line 181. The airtight intake space 921 is constructed to be airtight, and air drawn in by the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55C, which is connected to the upper side, flows through it toward the second-floor circulation intake duct L32, which is connected to the lower side.

The airtight intake space 921 on the second floor is formed, for example, as a cylindrical shape extending vertically, and is configured so that the interior of the airtight intake space 921 can be cleaned by opening the second-floor maintenance door 923, which will be described later. Since the airtight intake space 921 on the second floor is constructed using the second-floor piping space 131, it is formed as a cylindrical shape with a larger opening area compared to the opening area of the duct. The interior of the airtight intake space 921 is configured to be large enough for maintenance workers to clean it using cleaning tools, for example, by opening the second-floor maintenance door 923, which will be described later.

The lower end of the airtight space 921 for air intake on the second floor is connected to the second-floor circulating intake duct L32. One end of the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 is connected to the airtight space 921, and the other end is connected to the air conditioning unit 2 via the switching unit 8 and the common circulating intake duct L33.

One end of the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 is connected to the lower end of the airtight intake space 921, with the end of L32 penetrating the lower end of the airtight intake space 921 and opening inside the space. The other end of L32 opens upwards inside the airtight intake space 921. In this embodiment, the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 constitutes a maintenance duct, and a second-floor filter 922 is attached to the end that opens upwards inside the airtight intake space 921.

The second-floor circulation fan intake port 55C is positioned to connect the second-floor air intake airtight space 921 with the attic space 125 within the house 10. As mentioned above, the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55C is located in the attic space 125 near the uppermost part of the insulated compartment 18 within the house 10. The second-floor circulation fan intake port 55C draws in air from the attic space 125 in order to circulate the air from within the house 10 to the air conditioning unit 2.

The second-floor filter 922 is positioned inside the second-floor intake air seal space 921, covering the opening at the end of the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 on the second-floor intake air seal space 921 side. The second-floor filter 922 captures foreign matter such as dust contained in the air flowing through the second-floor intake air seal space 921 into the second-floor circulating intake duct L32. The second-floor filter 922 is installed at the opening at the end of the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 on the second-floor intake air seal space 921 side, allowing for maintenance such as replacement when the second-floor maintenance door 923 is open.

The second-floor maintenance door 923 is configured to open and close the second-floor intake airtight space 921 and is located below one side wall 122a of the second-floor first living space 122. Because the second-floor maintenance door 923 is located below one side wall 122a of the second-floor first living space 122, it is within reach, making it easy for maintenance workers to open and close the door. Furthermore, the second-floor maintenance door 923 is positioned and sized to allow maintenance workers to perform maintenance such as replacing the second-floor filter 922. Additionally, the second-floor maintenance door 923 is positioned and sized to allow maintenance workers to clean the inside of the second-floor intake airtight space 921.

The first-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 91 and the second-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 92, configured as described above, allow for easy maintenance of the filters of the air conditioning system 1 (first-floor filter 912, second-floor filter 922).
Conventionally, in configurations where a filter is installed in the air intake, if the air intake is located at a high position or under the floor, maintenance work such as replacing the filter was difficult because it required climbing up to a high position or peering under the floor.
In contrast, in the present invention, maintenance work such as replacing filters (first-floor filter 912, second-floor filter 922) and cleaning the inside of the intake airtight spaces (first-floor intake airtight space 911, second-floor intake airtight space 921) can be easily performed by opening the maintenance doors (first-floor maintenance door 913, second-floor maintenance door 923).

The air conditioning maintenance structure 9 of the fourth embodiment provides the following effects.
The first-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 91 of this embodiment includes: a first-floor air intake airtight space 911 provided in the first-floor piping space 131 and having airtightness; a first-floor circulating intake duct L31 connected to the first-floor air intake airtight space 911 with one end opening into the first-floor air intake airtight space 911 and the other end connected to the air conditioning device 2; a first-floor circulating fan intake port 46 arranged to communicate the first-floor air intake airtight space 911 with the space inside the house 10; a first-floor filter 912 arranged inside the first-floor air intake airtight space 911 to cover the opening on the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 side of the first-floor air intake airtight space 911; and a first-floor maintenance door 913 configured to open and close the first-floor air intake airtight space 911 and positioned to allow maintenance of the first-floor filter 912. Furthermore, the second-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 92 includes a second-floor air intake airtight space 921 provided in the second-floor piping space 133 and having airtightness; a second-floor circulating intake duct L32 connected to the second-floor air intake airtight space 921 with one end opening into the second-floor air intake airtight space 921 and the other end connected to the air conditioning device 2; a second-floor circulating fan intake port 55C arranged to communicate the second-floor air intake airtight space 921 with the space inside the house 10; a second-floor filter 922 arranged inside the second-floor air intake airtight space 921 to cover the opening on the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 side facing the second-floor air intake airtight space 921; and a second-floor maintenance door 923 configured to open and close the second-floor air intake airtight space 921 and positioned to allow maintenance of the second-floor filter 922.

Therefore, by opening the maintenance doors (maintenance door 913 on the first floor and maintenance door 923 on the second floor), the filters (first-floor filter 912 and second-floor filter 922) are positioned within reach. This allows for easy maintenance of the filters (first-floor filter 912 and second-floor filter 922) and cleaning of the air intake spaces (first-floor air intake space 911 and second-floor air intake space 921).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 is located in the underfloor space 114, and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55C is located in the attic space 125. When filters are located in the underfloor space 114 or the attic space 125, maintenance work such as filter replacement is difficult due to their limited access. In contrast, with the configuration of the present invention, maintenance work such as filter replacement (first-floor filter 912, second-floor filter 922) and cleaning of the intake airtight spaces (first-floor intake airtight space 911, second-floor intake airtight space 921) can be easily performed by opening the maintenance doors (first-floor maintenance door 913, second-floor maintenance door 923).

<Fifth Embodiment>
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the state during heating and cooling in a house 10A equipped with an air conditioning system 1D according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
In the fifth embodiment, the house 10A differs from the house 10 in the fourth embodiment in that the insulation compartment 18A is the same as the insulation compartment 18A of the house 10A shown in Figure 3 of the second embodiment. Also, in the fifth embodiment, the positions of the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55D are different from those of the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46 and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55C in the fourth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, components similar to those in the second and fourth embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. Note that, as with Figure 5 of the fourth embodiment, the airflow during heating and cooling is shown in a single figure in the figure of the fifth embodiment.

The air conditioning system 1A of the fifth embodiment does not have the configuration of the first-floor side air conditioning maintenance structure 91 provided on the first floor as of the fourth embodiment, and the configuration of the second-floor side air conditioning maintenance structure 92A of the fifth embodiment differs from the configuration of the second-floor side air conditioning maintenance structure 92 of the first embodiment.

In the fifth embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B is located near the floor 16 (finished surface) below the first-floor piping space 131, similar to Figure 4 of the third embodiment. The first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B is located below one side wall surface 112a of the first-floor corridor space 112. A filter (not shown) is attached to the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B, and since it is within easy reach, maintenance of the filter can be easily performed.

Furthermore, regarding the configuration of the second-floor air conditioning maintenance structure 92A, the upper end of the second-floor intake airtight space 921A extends only to the ceiling surface of the second-floor first living space 122, and the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55D is positioned near the ceiling (finished surface) of the second-floor first living space 122 (living space) on the upper side of one side wall surface 122a.

In the fifth embodiment, the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55D is located above the second-floor first living space 122. When the filter is located above the second-floor first living space 122, maintenance work such as replacing the filter is difficult due to its limited access. In contrast, according to the configuration of the present invention, maintenance work such as replacing the second-floor filter 922 and cleaning the inside of the second-floor intake airtight space 921A can be easily performed by opening the second-floor maintenance door 923.

<Sixth Embodiment>
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 7 shows a house 10A equipped with an air conditioning system 1E representing the sixth embodiment of the present invention, in which the air conditioning device, ventilation device, and switching unit are integrated as an air conditioning unit 4.
The insulated compartment 18A of the house 10A in the sixth embodiment is the same as the insulated compartment 18A of the house 10A shown in Figure 3 of the second embodiment.

The air conditioning system 1E includes an air conditioning unit 4 instead of the air conditioning device 2, ventilation device 3, and switching unit 8 in the above embodiment. In the sixth embodiment, the air conditioning unit 4 is configured by integrating the air conditioning device, ventilation device, and switching unit of the above embodiment. The air conditioning unit 4 has the cooling and ventilation functions of the air conditioning device 2, the ventilation function of the ventilation device 3, and the switching function of the switching unit 8 in the above embodiment. The switching function of the switching unit 8 in the above embodiment is built into the air conditioning unit 4 and can switch the air from inside the house 10 introduced into the air conditioning unit 4 to either cold air introduced via the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B or warm air introduced via the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A.

The air conditioning unit 4 is located in the piping space 131 on the first floor. The air conditioning system 1E is provided with a first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B that connects the air conditioning unit 4 to the first-floor piping space 131. Similar to Figure 4 of the third embodiment, the first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B is located near the floor 16 (insulated section 18A, finished area) below one side wall 112a of the first-floor corridor space 112. The first-floor circulation fan intake port 46B draws in air near the floor 16 below one side wall 112a of the first-floor corridor space 112 and introduces the drawn-in air into the air conditioning unit 4.

Furthermore, the air conditioning system 1E includes, for circulating air, a first supply air chamber 71, a second supply air chamber 72, a Y-shaped pipe 73, a first exhaust air chamber 74, a second exhaust air chamber 75, a supply air duct L1A, an exhaust air duct L2A, and a circulating intake air duct L3A.

The air supply duct L1A is a piping system for introducing outside air from the house 10 into the air conditioning unit 4 and supplying air heated by the heating function or cooled by the cooling function of the air conditioning unit 4 to the first-floor living space 113, the second-floor first living space 122, and the second-floor second living space 124. The air supply duct L1A comprises the air conditioning unit duct L11A, the first-floor inlet duct L13, the first air supply duct L14, the second air supply duct L15, the second-floor inlet duct L16, the third air supply duct L17, and the fourth air supply duct L18.

The air conditioning unit duct L11A is piping that introduces air from outside the house 10 into the air conditioning unit 4. The configuration of the first supply air duct L14, second supply air duct L15, third supply air duct L17, fourth supply air duct L18, first supply air chamber 71, and second supply air chamber 72 is the same as in the first embodiment. This embodiment does not include a duct corresponding to the air conditioning system introduction duct L12 of the first embodiment.

The introduction duct L13 on the first floor is the piping from the air conditioning unit 4 to the first supply air chamber 71.
The second-floor intake duct L16 is the piping from the air conditioning unit 4 to the second supply air chamber 72.

The exhaust duct L2A is a pipe for discharging air from the first-floor bathroom space 111, the first-floor corridor space 112, the first-floor living space 113, the second-floor storage space 121, and the second-floor corridor space 123 to the outside of the house 10. The exhaust duct L2A includes the first-floor bathroom side exhaust duct L21, the first-floor corridor side exhaust duct L22, the first-floor living space side exhaust duct L23, the first-floor exhaust confluence duct L24, the second-floor storage space side exhaust duct L25, the second-floor corridor side exhaust duct L26, the second-floor exhaust confluence duct L27, the total exhaust confluence duct L28A, and the exhaust discharge duct L29A.

The configurations of the exhaust duct L21 on the first floor bathroom side, L22 on the first floor corridor side, L23 on the first floor living room side, L24 on the first floor exhaust junction duct, L25 on the second floor storage space side, L26 on the second floor corridor side, L27 on the second floor exhaust junction duct, Y-shaped pipe 73, first exhaust chamber 74, and second exhaust chamber 75 are the same as in the first embodiment.

The all-exhaust confluence duct L28A is the piping from the Y-shaped pipe 73 to the air conditioning unit 4.
The exhaust duct L29A is a pipe that discharges the air from the air conditioning unit 4 to the outside of the house 10.

The circulating intake duct L3A is a pipe that circulates cold air near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18A or warm air near the top of the insulated compartment 18A to the air conditioning unit 4. The circulating intake duct L3A has a second-floor circulating intake duct L32A. The circulating intake duct L3A does not have the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 and the common circulating intake duct L33 of the first embodiment.

The second-floor circulation intake duct L32A is the piping from the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A to the air conditioning unit 4, and circulates the air drawn in from the second-floor circulation fan intake port 55A to the air conditioning unit 4.
In the sixth embodiment, the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 and the common circulating intake duct L33 of the first embodiment are built into the air conditioning unit 4.

Next, the operation of the air conditioning system 1E of this embodiment will be described. The operation of the air conditioning system 1E in winter and in summer will be described.

First, let's explain how to use the air conditioning system 1E during the winter.
When using the air conditioning system 1 in winter, the ventilation and heat exchange functions of the air conditioning unit 4 are activated, the heating function is activated, and the built-in switching unit is switched to the first-floor air intake state.

Air from outside the house 10 is introduced into the air conditioning unit 4. By switching the switching unit to the first-floor air intake state, cold air from near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18A is introduced via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46B. The air conditioning unit 4 heats the introduced air and the air introduced via the first-floor circulation fan intake 46B using its heating function and supplies it to the designated spaces 113, 122, and 124.

Next, we will explain how to use air conditioning system 1 during the summer.
When using the air conditioning system 1 in the summer, the ventilation and heat exchange functions of the air conditioning unit 4 are activated, the cooling function is activated, and the built-in switching unit is switched to the second-floor air intake state.

Air from outside the house 10 is introduced into the air conditioning unit 4. By switching the switching unit to the second-floor air intake state, air from near the top of the insulated compartment 18 is introduced via the second-floor circulation fan intake 55A. The air conditioning unit 4 cools the introduced air and the air introduced via the second-floor circulation fan intake 55A using its cooling function and supplies it to the designated spaces 113, 122, and 124.

In the sixth embodiment, an air conditioning unit 4 is provided, which integrates the air conditioning device 2, ventilation device 3, and switching unit 8 from the first to fifth embodiments. The air conditioning unit 4 is located in the piping space 131 on the first floor. The sixth embodiment also achieves the same effects as the first to fifth embodiments.

Although a preferred embodiment of the air conditioning system of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and can be modified as appropriate.

For example, in the above embodiment, the system is configured to introduce cold air from the lowest part of the first floor into the air conditioning unit via the first-floor side circulation fan intake (first intake), or to introduce warm air from the highest part of the second floor into the air conditioning unit via the second-floor side circulation fan intake (second intake), but it is not limited to this. For example, in a room in an apartment building, when the heating function is to be activated, the first intake may be placed near the northernmost part of the house, and when the cooling function is to be activated, the second intake may be placed near the southernmost part of the house.
The vicinity of the northernmost or southernmost part of the house is preferably within a range of 1 meter inward from the northernmost or southernmost part of the house, and more preferably within a range of 50 cm inward from the northernmost or southernmost part of the house. The vicinity of the northernmost or southernmost part of the house is conventionally considered to be a place where the air conditioning system 2 is ineffective.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the heating function is activated in a two-story house 10, the first-floor circulation fan intake (first intake) is placed near the lowest point of the lowest floor, and the second-floor circulation fan intake (second intake) is placed near the highest point of the top floor. However, the system is not limited to this. For example, when the heating function is activated in a single-story house, a house with three or more stories, each floor of a multi-story house, or a room in an apartment building, the first intake may be placed near the lowest point of the lowest floor of a single-story house, the lowest floor of a multi-story house, each floor of a multi-story house, or a room in an apartment building. When the cooling function is activated, the second intake may be placed near the lowest point of the lowest floor of a single-story house, the lowest floor of a multi-story house, each floor of a multi-story house, or a room in an apartment building.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the first-floor side circulation fan intake port (first intake port) was placed near the bottom of the insulated compartment 18, and the second-floor side circulation fan intake port (second intake port) was placed near the top of the insulated compartment 18, but the embodiment is not limited to this. In the first embodiment described above, the first-floor circulation fan intake (first intake) may be placed near the floor 16 of the first floor of the house 10, which constitutes the lowest finishing surface (finishing section) located at the bottom of the living space or non-living space on the first floor; the second-floor circulation fan intake (second intake) may be placed near the floor 17 of the second floor of the house 10, which constitutes the lowest finishing surface (finishing section) located at the bottom of the living space or non-living space on the second floor; or the intakes may be placed near the ceilings of each of the spaces 111, 112, 113, 121, 122, 123, and 124, which constitute the uppermost finishing surface (finishing section) of each space 111, 112, 113, 121, 122, 123, and 124.

Furthermore, while the above embodiment included both heating and cooling functions in the air conditioning system 2, it is not limited to this. The air conditioning system 2 may include only one of either a heating or cooling function.

Furthermore, although the above embodiment included a ventilation device 3 in the air conditioning system 1, the system is not limited to this configuration and may be configured without a ventilation device 3.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ventilation system of the ventilation device 3 was set to a Type 1 ventilation system in which both supply and exhaust air are performed by a ventilation fan (mechanical fan). However, it is not limited to this, and a Type 3 ventilation system may also be used in which exhaust is performed by a ventilation fan (mechanical fan) and supply air is performed by natural air supply.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the air conditioning unit 2 and ventilation unit 3 were placed in the space between the first and second floors, but the location where the air conditioning unit 2 and ventilation unit 3 are placed is not limited. The air conditioning unit 2 may be placed, for example, in the underfloor space 114 or on the floor 16, or in the attic space 125 or the piping space 134 on the upper side of the second floor. If the air conditioning unit 2 is placed on the floor 16, an air intake may be provided at the bottom of the air conditioning unit 2 to draw in cold air near the floor 16 when heating is performed by the air conditioning unit 2.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first-floor circulating intake duct L31 (maintenance duct) and the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 (maintenance duct) were indirectly connected to the air conditioning unit 2 via the switching unit 8 and the common circulating intake duct L33, but the invention is not limited to this. The first-floor circulating intake duct L31 (maintenance duct) and the second-floor circulating intake duct L32 (maintenance duct) may also be directly connected to the air conditioning unit 2.

1, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E Air conditioning system 2 Air conditioning device 3 Ventilation device 4 Air conditioning unit 8 Switching unit 9 Air conditioning maintenance structure 10, 10A Residential building 18, 18A Insulated compartment 46, 46A, 46B First floor side circulation fan intake (first intake)
55, 55A, 55B, 55C Second floor circulation fan intake (second intake)
91. Air conditioning maintenance structure on the first floor 92. Air conditioning maintenance structure on the second floor 114. Underfloor space (under the floor)
125 Attic space (roof space)
131. Piping space on the first floor (space where ducts can be installed)
133. Piping space on the second floor (space where ducts can be installed)
911 Airtight space for intake on the first floor (Airtight space for intake)
912 1st floor side filter (filter)
913. Maintenance door on the first floor (maintenance door)
921 Airtight space for intake on the second floor (Airtight space for intake)
922 2nd floor filter (filter)
923 Maintenance door on the second floor (maintenance door)
L31 1st floor side circulation intake duct (maintenance duct)
L32 Second floor side circulation intake duct (maintenance duct)

Claims (6)

An air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning unit that introduces air from inside a house through a first or second air intake, heats it with a heating function or cools it with a cooling function and supplies it to the house, and also introduces air from outside the house into the house and discharges air from inside the house to the outside of the house,
The aforementioned air conditioning unit is located on the lowest floor of the house.
A duct is provided connecting the air conditioning unit to the second air intake, a duct for introducing outside air into the air conditioning unit, and a duct for discharging the air discharged from the air conditioning unit to the outside of the house.
When the heating function is activated, the first air intake is located within the space enclosed by the insulated compartment within the house and near the floor below the space where the air conditioning unit is installed .
Air is introduced into the air conditioning unit through the first air intake port, without passing through a duct, from near the floor below the space in which the air conditioning unit is installed .
Air conditioning system. An air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning unit that introduces air from inside a house through a first or second air intake, heats it with a heating function or cools it with a cooling function and supplies it to the house, and also introduces air from outside the house into the house and discharges air from inside the house to the outside of the house,
It is equipped with a partitioned storage space for housing the aforementioned air conditioning unit,
The air conditioning unit is located in the accommodation space on the lowest floor of the residence.
The aforementioned containment space includes at least a portion of a duct connecting the air conditioning unit and the second air intake, at least a portion of a duct for introducing outside air into the air conditioning unit, and at least a portion of a duct for discharging air discharged from the air conditioning unit to the outside of the house, but does not include a duct connecting the air conditioning unit and the first air intake.
When the heating function is activated, the first air intake is located within a space enclosed by an insulated compartment within the house.
Air is introduced into the air conditioning unit via the first air intake, without passing through a duct, from near the floor below the partition wall that separates the accommodation space from the space adjacent to the accommodation space .
Air conditioning system. When the cooling function is activated, the second air intake is located near the top of the space enclosed by the insulated compartment within the house.
Air drawn in through the second air intake is introduced into the air conditioning unit via a duct.
The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2 . An air conditioning method comprising the steps of: supplying air from inside a house, introduced through a first or second air intake, heated by the heating function or cooled by the cooling function of an air conditioning unit, to the house; and introducing air from outside the house into the house and discharging air from inside the house to the outside of the house,
In a state where a duct is provided connecting the air conditioning unit located on the lowest floor of the house to the second air intake, a duct for introducing outside air into the air conditioning unit, and a duct for discharging air discharged from the air conditioning unit to the outside of the house, when the heating function is operated, the heating function includes a step in which air is drawn in through the first air intake, which is located in a space enclosed by an insulated compartment within the house and near the floor on the lower side of the space where the air conditioning unit is installed, and the air drawn in from near the floor on the lower side of the space where the air conditioning unit is installed is introduced into the air conditioning unit through the first air intake.
Air conditioning method. An air conditioning method comprising the steps of: supplying air from inside a house, introduced through a first or second air intake, heated by the heating function or cooled by the cooling function of an air conditioning unit, to the house; and introducing air from outside the house into the house and discharging air from inside the house to the outside of the house,
In a housing space located on the lowest floor of the aforementioned residence and partitioned as a space for housing the air conditioning unit, at least a portion of a duct connecting the air conditioning unit and the second air intake port, at least a portion of a duct for introducing outside air into the air conditioning unit, at least a portion of a duct for discharging air discharged from the air conditioning unit to the outside of the residence, and the air conditioning unit itself are arranged, and in a state where no duct connecting the air conditioning unit and the first air intake port is provided, when the heating function is to be operated, air is drawn in through the first air intake port located in a space surrounded by an insulated compartment within the residence, and the air conditioning unit is supplied with air drawn in from near the floor below the partition wall that partitions the housing space and the space adjacent to the housing space through the first air intake port.
Air conditioning method. The air conditioning method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein when the cooling function is activated, air is drawn in through the second air intake located near the top of the space enclosed by the insulated compartment within the house, and the air drawn in through the second air intake is introduced into the air conditioning unit via a duct.