EP4711682A1

EP4711682A1 - Hydronic terminal for air treatment systems

Info

Publication number: EP4711682A1
Application number: EP25194139.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Renato Chiarini
Original assignee: Ep SpA
Current assignee: Ep SpA
Priority date: 2024-09-12
Filing date: 2025-08-05
Publication date: 2026-03-18

Abstract

A hydronic terminal for systems of air treatment units comprising:
a box-shaped body, in turn comprising two closely spaced opposite main faces and four perimeter faces, a heat exchanger positioned vertically and parallel to a first main face, a fan with a rotation axis perpendicular to the two main faces and interposed between the heat exchanger and a second main face, at least one inlet opening defined on the first main face and adapted for the passage of air to be treated, at least one outlet opening defined on each of two opposite perimeter faces adapted for the outgoing passage of the treated air. In particular, the hydronic terminal further comprises a plurality of condensate drip pans arranged at the perimeter relative to the heat exchanger.

Description

The present invention relates to a hydronic terminal for air treatment systems.
In other words, the present invention falls within the sector of air treatment devices for air conditioning in closed environments.
Among air treatment units, split or multi-split systems are known, meaning air conditioning systems formed of one outdoor unit and one, or more, indoor units. In particular, the indoor unit allows the temperature of the closed environment to be controlled by means of the thermal exchanges between the environment to be air-conditioned and a heat carrier fluid circulating in a hydraulic system inside the air treatment unit. The outdoor unit, on the other hand, is adapted to cause thermal exchanges between the heat carrier fluid and the external environment, so that the ideal thermal conditions of the heat carrier fluid are restored and so that, when this fluid is once again pumped into the indoor unit through heat carrier conduits, also called "refrigeration lines", it is able to condition the closed environment by means of thermal exchange processes.
The indoor unit, also identified with the terms "hydronic terminal" or "split" or "fan coil", can cool or heat the closed environment in which it is installed, depending on the user's preferences. In particular, an indoor unit typically comprises a body in plastic and/or metallic material comprising a heat exchanger (or radiator) in fluid connection with the outdoor unit, a fan controlled by a motor to convey the air to be treated through said heat exchanger, inside the split and the slots in the body of the split itself, to allow entry of the air to be treated into the indoor unit and exit of the conditioned air.
Most of the known hydronic terminals have a heat exchanger arranged inclined, with respect to a vertical plane, and positioned beneath it is a radial flow fan configured to create an airflow passing through the exchanger itself.
These hydronic terminals, although they function correctly, often appear cumbersome, as the inclined position of the exchanger occupies space transversely to the horizontal plane, which is often an installation wall. Devices having these features are known from document WO2022123484A1 .
Also known are hydronic terminals having a box shape, in which the fan for conveying air inside the terminal itself is interposed between the heat exchanger and a main face of the box-shaped body generally having mouths for passage of air. In other words, splits are known on which the heat exchanger is interposed between the fan and the installation wall or surface on which the split is installed. A device having a configuration of this type is known from document EP 2 446 197 B1 or from document EP1008814B1 .
It is noted that the choice of hydronic terminal is influenced by the position on the installation wall of the refrigeration lines that allow connection of the indoor unit with the outdoor unit.
In other words, the connections to the refrigeration lines could be arranged to the right or to the left of the terminal.
Therefore, what often happens in the installation phase is that the connections are in the opposite position to the position of the refrigeration lines. The intervention of a technician is therefore necessary in the installation phase. In particular, the hydronic terminal technician (or the person designated to install the device) would have to intervene by disassembling the device and rotating the heat exchanger and the constituent elements associated with it in order to adapt the split to the installation site. This operation has disadvantages, in terms of both expense and time, as it requires an additional technical intervention compared to the normal installation procedure. Furthermore, this solution cannot always be implemented. In fact, on hydronic terminals provided with a heat exchanger that is inclined with respect to the faces of the body, any alteration of its positioning would result in non-optimal functioning thereof, causing a reduction in efficiency of the air treatment unit. This is without considering that the person who performs this operation often does not have the necessary technical skills in relation to the device, and such movement is therefore performed in an insecure way.
Installation of the hydronic terminals currently available can therefore result in clear disadvantages.
Furthermore, splits on which the fan is interposed between the heat exchanger and the main face of the box-shaped body not in contact with the installation wall are subject to a high level of energy dispersion. In other words, hydronic terminals on which the heat exchanger is arranged between the fan and the installation wall are subject to a high level of thermal energy dispersion towards the wall. It is therefore necessary to provide these types of hydronic terminal with thermal insulation devices.
Furthermore, providing for use of a heat exchanger that is inclined with respect to a main face of the box-shaped body results in a device with overall dimensions that are not optimised.
The hydronic terminals currently available therefore have disadvantages from several viewpoints.
The technical task of the present invention is thus to provide a hydronic terminal for systems of air treatment units that is able to overcome the drawbacks which have emerged from the prior art.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a hydronic terminal that allows easy installation.
A further object of the present invention is therefore to provide a hydronic terminal that is not subject to a high level of thermal dispersion.
The stated technical task and specified objects are substantially achieved by a hydronic terminal comprising the technical features disclosed in one or more of the appended claims. The dependent claims correspond to possible embodiments of the invention.
In particular, the present invention relates to a hydronic terminal for systems of air treatment units comprising a box-shaped body comprising two closely spaced opposite main faces and four perimeter faces, and defining a containment volume. A heat exchanger arranged vertically and parallel to a first main face of the body is present inside said containment volume. Furthermore, the hydronic terminal of the present invention comprises a fan with a rotation axis perpendicular to the two main faces and the latter is arranged between the heat exchanger and a second main face. At least one inlet opening adapted for the passage of air to be treated inside said hydronic terminal is defined on the first main face of the body. Furthermore, at least one outlet opening is defined on each of two opposite perimeter faces adapted for the outgoing passage of the treated air from the hydronic terminal.
The hydronic terminal of the present invention further comprises a plurality of condensate drip pans arranged at the perimeter relative to the heat exchanger.
According to one aspect of the invention, the hydronic terminal comprises a motor adapted to control the activation and switching off of the fan. Preferably, but not necessarily, the motor is connected to the body by means of a support plate in metallic material.
According to a preferred embodiment, the heat exchanger has a substantially prismatic shape with rectangular cross-section and comprises two faces with greater extension parallel to the main faces. In detail, one of the two faces with greater extension of the heat exchanger is positioned at a relatively close distance to the first main face of the body.
In detail, the hydronic terminal of the present invention comprises air filters interposed between the first main face and the heat exchanger, in order to purify the air to be treated. Furthermore, the hydronic terminal comprises a plurality of conveying panels interposed between the heat exchanger and the fan, in order to define together with the body a diffusion volume of the air suctioned by the fan and to guarantee an increased efficiency in the heat exchanges and therefore in air conditioning of the environment. In particular, the aforementioned air filters are preferably arranged resting on the outer face (turned outwards) of the heat exchanger, so as to cover the entire surface thereof, and thus intercept the dust, hairs and macroscopic particles present in the incoming air.
According to a possible alternative embodiment, the hydronic terminal is installable on the ceiling. It is noted that, according to such installation, the arrangement of the condensate drip pans would have to be adapted to the arrangement of the hydronic terminal itself.
In other words, in the embodiment of the hydronic terminal installable on the ceiling, the drip pans are arranged parallel to the main faces of the heat exchanger but, for example, distanced from it by an interspace arranged along the perimeter between drip pan and heat exchanger, so as to allow the air to pass.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the indicative, and thus non-limiting, description of an embodiment of a hydronic terminal for systems of air treatment units. Such description will be set out below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided solely for illustrative and therefore non-limiting purposes, in which:

figure 1 represents a perspective view of the hydronic terminal according to the present invention;
figure 2 represents a rear perspective view of the hydronic terminal;
figure 3 represents a rear perspective view of a hydronic terminal with focus on the hydraulic connections;
figure 4 represents a perspective view of the hydronic terminal represented in figure 3 and rotated by 180° on the front plane;
figure 5 represents an exploded view of the hydronic terminal.

With reference to the appended figures, the reference number 1 denotes in its entirety a hydronic unit that, in this description, will be indicated, as "hydronic terminal 1".
With reference to the appended figures, the hydronic terminal 1 for systems of air treatment units comprises a box-shaped body 2, in turn comprising two closely spaced opposite main faces 3 and four perimeter faces 4. The body 2 defines a containment volume in which a heat exchanger 5 arranged vertically and parallel to a first main face 3a is housed. The hydronic terminal 1 further comprises a fan 6 with a rotation axis "X" perpendicular to the two main faces 3. The fan 6 is interposed between the heat exchanger 5 and a second main face 3b.
At least one inlet opening 7 adapted for the passage of air to be treated inside said hydronic terminal 1 is defined on the first main face 3a. As shown, for example, in figure 1, the first main face 3a has a plurality of inlet openings 7. The inlet openings 7 can have any shape suitable for the passage of air. For example, in figure 1, the inlet openings 7 have an elongated shape. Preferably, the inlet openings 7 are arranged parallel to each other and can have different lengths.
Furthermore, at least one outlet opening 8 is defined on each of two opposite perimeter faces 4 in order to create an outgoing passage of the treated air. Preferably, and as shown in the appended figures, the perimeter faces 4 opposite to each other can comprise a plurality of outlet openings 8. In an entirely similar manner to what has been said for the inlet openings 7, the outlet openings 8 can have any shape (elongated or not) suitable for the passage of air.
In particular, the hydronic terminal 1 comprises a plurality of condensate drip pans 9 arranged at the perimeter relative to the heat exchanger 5. With reference to the appended figures, the drip pans 9 are arranged above and below the heat exchanger 5.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the plurality of drip pans 9 is arranged at the opposite perimeter faces (4a, 4b) comprising at least one outlet opening 8 for the passage of conditioned air.
Preferably, the body 2 is made entirely of plastic material. In particular, the face 3 of the body arranged, during use, in contact with the installation surface or wall, is made of plastic material.
Advantageously, the choice to manufacture the entire structure of the body 2 in plastic material allows a hydronic terminal 1 with a reduced weight to be provided. At the same time, the body 2 in plastic material guarantees thermal insulation of the hydronic terminal 1 without requiring the use of additional insulation devices.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the hydronic terminal 1 is installable on a vertical wall and comprises two drip pans 9. One of these is positioned below the heat exchanger 5, while the other is positioned above the heat exchanger 5.
In detail, the drip pans 9 are made as single pieces connected to the body 2.
According to an alternative embodiment, the drip pans 9 are made in a single piece with the body 2.
In other words, the drip pans 9 are arranged at opposite perimeter sides of said heat exchanger 5, so as to collect the condensate of said heat exchanger 5 both when it is in a first position and when it is in a second position, overturned with respect to the first position.
The drip pans 9 are shaped so as to have respective condensate containment areas facing said heat exchanger 5 and opposite each other. Furthermore, the drip pans 9 are respectively facing said heat exchanger 5 at the two sides of the heat exchanger 5 itself in which no connections 11 are present.
Preferably, the drip pans 9 are provided with a drainage conduit 10 and/or a system for recovering the condensate water.
Advantageously, the condensate that is created following the thermal exchanges useful for air conditioning is recovered in the drip pans 9 and therefore drained by means of special drainage conduits 10, so that there is no stagnation of condensate water inside the drip pans 9 that could lead to the formation of germs and unpleasant odours.
In particular, the hydronic terminal 1 comprises a plurality of connections 11, adapted for the plumbing connection of the hydronic unit 1 itself to an outdoor unit by means of heat carrier fluid conduits (e.g. refrigeration lines), in which there is recirculation of a heat carrier fluid between the heat exchanger 5 and the outdoor unit.
Preferably, the second main face 3b has an opening 12 adapted for the passage of said heat carrier conduits.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hydronic terminal 1 is installable on a vertical wall and the body 2 has an upper perimeter face 4a and a lower perimeter face 4b and at least one outlet opening 8 is present on the upper perimeter face 4a and on the lower perimeter face 4b, in order to allow the exit of a symmetrical conditioned airflow towards the ceiling and towards the floor.
Advantageously, the presence of at least one outlet opening 8 on the upper perimeter face 4a and on the lower perimeter face 4b and the presence of two drip pans 9 positioned respectively below and above the heat exchanger 5 makes the hydronic unit 1 highly versatile. In other words, the hydronic terminal 1 is made according to a single configuration in accordance with the present description. However, the hydronic terminal 1 is installable on a wall, independently of the arrangement of the heat carrier conduits on the installation surface. In other words, the hydronic terminal 1 does not have a first configuration in which the plurality of connections 11 are positioned on the right of the hydronic terminal 1 and a second configuration in which the plurality of connections 11 are positioned on the left of the hydronic terminal 1. In fact, the hydronic terminal 1 of the present invention can be rotated by 180° on the front plane (from the first position to the second position and vice versa) to adapt the position of the plurality of connections 11 with the position of the heat carrier conduits on the installation wall.
Advantageously, providing for the presence of two condensate drip pans 9 allows the hydronic terminal 1 to be adapted to the installation site by means of its rotation and at the same time guaranteeing recovery of the condensate water by means of a drip pan 9. In detail, the drip pan 9 will, during use, by arranged closer to the ground.
With reference to the appended figures, figure 3 and figure 4 show the same hydronic terminal 1. In particular, in figure 3 the hydronic terminal 1 has an arrangement suited to installation on a vertical wall having the heat carrier conduits in its left portion, whereas figure 4 shows the hydronic terminal 1 rotated by 180° on the front plane and therefore has an arrangement suited to installation of the hydronic terminal 1 on a vertical wall having the heat carrier conduits in its right portion.
Preferably, the hydronic terminal 1 of the present invention further comprises an air flow diverter configured, during use, to selectively select an outlet opening 8 (or a plurality of outlet openings 8 or a perimeter face 4a or 4b) for the treated air. In other words, the flow diverter allows the conditioned air to be made to flow in one direction, towards the ceiling or towards the floor.
Preferably, the air flow diverter, not shown in the appended figures, is produced in the form of a baffle or an insert and is preferably made entirely of plastic material.
Advantageously, the flow diverter allows a one-directional flow to be obtained, towards the ceiling or towards the floor.
Advantageously, delivery of a one-directional flow allows comfort in the conditioned environment to be optimised, based on the season. In other words, using the flow diverter to direct the hot conditioned airflow towards the floor during the winter period allows the natural convective motions to be exploited to reduce stratification of the flows as much as possible. The same thing happens when the flow diverter is used to direct the cold conditioned airflow towards the ceiling in the months characterised by high temperatures. It is therefore possible to increase the efficiency of the hydronic terminal 1 and simultaneously to guarantee a high level of comfort for anyone in the air conditioned environment.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the fan 6 is preferably of the centrifugal type, with backward curved blades, axial intake and radial discharge, preferably of the "turbofan" type.
Advantageously, use of a fan 6 with axial intake and radial discharge allows dispersion of thermal energy towards the installation wall to be minimised. Advantageously, the hydronic terminal 1 of the present invention does not require the use of insulating panels or additional insulating seals, since the body 2 in plastic material and the fan 6 minimise the dispersion of thermal energy towards the installation wall.
The hydronic terminal 1 further comprises a motor adapted to control the activation and switching off of the fan 6. Furthermore, the body 2 comprises a zone for housing the motor defining an anti-vibration support. Preferably, the anti-vibration support comprises a support plate for the motor produced in iron in order to avoid deformations of the body 2. Advantageously, the hydronic terminal 1 installable on a wall and comprising two drip pans 9 arranged respectively below and above the heat exchanger 5 allows a hydronic terminal 1 rotatable or reversible by 180° on the front plane to be obtained and therefore allows the hydronic terminal 1 to be adapted to the installation site. In other words, the hydronic terminal 1 can be installed on vertical walls having the terminals of the heat carrier conduits both in the right portion and in the left portion of the installation wall, without the intervention of a maintenance technician being necessary. In particular, the hydronic terminal is defined as "reversible" because it can be turned completely upside-down based on the position of the heat carrier conduits (it is sufficient to connect the drainage conduit and/or condensate water recovery system to a pan or other element).
Advantageously, the hydronic terminal 1 of the present invention guarantees that dispersion of thermal energy towards the installation wall without additional insulating components is minimised.
Advantageously, the body 2 produced entirely in plastic material guarantees a sufficient thermal insulation of the hydronic terminal 1 and contributes to minimising the weight of the invention.
Advantageously, the presence of the flow diverter contributes to optimising efficiency of operation of the hydronic terminal 1.
Advantageously, the hydronic terminal 1 as described above has a high level of versatility of installation that allows it to be mounted independently of the arrangement of the heat carrier conduits of wall-mounted systems.
Advantageously, the hydronic terminal 1 is easily installable, guaranteeing a reduction in the associated assembly times and costs.

Claims

A hydronic terminal (1) for systems of air treatment units, comprising:
- a box-shaped body (2) comprising two closely spaced opposite main faces (3) and perimeter faces (4), and defining a containment volume;

- a heat exchanger (5) positioned vertically and parallel to a first main face (3a) inside said containment volume;

- a fan (6) with a rotation axis (X) perpendicular to said two main faces (3) and interposed between said heat exchanger (5) and a second main face (3b) so as to create an air flow through said heat exchanger (5);

- at least one inlet opening (7) defined on said first main face (3a) and adapted for the passage of air to be treated in said hydronic terminal (1);

- at least one outlet opening (8) defined on at least one of the two opposite perimeter faces (4) and adapted for the outgoing passage of the treated air from said hydronic terminal (1); and
characterised in that it further comprises a plurality of condensate drip pans (9) arranged at the perimeter relative to said heat exchanger (5); said drip pans (9) being arranged at opposite perimeter ends of said heat exchanger (5) so as to collect the condensate from said heat exchanger (5), both when the latter is in a first position and when it is in an second position, overturned relative to the first position, so as to create, during use, a hydronic terminal that is reversible with reference to the installation thereof on an installation wall.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with claim 1, wherein said drip pans (9) are configured so as to have respective condensate containment areas facing said heat exchanger (5) and opposite each other.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said drip pans (9) are respectively facing said heat exchanger (5) at the two sides of the heat exchanger (5) itself in which no connections (11) are present.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said plurality of drip pans (9) are arranged in a position corresponding to said opposite perimeter faces (4a, 4b) comprising the at least one outlet opening (8).
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said body (2) is entirely made of plastic material.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said hydronic terminal (1) is installable on a vertical wall and comprises two drip pans (9), one positioned below said heat exchanger (5) and one positioned above said heat exchanger (5).
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said drip pans (9) are provided with a drainage conduit (10) and/or a system for recovering the condensate water.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of connections (11), adapted for the plumbing connection of said hydronic terminal (1) to an outdoor unit by means of conduits of a heat carrier fluid in which there is a recirculation of refrigerant fluid between said heat exchanger (5) and said outdoor unit.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with claim 8, wherein said second main face (3b) has an opening (12) adapted for the passage of said heat carrier conduits.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said hydronic terminal (1) is installable on a vertical wall and wherein said body (2) has an upper perimeter face (4a) and a lower perimeter face (4b) and wherein at least one outlet opening (8) is present on said upper perimeter face (4a) and on said lower perimeter face (4b).
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, further comprising an air flow diverter configured, during use, to selectively select an outlet opening (8) for the air treated in said hydronic terminal (1), from said outlet opening (8) present on said upper perimeter face (4a) and said outlet opening (8) present on said lower perimeter face (4b).
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with claim 11, wherein said flow diverter is produced in the form of a baffle or an insert, preferably made of plastic material.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said fan (6) is of the centrifugal type, with backward curved blades, axial intake and radial discharge.
The hydronic terminal (1) in accordance with one or more of the preceding claims, comprising a motor adapted to control the activation and switching off of said fan (6) and wherein said body (2) comprises a zone for housing said motor defining an anti-vibration support.