Multizone air conditioning apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for air conditioning first and second zones comprising: a first heat exchanger means for heating air passing therethrough; a second heat exchanger means for cooling air passing therethrough; first warm air conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second warm air conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said first warm and cool air conduit means; second airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said second warm and cool air conduit means; means for actuating said first airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said first zone; means for actuating said second airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said second zone; on air blower means for blowing air; a conduit disposed at one end in fluid communication with the outlet of said blower means and at the other end in fluid communication with each of said first and second heat exchanger means; first airflow sensing means for sensing the rate of airflow through one of said heat exchanger means; and means responsive to said airflow-sensing means for varying the rate of heat transfer medium supplied to said one heat exchanger means in response to said airflow-sensing means whereby the quantity of heat exchange medium supplied to said one heat exchanger means is controlled in response to the demand on said one heat exchanger means by both of said zones via a single sensing means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said first airflow-sensing means is a pressure differential switch responsive to the difference between the air pressure upstream and downstream of said one heat exchanger means.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 further comprising: second airflow-sensing means for sensing the rate of airflow through the other of said heat exchanger means; and means responsive to said second airflow-sensing means for varying the rate of heat transfer medium supplied to said other of said first and second heat exchanger means in response to said second airflow sensing means whereby the quantity of heat exchange medium supplied to said other heat exchanger means is controlled indirectly in response to the demand on said other heat exchanger means by both of said zones via a single sensing means. 4 Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said first airflow-sensing means is a pressure differential switch responsive to the difference between the air pressure upstream and downstream of said one heat exchanger means and said second airflow-sensing means is a pressure differential switch responsive to the difference between the air pressure upstream and downstream of said other heat exchanger means.

Claim 5

Apparatus for air conditioning first and second zones comprising: a first heat exchanger means for heating air passing therethrough; a second heat exchanger means for cooling air passing therethrough; first warm air conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second warm air conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward sAid second zone; first cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said first warm and cool air conduit means; second airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said second warm and cool air conduit means; means for actuating said first airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said first zone; means for actuating said second airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said second zone; an air blower means for blowing air; a conduit disposed at one end in fluid communication with the outlet of said blower means and at the other end in fluid communication with each of said first and second heat exchanger means; first airflow-sensing means for sensing the rate of airflow through one of said heat exchanger means; supply means for supplying said one heat exchanger means with a heat exchange medium at a first supply rate; supplemental supply means for supplying said one heat exchanger with additional heat exchange medium to establish a second discrete supply rate higher than said first supply rate; and means responsive to said airflow-sensing means for actuating said supplemental supply means in response to said airflow-sensing means whereby the level of heat exchange medium supplied to said one heat exchanger means is controlled in response to the demand on said one heat exchanger means by both of said zones via a single sensing means.

Claim 6

Apparatus for air conditioning first and second zones comprising: a first heat exchanger means for heating air passing therethrough; a second heat exchanger means for cooling air passing therethrough; first warm air conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second warm air conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward sAid second zone; first cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said first warm and cool air conduit means; second airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said second warm and cool air conduit means; means for actuating said first airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said first zone; means for actuating said second airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said second zone; an air blower means for blowing air; a conduit disposed at one end in fluid communication with the outlet of said blower means and at the other end in fluid communication with each of said first and second heat exchanger means; first airflow-sensing means for sensing the rate of airflow through one of said heat exchanger means; supply means for supplying said one heat exchanger means with a heat exchange medium at a first supply rate; supplemental supply means for supplying said one heat exchanger with additional heat exchange medium to establish a second discrete supply rate higher than said first supply rate; and means responsive to said airflow-sensing means for actuating said supplemental supply means in response to said airflow-sensing means whereby the level of heat exchange medium supplied to said one heat exchanger means is controlled in response to the demand on said one heat exchanger means by both of said zones via a single sensing means.

Claim 7

The apparatus as defined by claim 5 wherein said airflow-sensing means includes means for sensing the pressure differential across said heat exchanger means.

Claim 8

Apparatus for air conditioning first and second zones comprising: a heat exchanger means for cooling air passing therethrough; first cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said first cool air conduit means; second airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said second cool air conduit means; means for actuating said first airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said first zone; means for actuating said second airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said second zone; an air blower means for blowing air; a conduit disposed at one end in fluid communication with the outlet of said blower means and at the other end in fluid communication with each of said heat exchanger means; airflow-sensing means for sensing the rate of airflow through said heat exchanger means; supply means for supplying a cooling heat exchange medium to said heat exchanger means at a first supply rate; supplemental supply means for supplying said heat exchanger with additional cooling heat exchange medium at a second discrete supply rate higher than said first supply rate; and means responsive to said airflow-sensing means for actuating said supplemental supply means in response to said airflow-sensing means whereby the level of heat exchange medium supplied to said heat exchanger means is controlled in response to the the cooling demand on said heat exchanger means by both of said zones via a single sensing means.

Claim 9

Apparatus for air conditioning first and second zones comprising: a heat exchanger means for cooling air passing therethrough; first cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said first cool air conduit means; second airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said second cool air conduit means; means for actuating said first airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said first zone; means for actuating said second airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said second zone; an air blower means for blowing air; a conduit disposed at one end in fluid communication with the outlet of said blower means and at the other end in fluid communication with each of said heat exchanger means; airflow-sensing means for sensing the rate of airflow through said heat exchanger means; supply means for supplying a cooling heat exchange medium to said heat exchanger means at a first supply rate; supplemental supply means for supplying said heat exchanger with additional cooling heat exchange medium at a second discrete supply rate higher than said first supply rate; and means responsive to said airflow-sensing means for actuating said supplemental supply means in response to said airflow-sensing means whereby the level of heat exchange medium supplied to said heat exchanger means is controlled in response to the the cooling demand on said heat exchanger means by both of said zones via a single sensing means.

Claim 10

The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said airflow-sensing means includes means for sensing the pressure differential across said heat exchanger means.

Claim 11

Apparatus for air conditioning first and second zones comprising: a first heat exchanger means for heating air passing therethrough; a second heat exchanger means for cooling air passing therethrough; first warm air conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second warm air Conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said first warm and cool air conduit means; second airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said second warm and cool air conduit means; means for actuating said first airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said first zone; means for actuating said second airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said second zone; an air blower means for blowing air; a conduit disposed at one end in fluid communication with the outlet of said blower means and at the other end in fluid communication with each of said first and second heat exchanger means; and means for varying the rate of heat transfer medium supplied to one of said heat exchanger means indirectly in response to the rate of airflow through the other of said heat exchanger means via a single sensing means.

Claim 12

Apparatus for air conditioning first and second zones comprising: a first heat exchanger means for heating air passing therethrough; a second heat exchanger means for cooling air passing therethrough; first warm air conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second warm air Conduit means for conducting warm air from said first heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said first zone; second cool air conduit means for conducting cool air from said second heat exchanger means toward said second zone; first airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said first warm and cool air conduit means; second airflow control means for controlling the flow of air through said second warm and cool air conduit means; means for actuating said first airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said first zone; means for actuating said second airflow control means in response to a temperature condition of said second zone; an air blower means for blowing air; a conduit disposed at one end in fluid communication with the outlet of said blower means and at the other end in fluid communication with each of said first and second heat exchanger means; and means for varying the rate of heat transfer medium supplied to one of said heat exchanger means indirectly in response to the rate of airflow through the other of said heat exchanger means via a single sensing means.

Claim 13

The apparatus as defined by claim 9 wherein said single sensing means is a pressure differential sensing means responsive to the pressure differential upstream and downstream of one heat exchanger means.