Air conditioner system and method with adaptive airflow

Abstract

An conditioner system includes a housing having an upper opening and a lower opening, and a sealed refrigeration system supported by the housing for providing cold air in a cooling mode. Additionally, a heater is disposed in the housing for providing warm air in a warming mode. An adaptive airflow control unit is disposed in the housing and is configured to discharge the cold air from the upper opening in order to transmit the cold air upward and high in an environment of the air conditioner system in the cooling mode and to discharge the warm air from the lower opening in order to transmit the warm air downward and low in the environment in the warming mode.

1 . An air conditioner system comprising:
 a housing having an upper opening and a lower opening;   a sealed refrigeration system supported by the housing for providing cold air in a cooling mode;   a heater disposed in the housing for providing warm air in a warming mode; and   an adaptive airflow control unit disposed in the housing and configured to discharge the cold air from the upper opening in order to transmit the cold air upward and high in an environment of the air conditioner system in the cooling mode and to discharge the warm air from the lower opening in order to transmit the warm air downward and low in the environment in the warming mode.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control unit for operating the adaptive airflow control unit in the cooling mode and the warming mode. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the upper opening is a louvered opening. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower opening is a louvered opening. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the adaptive airflow control unit comprises a fan and a rotatable fan shroud having an output opening, the fan shroud being rotatable between a first position where the output opening is oriented generally toward the upper opening and a second position where the output opening is oriented generally toward the lower opening. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the fan is a side inlet tangential fan. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the heater is disposed between the adaptive airflow control unit and the lower opening. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the housing further has a main air intake opening, the sealed refrigeration system comprising an evaporator disposed in or adjacent to the main air intake opening. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the main air intake opening is disposed between the upper opening and the lower opening. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the adaptive airflow control unit comprises a reversible motor supported by the housing, and a fan drivingly connected to the motor, wherein in the cooling mode, the motor rotates in a first direction and the fan moves the cold air toward the upper opening, and wherein in the warming mode, the motor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction and the fan moves the warm air toward the lower opening. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the heater is disposed between the adaptive airflow control unit and the lower opening. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the adaptive airflow control unit comprises a first fan unit configured to move the cold air toward the upper opening in the cooling mode and a second fan unit configured to move the warm air toward the lower opening in the warming mode. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the heater is disposed between the second fan unit and the lower opening. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first fan unit and the second fan unit comprises a tangential fan. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the housing further has a main air intake opening, the sealed refrigeration system comprising an evaporator disposed in or adjacent to the main air intake opening. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the main air intake opening is disposed between the upper opening and the lower opening. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the housing further has:
 a second upper opening, 
 a second lower opening, 
 a first flow conduit extending inward from the upper opening, 
 a second flow conduit extending inward from the second upper opening, 
 a third flow conduit extending inward from the lower opening, and 
 a fourth flow conduit extending inward from the second lower opening, and 
 wherein the adaptive airflow control unit comprises: 
 a rotatable air diverter supported by the housing, 
 a reversible motor supported by the housing, and 
 a fan drivingly connected to the motor and disposed in the rotatable diverter, 
 wherein the rotatable air diverter is rotatable between a first position where the diverter connects the first flow conduit with the fourth flow conduit and a second position where the diverter connects the second flow conduit with the third flow conduit. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the sealed refrigeration system comprises an evaporator disposed in the rotatable diverter. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the heater is disposed in the air diverter. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein in the cooling mode, the motor rotates in a first direction and the fan moves the cold air toward the upper opening through the first flow conduit, and wherein in the warming mode, the motor rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction and the fan moves the warm air toward the second lower opening through the fourth flow conduit.