Air conditioning units

Abstract

A ducted unit having first and second outlets wherein the first and second outlets are connected to each other by outlet ducting to form a closed loop, the outlet ducting having at least two spaced apertures for ejecting air within the outlet ducting at substantially constant pressure such that the air pressure within the closed loop outlet ducting is substantially equalized such that the outlets operate at a substantially constant pressure.

1 . A ducted unit having first and second outlets wherein the first and second outlets are connected to each other by outlet ducting to form a closed loop, the outlet ducting having at least two spaced apertures for ejecting air within the outlet ducting at substantially constant pressure. 
     
     
         2 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , wherein the closed loop outlet ducting comprises at least one section of ducting connected at each end to an outlet of a ducted unit. 
     
     
         3 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , wherein the closed loop outlet ducting has at least two outlet apertures per kW that the ducted unit is rated to. 
     
     
         4 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , wherein solid or flexible tubing is arranged to extend from the closed loop outlet ducting in order to change the direction of airflow from one plane to a second plane. 
     
     
         5 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , wherein each aperture has an area that is between 8% and 12% of the cross-sectional area of the closed loop outlet ducting. 
     
     
         6 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , wherein the ducted unit comprises a sound-insulated housing having a sound absorption coefficient of at least 0.05 W/m 2  at 100 Hz and wherein the sound-insulated housing contains an air circulation unit to draw air through the ducted unit, wherein the air circulation unit is operated to spin between around 1000 and 750 revolutions per minute. 
     
     
         7 . The ducted unit of  claim 6 , wherein the sound absorbing material has open cells or voids, through which the noise travels and is dissipated, with the inner most surface of the sound insulating over which the air travels being substantially continuous and flat. 
     
     
         8 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing that provides an enclosure for an air circulation unit to be arranged between an inlet and an outlet, wherein operation of the air circulation unit causes air to be drawn through the inlet and expelled through the outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The ducted unit of  claim 8  suitable for use in an air-conditioning system, wherein the housing comprises an enclosure suitable to arrange a radiator in the air flow. 
     
     
         10 . The ducted unit of  claim 8 , wherein the ducted unit has a plurality of inlets, and a plurality of outlets, the ducted unit having more inlets than outlets. 
     
     
         11 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet ducting of two or more ducted units are connected together, the closed loop outlet ducting therefore being formed by a plurality of outlet ducting sections, with each outlet ducting section being directly connected at one end to one outlet and the other end to a different outlet. 
     
     
         12 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet ducting is formed from a section having a first chamber for supply air and a second chamber for return air. 
     
     
         13 . The ducted unit of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet ducting is formed from a section having a first chamber for supply air, wherein the section has a step formed on each outer side, wherein the side face of each step includes said apertures. 
     
     
         14 . The ducted unit of  claim 13 , wherein the outlet ducting includes a second, separate chamber for supply air, wherein the first and second chambers are arranged parallel to each other and the apertures on one side face are connected to one chamber and the apertures on the other side face are connected with the other chamber. 
     
     
         15 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . An air conditioning system for a substantially enclosed building, the system comprising a plurality of air outlets arranged to emit conditioned air to cool or heat one section of a room included in the building to a different extent than another section of the room. 
     
     
         41 . The system as claimed in  claim 40  in which the outlets are provided on ducting suspended from above. 
     
     
         42 . The system as claimed in  claim 41  in which the conditioned air is arranged to heat or cool the aisle or aisles or a room of a building. 
     
     
         43 . The system as claimed in  claim 41  in which the ducting is elongate with the ducting including a lower passage and in which conditioned air is arranged to be emitted at least partially downwardly from the lower passage. 
     
     
         44 . The system as claimed in  claim 43  in which the ducting includes an upper passage and in which air is returned to the air conditioning unit via the upper passage. 
     
     
         45 . The system as claimed in  claim 43  in which the elongate ducting includes a plurality of ducting units that are connected together to comprise the elongate lower passage. 
     
     
         46 . The system as claimed in  claim 45  in which the units are connected together by a push fit. 
     
     
         47 . The system as claimed in  claim 45  in which each unit includes an upper and a lower passage. 
     
     
         48 . The system as claimed in  claim 47  in which an end unit has a flow passage connecting the upper and lower passages and in which conditioned air is arranged to flow from the air conditioning unit into and along the power passage and then back to the air conditioning unit via the upper passage. 
     
     
         49 . The system as claimed in  claim 43  in which the ducting includes two side by side ducts. 
     
     
         50 . The system as claimed in  claim 49  in which the side by side ducts are arranged to be supplied with conditioned air from the same air conditioning unit. 
     
     
         51 . The system as claimed in  claim 43  in which the ducting comprises a plurality of ducts each extending over a different elongate extent and each being supplied with conditioned air from a different source. 
     
     
         52 . The system as claimed in  claim 40  in which the ducting is arranged to be connected to supporting member which is suspended from above. 
     
     
         53 . A method of cooling or heating at least one section of a room of a substantially enclosed building to a different extent than another section of the room comprising emitting air from a plurality of outlets to heat or cool that section. 
     
     
         54 . The method as claimed in  claim 53  comprising cooling or heating a section of a supermarket comprising an aisle of the supermarket by directing air downwardly towards the aisle through a plurality of outlets along substantially the complete extent of the aisle. 
     
     
         55 . The method as claimed in  claim 54  comprising heating or cooling different aisles to different temperatures.