VARIABLE-DAMPER MULTI-FUNCTION HEAT PUMP AIR CONDITIONER

Abstract

A variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner includes a housing defining a lower chamber and an upper chamber with a respective indoor-facing/outdoor-facing inlet and indoor-facing/outdoor-facing outlet, a lower damper and an upper damper respectively mounted in the lower chamber and the upper chamber, and an evaporator and a condenser of an air-conditioning system respectively mounted in the lower chamber at two opposite sides so that the air conditioner can run under the mode of cooling function in hot weather, the mode of heating function in cold weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without cooling function in hot weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without heating function in cold weather, the mode of one-fan-operation-only energy-saving quiet indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging function, or the mode of dehumidifying with heating function in cold and humid weather by means of selectively controlling the operation of fans of the air-conditioning system and the positions of the upper and lower dampers.

Description

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to any reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to air conditioning technology and more particularly, to a variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner that allows adjustment of damper position to run under the mode of cooling function in hot weather, the mode of heating function in cold weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without cooling function in hot weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without heating function in cold weather, the mode of one-fan-operation-only energy-saving quiet indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging function, or the mode of dehumidifying with heating function in cold and humid weather.

2. Description of Related Arts

Regular air conditioners with cooling and heating functions are capable of supplying hot air to increase the temperature of the indoor space in cold weather and supplying cold air to lower the temperature of the indoor space in hot weather. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional heat pump type air-conditioner with cooling and heating functions, which uses a four-way valve and two one-way valves to control refrigerant flowing direction, enabling the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger to work as an evaporator or condenser, thereby cooling or heating the flow of air passing therethrough. However, because the four-way valve works in high-pressure pipes, the pressure difference between at two opposite sides of the four-way valve during the operation can be over 10 ATM. When switching the heating/cooling function through four-way valve at this time may cause damage the switching mechanism. Further, the arrangement of the four-way valve, one-way valves, expansion valves and multiple pipes in the air-conditioning system greatly complicates the structure of the heat pump type air-conditioner with cooling and heating functions. Therefore, this design of heat pump type air-conditioner with cooling and heating functions has the disadvantages of high cost, high malfunction rate, maintenance difficulty and short lifespan.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the energy conversion of an air-conditioner is: heating capacity (QH)=cooling capacity (QL)+electrical work (W). Thus, the surface area of the condenser must be 1.21.3 times of that of the evaporator to match the energy conversion rate. Therefore, the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers of this four-way valve-based heat pump type air-conditioner with cooling and heating functions must be used as an evaporator as well as a condenser. This design of air conditioner has many problems as follows:

1. If the air conditioner is designed mainly for the purpose of cooling function, the indoor heat-exchanger must be relatively smaller than the outdoor heat-exchanger to match energy conversion during a cooling operation to achieve high performance; however, when running the heating function in cold weather, the energy conversion between the heating capacity (QH) and the cooling capacity (QL) shown in FIG. 2 will not match, leading to low performance, or causing the protection switch to trip off.

2. If the air-conditioner is designed mainly for the purpose of heating function, the indoor heat-exchanger must be relatively larger than the outdoor heat-exchanger to match energy conversion during a heating operation to achieve high performance However, when running the cooling function in hot weather, the energy conversion between the heating capacity (QH) and the cooling capacity (QL) shown in FIG. 2 will not match, leading to low performance, or causing the protection switch to trip off.

3. If the indoor heat-exchanger and the outdoor heat-exchanger are made in the same size, the energy conversion between the heating capacity (QH) and the cooling capacity (QL) either during a heating function or a cooling function will not match.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a better heat pump type air-conditioner with cooling and heating functions that eliminates the aforesaid problems.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner, which eliminates the use of a four-way valve and allows adjustment of damper position to run under the mode of cooling function in hot weather, the mode of heating function in cold weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without cooling function in hot weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without heating function in cold weather, the mode of one-fan-operation-only energy-saving quiet indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging function, or the mode of dehumidifying with heating function in cold and humid weather, the hot air is ever generated from the fixed bigger condenser and the cold air is ever generated from the fixed smaller evaporator, thus both the high cooling and heating performances can be obtained.

To achieve these objects of the present invention, a variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing and an air-conditioning system mounted in said housing, said air-conditioning system comprising a closed-loop refrigeration cycle formed of an evaporator, a condenser and a compressor, a first fan disposed at one lateral side relative to the evaporator, a second fan disposed at one lateral side relative to the condenser, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the closed-loop refrigeration cycle, the first fan and the second fan. The housing comprises a transverse partition plate, an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by the transverse partition plate, an upper damper pivotally mounted in the upper chamber, a lower damper pivotally mounted in the lower chamber, an indoor-facing outlet and an outdoor-facing outlet respectively located at opposing front side and back side of the upper chamber, an indoor-facing inlet and an outdoor-facing inlet respectively located at opposing front side and back side of the lower chamber. The angular position of the upper damper and the angular position of the lower damper are adjustable to define a cold air passage and a hot air passage separately in the housing. The evaporator and the first fan are disposed in the cold air passage. The condenser and the second fan are disposed in the hot air passage. The cold air passage and the hot air passage each define an air inlet end and an air outlet end. When the air inlet end of the cold air passage is connected to the indoor-facing inlet and the outdoor-facing inlet of the lower chamber, the air inlet end of the hot air passage is connected to the outdoor-facing inlet and the indoor-facing inlet of the lower chamber. When the air outlet end of the cold air passage is connected to the indoor-facing outlet and outdoor-facing outlet of the upper chamber, the air outlet end of the hot air passage is connected to the outdoor-facing outlet and indoor-facing outlet of the upper chamber.

Thus, by means of controlling the angular position of the upper damper and the angular position of the lower damper, the air-conditioner can be controlled to run under the mode of cooling function in hot weather, the mode of heating function in cold weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without cooling function in hot weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without heating function in cold weather, the mode of one-fan-operation-only energy-saving quiet indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging function, or the mode of dehumidifying with heating function in cold and humid weather, improving the drawbacks of conventional four-way valve designs. Further, because cold air is constantly generated by the relatively smaller evaporator and hot air is always generated by the relatively larger condenser, the energy efficiency of cooling function as well as heating function is maintained at high level.

Further, the evaporator and the condenser are respectively disposed in the lower chamber at two opposite sides. The first fan and the second fan are respectively disposed above the evaporator and the condenser. The first fan and the second fan are respectively disposed in the upper chamber at two opposite sides for drawing cold air or hot air into the upper chamber.

Further, in an alternate form of the present invention, the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner comprises a housing and an air-conditioning system mounted in said housing, said air-conditioning system comprising a closed-loop refrigeration cycle formed of an evaporator, a condenser and a compressor, a first fan disposed at one lateral side relative to the evaporator, a second fan disposed at one lateral side relative to the condenser, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the closed-loop refrigeration cycle, the first fan and the second fan. The housing comprises a transverse partition plate, an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by the transverse partition plate, an upper damper pivotally mounted in the upper chamber, a lower damper pivotally mounted in the lower chamber, an indoor-facing outlet and an outdoor-facing outlet respectively located at opposing front side and back side of the upper chamber, an indoor-facing inlet and an outdoor-facing inlet respectively located at opposing front side and back side of the lower chamber. The angular position of the upper damper and the angular position of the lower damper are adjustable to define a cold air passage and a hot air passage separately in the housing. The evaporator and the first fan are disposed in the cold air passage. The condenser and the second fan are disposed in the hot air passage. The cold air passage and the hot air passage each define an air inlet end and an air outlet end. The upper chamber comprises an outlet door controllable by the control unit to close/open the outdoor-facing outlet. The lower chamber comprises an inlet door controllable by the control unit to close/open the outdoor-facing inlet. The upper damper and the lower damper are respectively disposed perpendicular to the outdoor-facing outlet and the outdoor-facing inlet. The air inlet ends of the cold air passage and the hot air passage are connected to the indoor-facing inlet of the lower chamber. The air outlet ends of the cold air passage and the hot air passage are connected to the indoor-facing outlet of the upper chamber.

Further, the evaporator and the condenser are respectively disposed in the lower chamber at two opposite sides. The first fan and the second fan are respectively disposed above the evaporator and the condenser. The first fan and the second fan are respectively disposed in the upper chamber at two opposite sides for drawing cold air or hot air into the upper chamber.

Because cold air is always generated by the relatively smaller evaporator and hot air is always generated by the relatively larger condenser, the energy efficiency of cooling function as well as heating function is maintained at high level. Further, because no four-way valve is used, the invention greatly reduces the rate of mechanical damage, simplifies the structure of the heat pump air conditioner, improves the shortages, lowers the product manufacturing cost, and enhances the competitiveness of the product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating the functioning of a conventional heat pump type air conditioner with cooling and heating functions.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating the energy conversion of a heat pump type air conditioner with cooling and heating functions.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective structural view of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 a is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the lower chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of cooling function in hot weather.

FIG. 4 b is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the upper chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of cooling function in hot weather.

FIG. 5 a is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the lower chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of heating function in cold weather.

FIG. 5 b is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the upper chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of heating function in cold weather.

FIG. 6 a is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the lower chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without cooling function in hot weather.

FIG. 6 b is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the upper chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without cooling function in hot weather.

FIG. 7 a is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the lower chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without heating function in cold weather.

FIG. 7 b is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the upper chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without heating function in cold weather.

FIG. 8 a is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the lower chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of one-fan-operation-only energy-saving quiet indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging function.

FIG. 8 b is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the upper chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of one-fan-operation-only energy-saving quiet indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging function.

FIG. 9 a is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the lower chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of dehumidifying with heating function in cold and humid weather.

FIG. 9 b is a schematic plain view of the present invention, illustrating the status of the upper chamber of the variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner during the operation mode of dehumidifying with heating function in cold and humid weather.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 3, a variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner in accordance with the present invention is shown, comprising a housing 1 and an air-conditioning system 2.

The housing 1 comprises a transverse partition plate 11, an upper chamber 12 and a lower chamber 13 separated by the transverse partition plate 11, an upper damper 14 pivotally mounted in the middle of the upper chamber 12, a lower damper 15 pivotally mounted in the middle of the lower chamber 13, an upper motor 141 adapted to rotate the upper damper 14, a lower motor 151 adapted to rotate the lower damper 15, two vertical partition plates 142 disposed in the upper chamber 12 at two opposite sides relative to the upper damper 14, each vertical partition plate 142 defining an opening 143, an indoor-facing outlet 121 and an outdoor-facing outlet 122 (see also FIG. 4b) respectively formed in opposing front and back sides of the upper chamber 12, and an indoor-facing inlet 131 and an outdoor-facing inlet 132 (see also FIG. 4a) respectively formed in opposing front and back sides of the lower chamber 13.

The air-conditioning system 2 is mounted in the housing 1, comprising a closed-loop refrigeration cycle formed of an evaporator 21, an expansion device (not shown), a condenser 22 and a compressor 23, a first fan 25 disposed at one lateral side relative to the evaporator 21, a second fan 26 disposed at one lateral side relative to the condenser 22, and a control unit 24 that controls all designed air conditioning functions. The evaporator 21 and the condenser 22 are respectively mounted in the lower chamber 13 at two opposite sides relative to the lower damper 15. The first fan 25 and the second fan 26 are bilaterally mounted in the upper chamber 12 of the housing 1 at two opposite lateral sides relative to the two vertical partition plates 142 and respectively disposed above the evaporator 21 and the condenser 22. The compressor 23, the upper motor 141 and the lower motor 151 are respectively controlled by the control unit 24, i.e., the control unit 24 controls the on/off status of the compressor 23 and the angular position of the upper damper 14 and the angular position of the lower damper 15. Further, by means of adjusting the angular position of the upper damper 14 and the angular position of the lower damper 15, separated a cold air passage 3 and a hot air passage 4 are defined in the housing 1 (see FIGS. 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b). Further, the evaporator 21 and the first fan 25 are disposed in the cold air passage 3; the condenser 22 and the second fan 26 are disposed in the hot air passage 4. Further, the cold air passage 3 has its one end defined as an air inlet end 31, and its other end defined as an air outlet end 32. The hot air passage 4 has its one end defined as an air inlet end 41, and its other end defined as an air outlet end 42. Further, in order to maintain energy balance, the heat radiating area of the condenser 22 is preferably about 1.21.3 of the heat radiating area of the evaporator 21.

The variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner can be operated in one of the following modes subject to different weather conditions and purposes:

1. Cooling Function in Hot Weather:

Subject to the control of the control unit 24 under this operation mode, the compressor 23, the first fan 25 and the second fan 26 are started up, and the upper damper 14 and the lower damper 15 are respectively biased to the position shown in FIG. 4b and the position shown in FIG. 4a. At this time, the air inlet end 31 of the cold air passage 3 is connected to the indoor-facing inlet 131; the air inlet end 41 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the outdoor-facing inlet 132; the air outlet end 32 of the cold air passage 3 is connected to the indoor-facing outlet 121; the air outlet end 42 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the outdoor-facing outlet 122. During the operation of the compressor 23, the condenser 22 is in the status of high temperature, and the evaporator 21 is in the status of low temperature. At this time, the operation of the first fan 25 enables indoor air to be sucked into the indoor-facing inlet 131 of the lower chamber 13 and cooled down by the evaporator 21, and then the cold air processed through the evaporator 21 is delivered into the indoor space through the indoor-facing outlet 121 of the upper chamber 12 (i.e., the cold air passage 3). At the same time, the operation of the second fan 26 enables outside air to be sucked into the outdoor-facing inlet 132 of the lower chamber 13 and heated by the condenser 22, and then the hot air processed through the condenser 22 is delivered into the outdoor space through the outdoor-facing outlet 122 of the upper chamber 12 (i.e., the hot air passage 4), and thus cold air is being continuously provided to the indoor space.

2. Heating Function in Cold Weather:

Subject to the control of the control unit 24 under this operation mode, the compressor 23, the first fan 25 and the second fan 26 are started up, and the upper damper 14 and the lower damper 15 are respectively biased to the position shown in FIG. 5b and the position shown in FIG. 5a. At this time, the air inlet end 31 of the cold air passage 3 is connected to the outdoor-facing inlet 132; the air inlet end 41 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the indoor-facing inlet 131; the air outlet end 32 of the cold air passage 3 is connected to the outdoor-facing outlet 122; the air outlet end 42 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the indoor-facing outlet 121. During the operation of the compressor 23, the condenser 22 is in the status of high temperature, and the evaporator 21 is in the status of low temperature. At this time, the operation of the second fan 26 enables indoor air to be sucked into the indoor-facing inlet 131 of the lower chamber 13 and heated by the condenser 22, and then the hot air processed through the condenser 22 is delivered into the indoor space through the indoor-facing outlet 121 of the upper chamber 12 (i.e., the hot air passage 4). At the same time, the operation of the first fan 25 enables outside air to be sucked into the outdoor-facing inlet 132 of the lower chamber 13 and cooled down by the evaporator 21, and then the cold air processed through the evaporator 21 is delivered into the outdoor space through the outdoor-facing outlet 122 of the upper chamber 12 (i.e., the cold air passage 3), and thus hot air is being continuously provided to the indoor space.

3. Indoor-Air and Outdoor-Air Exchanging with/without Cooling Function in Hot Weather:

In order to maintain indoor air quality during an air conditioning operation to provide cold air to the indoor space in hot weather, indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging must be periodically performed. Subject to the control of the control unit 24 under this operation mode, the compressor 23, the first fan 25 and the second fan 26 are started up, and the upper damper 14 and the lower damper 15 are respectively biased to the position shown in FIG. 6b and the position shown in FIG. 6a. At this time, the air inlet end 31 of the cold air passage 3 is connected to the outdoor-facing inlet 132; the air inlet end 41 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the indoor-facing inlet 131; the air outlet end 32 of the cold air passage 3 is connected to the indoor-facing outlet 121; the air outlet end 42 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the outdoor-facing outlet 122. During the operation of the compressor 23, the condenser 22 is in the status of high temperature, and the evaporator 21 is in the status of low temperature. At this time, the operation of the first fan 25 enables outdoor air to be sucked into the outdoor-facing inlet 132 of the lower chamber 13 and cooled down by the evaporator 21, and then the cold air processed through the evaporator 21 is delivered into the indoor space through the indoor-facing outlet 121 of the upper chamber 12 (i.e., the cold air passage 3). At the same time, the operation of the second fan 26 enables indoor air to be sucked into the indoor-facing inlet 131 of the lower chamber 13 and heated by the condenser 22, and then the hot air processed through the condenser 22 is delivered into the outdoor space through the outdoor-facing outlet 122 of the upper chamber 12 (i.e., the hot air passage 4), and thus an indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging is performed when cold air is being continuously provided to the indoor space. Alternatively, if the outdoor temperature is in the pleasant temperature range about 20˜25oC. The control unit 24 can be controlled to stop the compressor 23, interrupting the refrigeration cycle and saving energy consumption. At this time, only the first fan 25 and the second fan 26 are in operation, enabling outdoor fresh air to be guided into the indoor space and indoor foul air to be discharged out of the indoor space, achieving indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging and improving indoor air quality.

4. Indoor-Air and Outdoor-Air Exchanging with/without Heating Function in Cold Weather:

In order to maintain indoor air quality during an air conditioning operation to provide hot air to the indoor space in cold weather, indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging must be periodically performed. Subject to the control of the control unit 24 under this operation mode, the compressor 23, the first fan 25 and the second fan 26 are started up, and the upper damper 14 and the lower damper 15 are respectively biased to the position shown in FIG. 7b and the position shown in FIG. 7a. At this time, the air inlet end 31 of the cold air passage 3 is connected to the indoor-facing inlet 131; the air inlet end 41 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the outdoor-facing inlet 132; the air outlet end 32 of the cold air passage 3 is connected to the outdoor-facing outlet 122; the air outlet end 42 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the indoor-facing outlet 121. During the operation of the compressor 23, the condenser 22 is in the status of high temperature, and the evaporator 21 is in the status of low temperature. At this time, the operation of the second fan 26 enables outdoor air to be sucked into the outdoor-facing inlet 132 of the lower chamber 13 and heated by the condenser 22, and then the hot air processed through the condenser 22 is delivered into the indoor space through the indoor-facing outlet 121 of the upper chamber 12 (i.e., the hot air passage 4). At the same time, the operation of the first fan 25 enables indoor air to be sucked into the indoor-facing inlet 131 of the lower chamber 13 and cooled down by the evaporator 21, and then the cold air processed through the evaporator 21 is delivered into the outdoor space through the outdoor-facing outlet 122 of the upper chamber 12 (i.e., the cold air passage 3), and thus an indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging is performed when hot air is being continuously provided to the indoor space. Alternatively, if the outdoor temperature is in the pleasant temperature range about 20˜25oC. The control unit 24 can be controlled to stop the compressor 23, interrupting the refrigeration cycle and saving energy consumption. At this time, only the first fan 25 and the second fan 26 are in operation, enabling outdoor fresh air to be guided into the indoor space and indoor foul air to be discharged out of the indoor space, achieving indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging and improving indoor air quality.

5. One-Fan-Operation-Only Energy-Saving Quiet Indoor-Air and Outdoor-Air Exchanging Function:

If the outdoor air is in comfortable temperature, the refrigeration cycle can be stopped, and only one single fan is operated to draw outdoor fresh air into the indoor space, achieving an energy-saving and quiet air-conditioning function. Subject to the control of the control unit 24 under this operation mode, the compressor 23 and the first fan 25 are turned off, and the second fan 26 is in operation, and the upper damper 14 and the lower damper 15 are respectively biased to the position shown in FIG. 8b and the position shown in FIG. 8a. At this time, the air inlet end 41 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the outdoor-facing inlet 132; the air outlet end 42 of the hot air passage 4 is connected to the indoor-facing outlet 121. Because the outdoor temperature is in the pleasant temperature range about 20˜25oC at this time, the compressor 23 and the first fan 25 are turned off, and only the second fan 26 is in operation, enabling outdoor fresh air to be sucked into the indoor space through the indoor-facing outlet 121 of the upper chamber 12 (hot air passage 4). Because only one single fan is in operation, energy consumption and fan noise level are reduced. This operation mode is suitable for application in the midnight as the temperature decreases and quiet air conditioning is requested. At this time, the indoor space is maintained under positive pressure, and therefore, only indoor air can flow toward the outdoor space through gaps in the windows subject to the pressure difference between indoors and outdoors. Further, the use of filters can stop insects and dust from entering the indoor space. Thus, due to the effect of the indoor positive pressure, the indoor air is maintained clean.

6. Dehumidifying with Heating Function in Cold and Humid Weather:

If dehumidification and hot air are needed at the same time in cold weather and humid climate, an outlet door 123 is provided at the outdoor-facing outlet 122 of the upper chamber 12, as shown in FIG. 9b, and an inlet door 133 is provided at the outdoor-facing inlet 132 of the lower chamber 13, as shown in FIG. 9a. At this time, the control unit 24 can be controlled to drive the outlet door 123 and the inlet door 133 to close the outdoor-facing outlet 122 of the upper chamber 12 and the outdoor-facing inlet 132 of the lower chamber 13 respectively, and to bias the upper damper 14 and the lower damper 15 to the positions shown in FIGS. 9b and 9a where the upper damper 14 and the lower damper 15 are respectively kept perpendicular to the outlet door 123 and the inlet door 133. At this time, the air inlet end 31 of the cold air passage 3 and the air inlet end 41 of the hot air passage 4 are connected to the indoor-facing inlet 131; the air outlet end 32 of the cold air passage 3 and the air outlet end 42 of the hot air passage 4 are connected to the indoor-facing outlet 121. Thus, under cold and humid weather, the compressor 23 keeps working, the condenser 22 is in the status of high temperature, and the evaporator 21 is in the status of low temperature. At this time, the operation of the second fan 26 enables a part of indoor air to be sucked into the indoor-facing inlet 131 of the lower chamber 13 and heated by the condenser 22 and then delivered into the indoor space through the indoor-facing outlet 121 of the upper chamber 12, and the first fan 25 enables another part of indoor air to be sucked into the indoor-facing inlet 131 of the lower chamber 13 and cooled down by the evaporator 21 and then delivered into the indoor space through the indoor-facing outlet 121 of the upper chamber 12. At this same time, the part of indoor air going through the cold air passage 3 is dehumidified by the evaporator 21, the part of indoor air going through the hot air passage 4 is heated by the condenser 22. Because the thermal energy of hot air increased is greater than the thermal energy of cold air reduced (the difference is the work of the compressor), the function of dehumidifying with heating function in cold and humid weather is achieved.

Therefore, either the compressor 23 is in operation or not, the first fan 25 and the second fan 26 work at the same time or only one fan is working, the control unit 24 can be operated to control the angular position of the upper damper 14 and the angular position of the lower damper 15, and to run under the mode of cooling function in hot weather, the mode of heating function in cold weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without cooling function in hot weather, the mode of indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging with/without heating function in cold weather, the mode of one-fan-operation-only energy-saving quiet indoor-air and outdoor-air exchanging function, or the mode of dehumidifying with heating function in cold and humid weather, improving the drawbacks of conventional four-way valve designs. Further, because cold air is constantly generated by the relatively smaller evaporator 21 and hot air is always generated by the relatively larger condenser 22, the energy efficiency of cooling function as well as heating function is maintained at high level. Further, because no four-way valve is used, the invention greatly reduces the rate of mechanical damage, simplifies the structure of the hot pump air conditioner, improves the shortages, lowers the product manufacturing cost, and enhances the competitiveness of the product.

In conclusion, the invention provides a variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner, which involves an inventive step and effectively eliminates the drawbacks of conventional four-way valve type hot/cold dual-function air conditioners.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner, comprising a housing and an air-conditioning system mounted in said housing, said air-conditioning system comprising a closed-loop refrigeration cycle formed of an evaporator, a condenser and a compressor, a first fan disposed at one lateral side relative to said evaporator, a second fan disposed at one lateral side relative to said condenser, and a control unit for controlling the operation of said closed-loop refrigeration cycle, said first fan and said second fan, wherein: said housing comprises a transverse partition plate, an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by said transverse partition plate, an upper damper pivotally mounted in said upper chamber, a lower damper pivotally mounted in said lower chamber, an indoor-facing outlet and an outdoor-facing outlet respectively located at opposing front side and back side of said upper chamber, an indoor-facing inlet and an outdoor-facing inlet respectively located at opposing front side and back side of said lower chamber; the angular position of said upper damper and the angular position of said lower damper are adjustable to define a cold air passage and a hot air passage separately in said housing; said evaporator and said first fan are disposed in said cold air passage; said condenser and said second fan are disposed in said hot air passage; said cold air passage and said hot air passage each defining an air inlet end and an air outlet end; when said air inlet end of said cold air passage is connected to said indoor-facing inlet and said outdoor-facing inlet of said lower chamber, said air inlet end of said hot air passage is connected to said outdoor-facing inlet and said indoor-facing inlet of said lower chamber; when said air outlet end of said cold air passage is connected to said indoor-facing outlet and said outdoor-facing outlet of said upper chamber, said air outlet end of said hot air passage is connected to said outdoor-facing outlet and said indoor-facing outlet of said upper chamber.

2. The variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said evaporator and said condenser are respectively disposed in said lower chamber at two opposite sides; said first fan and said second fan are respectively disposed above said evaporator and said condenser; said first fan and said second fan are respectively disposed in said upper chamber at two opposite sides for drawing cold air or hot air into said upper chamber.

3. A variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner, comprising a housing and an air-conditioning system mounted in said housing, said air-conditioning system comprising a closed-loop refrigeration cycle formed of an evaporator, a condenser and a compressor, a first fan disposed at one lateral side relative to said evaporator, a second fan disposed at one lateral side relative to said condenser, and a control unit for controlling the operation of said closed-loop refrigeration cycle, said first fan and said second fan, wherein: said housing comprises a transverse partition plate, an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by said transverse partition plate, an upper damper pivotally mounted in said upper chamber, a lower damper pivotally mounted in said lower chamber, an indoor-facing outlet and an outdoor-facing outlet respectively located at opposing front side and back side of said upper chamber, an indoor-facing inlet and an outdoor-facing inlet respectively located at opposing front side and back side of said lower chamber; the angular position of said upper damper and the angular position of said lower damper are adjustable to define a cold air passage and a hot air passage separately in said housing; said evaporator and said first fan are disposed in said cold air passage; said condenser and said second fan are disposed in said hot air passage; said cold air passage and said hot air passage each define an air inlet end and an air outlet end; said upper chamber comprises an outlet door controllable by said control unit to close/open said outdoor-facing outlet; said lower chamber comprises an inlet door controllable by said control unit to close/open said outdoor-facing inlet; said upper damper and said lower damper are respectively disposed perpendicular to said outdoor-facing outlet and said outdoor-facing inlet; the air inlet ends of said cold air passage and said hot air passage are connected to said indoor-facing inlet of said lower chamber;the air outlet ends of said cold air passage and said hot air passage are connected to said indoor-facing outlet of said upper chamber.

4. The variable-damper multi-function heat pump air conditioner as claimed in claim 3, wherein said evaporator and said condenser are respectively disposed in said lower chamber at two opposite sides; said first fan and said second fan are respectively disposed above said evaporator and said condenser; said first fan and said second fan are respectively disposed in said upper chamber at two opposite sides for drawing cold air and hot air into said upper chamber.