Two-riser heating and cooling unit

Abstract

A heating and cooling unit for installation in a building and including a pair of vertically extending risers extending for the length of a housing and adapted for connection to risers of corresponding units located on adjacent floors to form a continuous flow circuit for a heat exchange medium through all of the units. The housing is adapted to receive a reversible air conditioning unit and provides for connections between the unit and the risers. Heat exchange fins may be associated with the risers to form a riser heat exchanger. The air conditioning unit can be used in a standard cycle cooling mode or in a reverse cycle heating mode, and can be used in conjunction with, or independent of, the riser heat exchanger. A fan is provided in the housing to circulate air from the particular room, through the housing and back into the room.

I claim: 
     
       1. An air conditioning system for installation in a building, said system comprising an elongated housing, means dividing said housing into two compartments, an air inlet associated with one compartment and an air outlet associated with the other compartment, two vertically extending risers disposed in said housing and extending the length of said housing for direct connection to the risers of corresponding units located on adjacent floors of said building to form a continuous flow circuit for a heat exchange medium, one of said compartments having means therein for supporting a refrigerant cycling unit, means in said one compartment for connecting said risers to said refrigerant cycling unit in a manner to place said heat exchange medium in a heat exchange relation to said refrigerant, and means in said housing for circulating ambient air into said inlet, through said compartments and out from said outlet. 
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein the end portions of each of said risers project out from the ends of said housing to permit said connection between adjacent housings. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fins disposed on said risers and forming heat exchange surfaces for said heat exchange medium, and means in said housing for directing said air over said fins. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 1 further comprising thermostat means for controlling the operation of said circulating means in response to the temperature in the vicinity of said housing. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fins disposed on said risers and forming heat exchange surfaces for said heat exchange medium, and means in said housing for directing the flow of air through said housing in a first path passing over said fins or in a second path bypassing said fins. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 5 wherein said air directing means comprises a damper blade movable between a first and a second position in which it selectively directs said air in said path. 
     
     
       7. The system of claim 6 further comprising thermostat means for controlling said movement of said damper blade in response to the temperature in the vicinity of said housing. 
     
     
       8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a refrigerant cycling unit disposed in said one compartment for conditioning the air passing through said one compartment. 
     
     
       9. The system of claim 8 further comprising electric heating means disposed in said housing and in the path of the air flow through said housing to heat said air. 
     
     
       10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a refrigerant cycling unit disposed in said one compartment, said unit adapted to operate in a regular mode for cooling the air passing through said one compartment and a reverse mode for heating the air passing through said one compartment. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim 10 wherein said refrigerant cycling unit comprises a first and second heat exchanger, means for circulating said refrigerant through said first and second heat exchangers and in a heat exchange relationship to said heat exchange medium at said first heat exchanger, and means for evaporating and condensing said refrigerant at said heat exchangers, the air being directed over said second heat exchanger as it circulates through said compartment. 
     
     
       12. The system of claim 10 further comprising valve means to reverse the cycle of said air conditioning unit so that it can function to selectively heat or cool said air, and thermostat means supported by said housing and responsive to a predetermined temperature in the vicinity of said housing for controlling the operation of said valve means. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim .[.11.]. .Iadd.12 .Iaddend.wherein said thermostat means also controls the operation of said refrigerant cycling unit in its regular mode and in its reverse mode. 
     
     
       14. The system of claim 1 further comprising electric heating means disposed in said housing and in the path of the air flow through said housing to heat said air. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim 14 wherein said electric heating means is disposed in said other compartment. .Iadd. 16. The system of claim 8, wherein said dividing means divides said housing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment and wherein said refrigerant cycling unit is disposed in said lower compartment. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said supporting means comprises support braces disposed in said lower compartment near the floor of said housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 18. The system of claim 16, wherein said connecting means comprises a pair of horizontal pipes disposed in said lower compartment, said horizontal pipes extending between said vertical risers and said refrigerant cycling unit and being respectively connected to sections of said vertical risers disposed in said lower compartment; and coupling means coupling said horizontal pipes to said refrigerant cycling unit. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein said inlet is disposed in said lower compartment, said outlet is disposed in said upper compartment and said circulating means is disposed between said refrigerant cycling unit and said outlet, said circulating means being constructed and arranged to draw air from said inlet across a heat exchanger associated with said refrigerant cycling unit and to blow said air through said outlet. .Iaddend..Iadd. 20. The system of claim 1, wherein said housing is constructed and arranged to extend within a room in said building with one end of said housing disposed on the floor of said room and the other end of said housing extending to the ceiling of said room. .Iaddend.