AU2003255480B2

AU2003255480B2 - Portable air-conditioning unit, particularly a personal air-conditioning unit

Info

Publication number: AU2003255480B2
Application number: AU2003255480A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Siegfried Bischoff; Heinz Pohr
Original assignee: Entrak Energie und Antriebstechnik & Co KG GmbH
Current assignee: Entrak Energie- und Antriebstechnik & Co KG GmbH
Priority date: 2002-08-31
Filing date: 2003-08-23
Publication date: 2007-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2023-08-23
Also published as: US20060107679A1; DE10240281A1; AU2003255480A1; JP2005537458A; EP1532405A1; WO2004025190A1

Description

PORTABLE AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT, PARTICULARLY A PERSONAL AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT The present invention relates to a small-format, portable air-conditioning unit, in particular a personal air-conditioning unit.

Above all those people deployed in extreme environments at high or low ambient temperatures would require at least some temporary cooling or heating as they work to maintain or respectively prolong their performance and work capabilities, and also to foster general wellbeing. Examples here are soldiers, who are deployed for example in desert regions amid high ambient temperatures.

Another example is that of divers, who are required to carry out their tasks at extremely low water temperatures. If for example a soldier could now experience cooling during his deployment, or if a diver could warm himself, then his performance would inevitably improve or could at least be sustained for longer. A further example is those people who must act in formal attire at high temperatures and who would like to avoid excessive perspiring.

But a cooling or heating option would also be in preferable in other areas. An example here is the private sector, for example while hiking, when people generally experience relatively strong sweating and during which some cooling would be very welcome, at least temporarily. The same applies for example to attendance at a stadium, where people are obliged to sit for extended periods in strong sunshine. A further target group, which would welcome the possibility of rapid cooling onsite, are sensitive, ill or elderly persons, who have problems in higher ambient temperatures for example with circulation, breathing or the like, or also people who suffer from hot flushes and strong bouts of perspiration.

The object of the invention is to provide an air-conditioning unit which serves in particular as personal air-conditioning (which however also can be used for air-conditioning of objects), which takes remedial action.

To solve this problem according to the present invention a small-format, and thus light-weight air-conditioning unit easily carried by one person is provided, with a small-format housing having a housing section containing latent heat storage, on which housing is provided an inlet for a heatexchanging gaseous or liquid medium to be passed by the latent heat storage, and an outlet for discharging the cooled or heated medium, as well as with delivery means operable via a power supply provided on the housing side for delivering the medium for autonomous operation of the airconditioning unit.

The small-format, portable air-conditioning unit is very light, and appropriately ranges in weight from 1.5 to 2.5 kg and consequently can easily be carried by one person. Cooling or heating of a gaseous or liquid medium is made possible by guiding the latter past the latent heat storage, depending on layout, whereby this medium then serves for cooling or heating of the person carrying the air-conditioning unit, or an object, on which the airconditioning unit is arranged. Electrically operated delivery means are provided to forward the medium, whereby such operation is guaranteed by an integrated power supply, such that autonomous operation is possible, that is, the air-conditioning unit can be run without mains connection or the like and at any site. The cooling or heating medium is generated with particular advantage by using a latent heat storage, containing an appropriate phase change material, and which must accordingly be "charged" prior to running the air-conditioning unit. Due to its phase-changing properties or respectively its energy storage capability this phase change material or respectively the latent heat storage gives off energy to the passing medium, thus resulting in simple cooling or heating of the medium directly onsite, without an external power supply and the like-except for the delivery means-being necessary.

Overall the invention provides an easy-to-configure air-conditioning unit portable by anyone and fully autonomous in any situation and operable anywhere, which easily enables cooling or heating onsite.

According to a first embodiment the medium can be a gas and the delivery means can be a ventilator. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment ambient air is used as gas, which is aspirated via at least one intake aperture, formed by the abovedescribed inlet. The ambient air is conveyed to the latent heat storage, for example cooled there and then supplied to the person or object concerned for cooling purposes. At the same time it is sufficient to cool the ambient air by ca. 5 100C to cause a cooling effect which is pleasant and adequate for a person. Stronger cooling is often not required, as otherwise the risk of local sub-cooling may arise.

In accordance with a further embodiment the cooled or heated ambient air is supplied to at least one outlet nozzle leading to the atmosphere on the outlet, that is, in this case an open system is created, with an inlet open to the atmosphere and an outlet open to the atmosphere.

The cooled ambient air is now supplied to the person via the outlet nozzle, for example. The air-conditioning unit is arranged for example on the belt of the person concerned and positioned such that the outlet nozzle is placed under the outer clothing of the person, therefore of the soldier for example, so that the cooled air can be blown under the outer clothing. For the purposes of undertaking the greatest possible ventilating it is effective if an outlet section of any shape and having several outlet nozzles is provided on the outlet, which is configured appropriately substantially disc or semi-discshaped and comprises a deformable and skin-friendly material, and can therefore lie flat on the skin or the inner clothing of the person, whereby the several outlet nozzles point in various directions. This ensures that, for one thing, the outlet section lies well adjusted, and also that the outlet nozzles pointing in different directions enable large-surface ventilation and thus distribution of air. The cooling effect is hereby improved.

In addition to a directly open system on the inlet and on the outlet it is also feasible according to an embodiment however to provide connecting means for coupling to a line conveying the gas on the outlet means. This is appropriate for example with use of the inventive air-conditioning unit primarily in the private sector. The air-conditioning unit can be designed for example as a backpack unit or respectively can be carried in a backpack, and the cooled air can now be guided to any area of the body via a line which is threaded for example under the outer clothing of the hiker. Naturally, here at the end of the conveying line a flat outlet section, exhibiting several outlet nozzles pointing in different directions for distribution of air, can be provided, as described already for the abovementioned embodiment.

Apart from both the abovedescribed quasi-open embodiments it is also feasible in each case to provide means for coupling to a line carrying the gas, with a gas being used as heat-conducting medium, connecting on the inlet and on the outlet. This therefore results in a closed system.

With this system for example the line can be integrated in a "cooling vest" or "cooling jacket" or "cooling pants" or "cooling suit". The line inlet and the line outlet have corresponding connecting means, which can be coupled to the corresponding connecting means on the air-conditioning unit. This means the cooled gas-here too it can be air present in the air-conditioning unit or respectively in the pipeline system-is now being circulated within this pipeline system including the air-conditioning unit with continuous cooling.

The connecting means can in any case be simple plug-in connectors enabling tight connection.

In addition to the use of a gaseous medium there is naturally the possibility of using a liquid as medium, whereby in this case the delivery means is a pump. In this case only a closed system is feasible, that is, on the inlet and on the outlet corresponding connecting means are provided for coupling in each case to a line carrying the liquid. As already explained, the line can be appropriately integrated into an article of clothing, primarily worn under the outer clothing, so that the liquid can be guided as closely as possible to the sweating or respectively freezing areas of the body of the carrier.

To further reduce losses it is appropriate if the housing is insulated at least in the region where the latent heat storage is provided, preferably however the entire housing. In this case it is feasible to make either the housing itself of insulating material or to provide corresponding insulating linings or inserts or fillings or the like.

According to an advantageous further development of the inventive idea, at a position downstream of the latent heat storage a preferably electrically adjustable valve-like control element can be provided, via which the degree of opening of a first medium path, which guides the medium past the latent heat storage, and a second medium path, via which the medium supplied to the housing is not guided past the latent heat storage, can be varied. Both medium paths lead to the delivery means. Through corresponding positioning of the control element the "mixing ratio" of the medium guided via both medium paths can be varied, by which also temperature control is eminently possible in particular in an open system, during which ambient air is suctioned. Should for example the person concerned experience such cooling as excessive, the second medium path can be opened slightly, so that the suctioned, relatively hot ambient air is mixed in with the air cooled on the latent heat storage depending on the degree of opening and the cooled air is slightly reheated. The shift is made appropriately by hand or electrically, powered by the integrated power supply.

A central problem is circumstances where the latent heat storage can store only a certain quantity of power. Once it has given this out it is quasi "spent".

It is now necessary "to recharge" the latent heat storage for renewed use of the air-conditioning unit. There are various possibilities for this. According to a first embodiment at least one electrically operated cooling and/or heating device can be provided in the housing at a place near the latent heat storage. This means that the cooling or heating of the latent heat storage takes place internally in the unit itself.

The integrated power supply can serve to supply the cooling or heating device, as long as the latter is sufficiently capable. It is however also conceivable to provide connecting means, via which the air-conditioning unit can be connected to an external power supply to power the cooling or heating device. The air-conditioning unit can therefore be connected for example to a standard supply network for "charging", and supply is also feasible via a standard car battery if the air-conditioning unit is used for example in the private sector outside the house etc.

A particularly effective embodiment provides using at least one Peltier element as cooling or heating device, which, depending on the direction of the current sent via the element, cools or heats on one side. This at least one Peltier element is appropriately integrated in the housing wall separating the first and second medium path, so that on one side it is directly adjacent to the latent heat storage, and on the other side lies in the second medium path. During cooling via the Peltier element the resulting heat, which occurs on the side facing the second medium path, must now be drawn off, for which purpose the abovementioned control element is actuated to slightly open the second medium path, so that air is suctioned via the latter and the heat can be drawn off. In any case simple cooling and thus "charging" of the latent heat storage can take place in this manner, and the same applies heating up. Alternatively to using a Peltier element a heater coil can also be used, whereby the latter acts only as heating.

Apart from use of an integrated cooling or heating device it is also conceivable that an external station with a cooling or heating device is provided for cooling or heating the latent heat storage, on or in which the portable air-conditioning unit can be arranged. It is feasible for example that in such a station a corresponding seat is provided, into which the unit can be inserted, after which the station is switched on and cooling or heating ensues. Here, too, corresponding Peltier elements for cooling or heating or one or more heater coils for heating of the latent heat storage can be provided.

There is of course the possibility of using standard cooling or heating devices such as for example a refrigerator or freezer, an oven, a microwave or the like, where the unit can be placed for "charging", instead of the abovementioned integrated devices or the station.

According to a further effective embodiment the latent heat storage itself can be removed from the housing. The latent heat storage can then be cooled or heated separately and reused after "charging".

To control cooling it is appropriate if the throughflow quantity of the medium is variable, for which purpose at least a temperature sensor or a throughflow quantity recording sensor as well as a suitable electronic evaluation device are appropriately provided, via which the delivery means can be controlled.

Further, a charge status indicator for the integrated power supply can be provided so that the wearer always knows whether and if required also how long the air-conditioning unit can still be operated.

Also, a charge status indicator for the latent heat storage is feasible by direct measuring with suitable sensors or assessment program.

Storage batteries or batteries can be employed as power supply, and the use of fuel cells is also appropriate. Furthermore, solar cells can also be used, which is particularly appropriate wherever the air-conditioning unit is run on continuous solar radiation.

Naturally, it is also conceivable for example to combine storage batteries and solar cells, whereby the solar cells continuously provide a charge for the storage batteries. Also, it is feasible to operate the unit such that the solar cells primarily create supply, while the storage batteries play a supporting role whenever insufficient power is delivered by the solar cells.

In addition, at least one cooling or heating compartment can be provided for objects, which can be tempered by an additional cooling or heating device, in particular at least a Peltier element, assigned to it and operated by the integrated power supply. For example, important drugs or the like can be placed in this compartment and accordingly tempered, which ought not to be all that large with respect to the relatively small dimensioning of the airconditioning unit.

Any known, and utilisable with respect to the respective area of application, phase change material can be used as latent heat storage. In the simplest case water is used, and paraffin or respectively wax can also be used.

Because of its high fusion heat in particular salt hydrate for example can be used. To prevent the medium paths from being added due to freezing of the medium for example when the medium is cooled using ice, a liquid medium must have a freezing or respectively sublimation point which is clearly below the freezing point of the latent heat storage or respectively particularly clearly above the sublimation point. If for example ice is used as latent heat storage, then a corresponding cooling brine is to be appropriately used as liquid medium.

For reasons of insulation and also to prevent contaminants from entering the housing it is effective if the or each housing opening can be closed. This applies in particular also when corresponding connecting means are provided on the inlet or outlet in order to prevent these from being contaminated or damaged, and connection is not possible. The openings can be opened or closed jointly via a single actuation means, e.g. a lever. The covering lid or flap is therefore attached to the common lever. In the process e.g. the inlet and the outlet can be opened jointly, if the lever is brought into a first position. When moved into a second position the valve-like control element, which is assigned to the second medium path, is then actuated if available.

In addition to the inventive air-conditioning unit the invention further relates to an air-conditioning system, comprising an air-conditioning unit of the abovedescribed type as well as an article of clothing to be worn on the body of a person with at least one integrated line for guiding the cooling or heating medium, whereby connecting means for coupling with corresponding connecting means on the inlet and/or on the outlet of the line of the article of clothing are provided on the inlet and/or on the outlet of the air-conditioning unit.

Further still the invention relates to a process for cooling a person, in which an air-conditioning unit of the abovedescribed type is used, which sucks in ambient air, cools it and discharges it via at least one outlet nozzle, and which is attached to the person in such a way that the discharged ambient air is blown in under the outer clothing onto the inner clothing or the skin of the person concerned, such that apart from the cooling effect created by the cooled ambient air an additional cooling effect is achieved by utilising the evaporative cold during ventilation-conditional drying of the natural moisture of the inner clothing or skin. By using the evaporative cold through corresponding targeted blowing of the cooled air the overall cooling effect can be improved further still. It is particularly effective here if the cooled air is blown in over the largest area possible and in different directions to blow over inner clothing or damp skin wet through by perspiration as much as possible.

Further advantages, characteristics and details of the invention will emerge from the embodiment described hereinbelow as well as by means of the attached diagrams, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view through a principal sketch of an inventive air-conditioning unit, Figure 2 is a view of the unit from Figure 1, Figure 3 is a sketch illustrating the arrangement of an air-conditioning unit on a person, Figure 4 is a sectional view as principle sketch through the person shown in Figure 3 in the region of the arrangement of the airconditioning unit, and Figure 5 shows an inventive air-conditioning system.

Figure 1 shows an inventive air-conditioning unit 1 with a housing 2, preferably overall comprising insulating material. A housing section 3 for accommodating latent heat storage 4 is provided In the housing 2. The latent heat storage 4 includes a storage housing 5, in which the actual latent heat storage, therefore the phase change material, is arranged.

Water/ice can be utilised for example as latent heat storage. The storage housing should be designed by size or by choice of material (flexible material, if required) such that when ice is used as latent heat storage with the freezing/melting an accompanying change in volume is taken into account or respectively compensated, so that bursting is not possible with freezing.

The latent heat storage 4 is arranged in the housing section 3 such that medium paths 6 for a gaseous medium, ambient air in the illustrated embodiment, supplied via the inlet 7, here in the form of an intake aperture, remain above and below, first and foremost also at the sides. Flowing along this medium path 6 past the latent heat storage is the suctioned ambient air.

After this is clearly warmer than the temperature of the latent heat storage, heat exchange takes place as this flows past, that is, the air flowing past is cooled.

Delivery means 8 powered by an integrated power supply 9 and in the form of a ventilator are provided for aspirating and conveying the air in or respectively through the housing. The aspirated and conveyed air is conveyed to the outlet 10, where an outlet section 11 is provided, at which several outlet nozzles 12 pointing in different directions are provided. By these means the cooled air is returned to the atmosphere. The outlet section 11 is, as shown in Figure 2, flat and disc-shaped or respectively in any form and made of a relatively soft, adaptable and if necessary skin-friendly material, so that it adapts to the surface, on which it lies, whereby the material must be so stable that the outlet openings are not pressed in together.

As has been described, an integrated power supply 9 is provided. This can for example be configured as a battery or storage battery. It is also conceivable to provide solar cells 13 for this or in addition, which can either act automatically as power supply, or by which the storage battery can be charged.

Also provided are suitable electronics 14, which are arranged together with the power supply in an appropriate housing section 15. The electronics are used for example for detecting and regulating the throughflow quantity by corresponding control of the delivery means 8, for which a throughflow sensor, not shown in greater detail here, and, of required, a temperature sensor for recording the temperature of the cooled air is provided.

Operation is now such that when cooling is wanted a flap 16 closing the inlet 7 is first opened, by means of which the inlet 7 or respectively the intake aperture is opened. A filter or the like can of course be inserted into the latter, via which the aspirated ambient air id filtered. When the ventilator is operated air is now suctioned in, flows along the medium path 6, is cooled down and is conveyed to the outlet 10 and discharged via the outlet nozzles 12. The medium paths 6 should be so wide that they are prevented from closing by icing of humid air freezing on the latent heat storage.

A control member 17 preferably electrically adjustable via the electronics 14 and the power supply 9 is provided, which has the shape of a flap and via which the opening cross-section of the medium path 6 can be quasi varied.

The control element can be moved between an open position (shown in solid lines in Figure 1) and a closed position (shown in dashed lines in Figure 1), and can therefore open and close fully. If the control element 17 is slightly opened, a second medium path 18, which leads directly to the ventilator, then opens. When the ventilator is operated air is also then drawn via this medium path 18. Since this air does not come into contact with the latent heat storage it is not cooled, and is therefore clearly warmer. All in all, mixing of the cooled air with the warm suctioned air takes place in the ventilator, such that the temperature of the finally discharged air can be varied by this measure.

Even though the latent heat storage 4 can be removed from the housing in order to be recharged in a commercially available cooling cabinet or a freezing compartment, where the liquefied water is refrozen), such a possibility is not however always available. For this purpose a cooling and heating device 19 in the form of several Peltier elements is arranged in a housing wall 20, which separates the first medium path 6 from the second medium path 18.

This Peltier element is run by the integrated power supply 9 and its purpose is to cool the latent heat storage and also to refreeze liquefied water. Should it not be possible to operate thus via the integrated power supply 9 (exclusively), connecting means 21, as indicated by dotted lines, are provided, via which coupling to an external power supply, such as for example a vehicle battery or the like, is possible.

If current is passed via a Peltier element one side of the element is heated, while the opposite side cools off. In the illustrated embodiment the operation is now such that the side of the Peltier cooling appliance facing the latent heat storage is cooled, while the opposite side is heated. Since both sides communicate with the respective medium paths 6, 18, heat exchange can therefore take place there immediately. When this Peltier cooling appliance is operated it is now necessary to draw off the heat forming on the heating side. This happens by the control element 17 being closed, that is, the housing section in which the latent heat storage is located, is closed. Air is now suctioned exclusively through the ventilator via the second medium path, and this air discharges heat given off at the Peltier cooling appliance 19.

Instead of a Peltier cooling appliance-which when another latent heat storage is used, such as for example a paraffin storage, via which heating of the ambient air is possible, is operated in reverse and can heat the latter-a heater coil or the like can for example also be used, which serves to heat up the latent heat storage.

Figure 1 further shows a cooling or heating compartment 22, in which an object can be cooled or heated. For tempering the compartment an additional cooling or heating device 23, first and foremost comprising one or more Peltier elements, is provided, which depending on operating mode can cool or heat the interior of the compartment. It is operated via the integrated power supply, since cooling of an object is primarily necessary whenever the air-conditioning unit is carried.

Figure 2 is a view of the air-conditioning unit 1 from Figure 1, wherein for the sake of clarity the latent heat storage 4 and the ventilator 8 are both indicated by dashed lines.

Figure 3 finally shows in exemplary form the use of an inventive airconditioning unit in the form of a belt-worn unit. The air-conditioning unit 1 is arranged on a belt 24, which a person 25 wears. It is positioned such that the outlet section 11 (see Figure 4) is guided under the outer clothing 26 of the person in question. The outlet section 11 can be pushed through for example through the opening of a button-down jacket or the like or through an opening attached specially for this purpose. It can be positioned either above the inner clothing, so that the cooled air is therefore blown in between outer and inner clothing, but there is also the possibility of threading it in under the inner clothing in direct contact with the skin. In a principle sketch Figure 4 shows this positioning in the form of a sectional view. Reference numeral 27 designates either the skin or the inner clothing. The air-conditioning unit can also be carried covered under a jacket or objects.

Figure 5 shows an inventive air-conditioning system 28, comprising an airconditioning unit in which are integrated delivery means 8' in the form of a liquid pump instead of a ventilator. As latent heat storage 4' an ice store can again be used. A liquid, e.g. a cooling brine, which is pumped via the liquid pump is used as medium here, other than in the embodiment according to Figure 1. Provided on the inlet 7' and on the outlet 10' are connecting means 29, 30, to which corresponding connecting means 31, 32 can be connected, via which the air-conditioning unit 1 can be coupled to a line 33. The line 33 leads to an article of clothing 34, where it is integrated such as to allow it to meander. The article of clothing 34 is therefore a cooling vest with integrated cooling lines, through which the cooled liquid can be circulated in a closed system when the pump 8' is operating. The exiting liquid is recycled to the air-conditioning unit 1'.

Instead of a liquid cycle a gaseous medium can also be used inside the closed system.

It should be pointed out in conclusion that the illustrated embodiments are not limiting. The aim is to dimension the air-conditioning unit as small as possible, so that it can be easily picked up. Other housing configurations are also conceivable.

Claims

2. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the medium is a gas and the delivery means is a ventilator
3. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the inlet is designed as at least one intake aperture for ambient air used as gas.
4. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that at least one outlet nozzle (12) leading to the atmosphere is provided on the outlet The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that an outlet section (11) of any form having several outlet nozzles (12) and comprising a deformable and if required skin-friendly material is provided on the outlet NO 17
6. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that the outlet section (11) is configured substantially disc or semi-disc-shaped O Z and the several outlet nozzles (12) point in various directions.
7. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, characterised in 0that connecting means (30) for coupling to a line (33) conveying the gas is 00o ,I provided on the outlet
8. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that connection means (29, 30) for coupling in each case to a line (33) carrying the gas are provided on the inlet and on the outlet
9. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that a liquid is used as medium, whereby the delivery means is a pump and in that connecting means (29, 30) for coupling in each case to a line (33) carrying the liquid are provided on the inlet and on the outlet The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the housing is provided at least in the region where the latent heat storage preferably the entire housing is heat-insulated.
11. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims wherein the control element (17) comprises an electrically or manually adjustable valve-like element.
12. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that at least one electrically operated cooling or heating device (19) in the housing is provided at a location nearthe latent heat storage
13. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 12, characterised in that cooling or heating device (19) can be run by the integrated power supply or in that connecting means (21) are provided on an external power supply for running the cooling or heating device (19).
14. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 11 and 12 or 13, characterised in that at least one Peltier element which serves as cooling or heating the latent heat storage is arranged in a housing wall separating the first and the second medium path 18).
15. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 12 or 13, characterised in that the heating device (19) is a heater coil.
16. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 11, characterised in that an external station is provided with a cooling or heating device for cooling or heating the latent heat storage, on or in which the portable air-conditioning unit can be arranged.
17. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 16, characterised in that the station has one or more Peltier elements for cooling or heating of the latent heat storage or one or more heater coils for heating the latent heat storage.
18. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the latent heat storage can be removed from the housing
19. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the throughflow quantity of the medium is variable. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 19, characterised in that at least a sensor and an electronic evaluation device (14) are provided, by which the delivery means can be controlled for detecting the throughflow quantity or respectively the medium temperature.
21. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that a charge status indicator is provided for the integrated power supply
22. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that a charge status indicator is provided for the latent heat storage.
23. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that storage batteries, batteries, fuel cells or solar cells (13) are provided as power supply
24. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that at least a cooling or heating compartment (22) for objects is provided, which can be tempered by another cooling or heating device (23) assigned to it and which can be operated by the integrated power supply in particular at least a Peltier element. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the latent heat storage is water or paraffin.
26. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that a liquid medium used in a closed system has a freezing or respectively sublimation point lying below the freezing point of the latent heat storage or above the sublimation point.
27. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the or each housing opening can be sealed closed.
28. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 27, characterised in that a general, preferably lever-like operational control is provided, via which the sealing elements of the housing openings and if required the valve-like control element assigned to the second medium path can be actuated jointly.
29. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that a condensate precipitating discharge or collection means is provided in the housing. The air-conditioning unit as claimed in Claim 29, characterised in that the collection means are a housing compartment or an element aspirating the condensate.
31. An air-conditioning system, comprising an air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 26 as well as an article of clothing (34) to be worn on the body of a person with at least an integrated line (33) for guiding the cooling or heating medium, whereby connecting means (29, are provided on the inlet and/or on the outlet of the air-conditioning unit for coupling with corresponding connecting means (31, 32) on the inlet and/or on the outlet of the line (33) of the article of clothing (34).
32. The air-conditioning system as claimed in Claim 31, characterised in that the article of clothing is a complete suit or a part thereof.
33. A process for cooling a person, wherein an air-conditioning unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 26 is used, which aspirates ambient air, cools it and discharges it via at least one outlet nozzle, and which is attached to the person such that the discharged ambient air is blown under the outer clothing onto the inner clothing or the skin of the person, so that an additional cooling effect is achieved, apart from the cooling effect, by the cooled ambient air through use of the evaporative cold during ventilation-conditional drying of the natural moisture of the inner clothing or skin.