WO2013014455A1

WO2013014455A1 - Space heaters

Info

Publication number: WO2013014455A1
Application number: PCT/GB2012/051792
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Burns
Original assignee: John Burns
Priority date: 2011-07-28
Filing date: 2012-07-26
Publication date: 2013-01-31
Also published as: GB201112984D0; GB2478897A; GB2478897B; GB201204807D0; GB2493582A

Abstract

A climate control system (100) arranged to condition air in a room (102) comprising a fireplace with a fire surround (116) having an aperture (114) therein that can be arranged to at least partially receive an electric or gas fire (122) and providing a space (106) behind the surround (116) that is arranged to receive an air conditioning unit(108, 118), the air conditioning unit (108, 118) being adapted to deliver aflow of conditioned air into the room (102) via the aperture(114), the air conditioning unit (108, 118) being concealed from view by the surround(116), and wherein the air conditioning unit (108, 118)comprises a split unit air conditioner, a slave portion (108) of which is at least partially located within the space behind the surround(116).

Description

SPACE HEATERS

Description: This invention relates to space heaters, in particular, but without limitation to space heaters suitable for use in domestic situations.

Most domestic and commercial properties nowadays are fitted with some form of climate control, such as a central heating system, an air conditioning system, plug-in heaters/coolers and so on to regulate the internal temperature of the property to make it more comfortable to inhabit. Many climate control systems are purely utilitarian and can often be unsightly. However, in a domestic setting it is generally undesirable to have an unsightly heating/cooling device and a great deal of effort is therefore spent to make heating/cooling devices more attractive to look at.

In recent years, it has become fashionable to install real flame fires because the pleasing visual effect they create. However, real flame fires can be costly to install because they must be installed in a fire-safe, usually require a specialist flue /chimney and must be located near to a supply of fuel. Maintenance of real flame fires is also essential to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and to maintain efficiency of the fire. Furthermore, increasing fuel costs make real flame fires increasingly expensive to operate and given their inherent inefficiency, are unlikely to be economically viable in the future.

As a result, many people are nowadays choosing to install an electric fire as a more convenient and cost-effective solution to some of the above problems. In particular, an electric fire does not require a flue/chimney, requires minimal maintenance and generally maintains its efficiency throughout its life. However, electricity prices are also rising meaning that the cost of operating an electric fire is likely to increase over time. Nevertheless, electric fire provides the convenience that many users seek and can be designed to resemble a real flame fire. As a result, "flame effect" electric fires are becoming an increasingly popular choice in domestic settings. Given that fuel and electricity prices are generally on the increase, and need arises for increasingly more efficient heaters, mainly to reduce the operating costs associated with heating. This invention aims to provide a solution to one or more of the above problems, and/or to provide an alternative/improved climate control system.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a climate control system arranged to condition air in a room comprising a fireplace with a fire surround having an aperture therein that can be arranged to at least partially receive an electric or gas fire and providing a space behind the surround that is arranged to receive an air conditioning unit, the air conditioning unit being adapted to deliver a flow of conditioned air into the room via the aperture, the air conditioning unit being concealed from view by the surround, and wherein the air conditioning unit comprises a split unit air conditioner, a slave portion of which is at least partially located within the space behind the surround.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a climate control system arranged to condition air in a room comprising a fireplace with fire surround having an aperture therein and providing a space behind the surround for receiving the slave unit of a split-unit air conditioner the air slave unit of the air conditioner being adapted to deliver a flow of conditioned air into the room via an aperture in the surround, the slave unit of the air conditioner being concealed from view by the surround and further comprising means for separating a first airflow entering an air inlet of the slave unit of the air conditioner from a second airflow exiting via an air outlet of the slave unit of the air conditioner.

By providing means for separating the airflow entering the inlet of the slave unit from the airflow exiting via the outlet of the slave unit, recirculation of the air from outlet to inlet can be reduced or eliminated.

The reason that this is important is that many slave units are provided with thermostatic controllers that automatically adjust the output temperature of the conditioned air in response to a sensed "room" air temperature. In an "open" installation, that is where the slave unit is not housed in a surround or other housing, the temperature reading that slave unit utilises in its thermostatic control is substantially representative of the temperature in the room. However, where the airflow exiting the outlet of the slave unit is able to feed back into the slave unit's inlet, the sensed temperature can be representative of the output airflow temperature, rather than that of the air in the room. In such a situation, the slave unit's thermostatic controller can "cycle", based on a false or erroneous reading of the room's air temperature, which can lead to premature shut-off, or a premature change in the set output temperature. This can lead to poor operational efficiency and failure to condition the air within the room.

By providing a means for separating the slave unit's intake and outlet airflows, the problem of recirculation and cycling can be reduced or eliminated.

To achieve this, the means for separating the slave unit's intake and outlet airflows may take the form of a duct or conduit surround one or both of the slave unit's inlets or outlets, which directs air entering or leaving the slave unit to or from a sufficiently remote location that recirculation issues are reduced. In one possible embodiment of the invention, the means for separating can comprise duct extending from the outlet of the slave unit to an outlet aperture of the fireplace. Additionally or alternatively, the means for separating can comprise duct extending from the inlet of the slave unit to an inlet aperture of the fireplace.

In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for separating comprises a resiliently deformable strip interposed between a portion of the slave unit surrounding one of the inlet or outlet apertures thereof, and a periphery of an inlet or outlet aperture of the fireplace.

The resiliently deformable strip can partially or completely surround the slave unit's inlet or outlet aperture, but in any case, provides an obstruction that prevents direct recirculation of air from outlet to inlet, or vice-versa.

The resiliently deformable strip can be held in place by one or more pressure-sensitive, self- adhesive strips, or by friction. The resiliently deformable strip preferably comprises a length of tubular foam. The aperture in the surround can be arranged to least partially receive an electric or gas fire. The aperture can serve as either an inlet aperture or an outlet aperture for an airflow entering or leaving the slave unit of the air conditioner. Supplementary inlet or outlet apertures may also be provided. Any one or more of the apertures may be concealed from view and/or covered by a grille.

In the context of the invention, the term "air conditioning unit" can comprise any heat pump adapted for transferring heat from one location to another. In many cases, the air conditioning unit may be a conventional air-to-air, or air-source heat pump. However, a ground-source heat pump may also be used in addition or alternatively.

The fireplace can be free-standing or built into a room/wall. The fireplace can be manufactured from any suitable material, for example, medium density fibreboard (MDF), marble, granite, limestone, wood, a composite material, e.g. resin composite, concrete, etc.

The space behind the fire surround in which the air conditioning unit is receivable, may at least partially comprise a chimney or flue space such that the air conditioning unit is at least partially located within the chimney or flue space. The air conditioning unit is concealed from view, which may be accomplished by locating it a point relative to an upper periphery of the aperture in the surround so as to be concealed from view when viewed from within the room.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the slave portion of the split unit air conditioner can be at least partially located within the chimney or flue space. The master unit may be located remotely from the slave unit and connected thereto by pipework. Where the master unit is located remotely, it may be located externally of the building in which the climate control system is installed, e.g. on an external wall or at ground level adjacent the building.

By separating the master and slave units, it is possible to make the fire surround more compact, locate a potentially noisy master air conditioning unit in a location where cannot be heard from within the room and/or to locate it in an area that may give rise to greater efficiency, e.g. in a position that is shaded from direct sun, insulated from cold weather/ice etc. The master unit of the split unit air conditioner is preferably located outside the building, although it could be located internally, for example within a chimney breast.

A supplementary heater, e.g. an electric fire, may be provided in the fireplace, located at least partially in the chimney or flue space. In such a situation, there must be at least one gap between the supplementary heater and a periphery of the aperture in the fire surround to permit conditioned air from the air conditioning unit to enter the room.

A heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit may optionally be incorporated into a heating appliance or supplementary heating appliance such that the heat exchanger serves as an alternative or supplementary source of heat for the heating appliance. Additionally or alternatively, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit may serve as an alternative source of cool air for the heating appliance, enabling the heating appliance to operate in a heating mode or a cooling mode.

An inlet aperture is preferably provided in the chimney, wall or flue space near to the slave unit to provide a source of fresh air, and/or recirculated air from the room, to the air conditioning unit.

Where the room does not comprise a chimney or flue, a false chimney breast may be provided within which the air conditioning unit can be concealed.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a climate control system comprising a housing, an element located within the housing and means for causing air from a room in which the climate control system is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the element, and to be reintroduced into the room, wherein the element comprises a heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric fire as claimed in claim 1 comprising a housing, a heating element located within the housing and means for causing air from a room in which the fire is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the heating element, and to be reintroduced into the room, wherein the heating element comprises a heat exchanger of a reverse cycle air conditioner. One important feature of the invention is the fact that the electric resistive heating coil of a conventional electric fire is replaced by a heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit. Given that the efficiency of air conditioning units can be considerably higher than that of an electric resistive heating element, the efficiency of the climate control system of the invention can be significantly higher than that of a conventional electric fire.

In addition, it will be appreciated that an air conditioning unit can be operated in two modes, namely a "forward cycle" mode in which it produces cold air at its output heat exchanger, or a "reverse cycle" mode in which produces warm air at its output heat exchanger. Preferably, therefore, the climate control system of the invention is incorporated into a combined forward/reverse cycle air conditioning unit such that it can be used as a heater (e.g. in cold months) or as a cooler (e.g. in warmer months).

A further advantage of using an air conditioner, as opposed to a conventional electric heater coil, is that an air conditioner can additionally provide dehumidification and air scrubbing functionality enabling not only the temperature of a room to be maintained within desired parameters, but also its humidity and air quality to also be maintained within desired parameters.

Preferably, the housing of the invention resembles a heater, such as a conventional log fire, gas fire or electric convector heater so as not to be unsightly in a domestic environment. Alternatively, the housing of the invention may resemble a furniture items such as a cabinet, chair etc. having a heater integrated into it.

Where the housing of the invention is adapted to resemble a conventional heater, it may additionally comprise a flame simulation means. The flame simulation means, where provided, may comprise a number of ribbons or other movable elements adapted to flutter/move under the influence of actuator, e.g. a fan. The flame simulation means may additionally comprise one or more lights which could be configured to illuminate intermittently, to fade in/out and/or to change colour to simulate the flickering light of a real flame. Additionally or alternatively, the flame simulation means may comprise a visual display units, such as LCD screen, for displaying a moving picture/video of a real fire. A flame simulation means may additionally comprise a sound effect means, for example a speaker connected to an audio playback device, which emits the crackling sounds of a real fire.

The climate control system of the invention comprises a heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit located within the housing. A fan is preferably provided for blowing ambient air over the heat exchanger and out through an outlet aperture of the housing such that warm/cool air is blown into the room. The housing of the climate control system preferably comprises an inlet aperture through which air within the room can be drawn into the housing to be heated by the heat exchanger before being flown back into the room.

The climate control system of the invention could be adapted to re-circulate the air within the room, thereby improving its efficiency. Additionally or alternatively, the housing may comprise an inlet aperture and/or outlet aperture communicating with another room or the exterior of the building. Control means is preferably provided to enable climate control system to operate in a recirculating mode, or a "fresh air" mode either as desired automatically. One of the advantages of providing a control means for selecting between a recirculating mode or a fresh air mode is that the climate control system could select the source of air that gives rise to the greatest efficiency. For example, on a cold day, a hot room could be more efficiently cooled by blowing cool air from outside the building into the room, rather than trying to cool the already warm air within the room in a recirculating mode. However, when the ambient temperature was in the room reaches or drops below the ambient temperature outside, the climate control system could then switch to a recirculating mode.

The air conditioning unit may be located within the housing, but is preferably located remotely from the housing. In such a situation, the heat exchanger within the housing is connected to the air conditioning unit using pipes.

The climate control system with the invention preferably comprises a number of controls to enable the user to select between different modes of operation. The various modes of operation may include a heating mode, a cooling mode, and air cleaning mode and/or dehumidifying mode. Additionally, the climate control system may comprise a number of adjustable settings such that the user can select a "target" temperature/humidity for the room and the climate control system preferably has a number of sensors and a controlled system built into it to enable that target temperature/humidity to be maintained within pre-set parameters.

The controls may be adjustable using buttons, or using a remote control for controlling the slave unit. Where a remote control is used, the slave unit may need to be provided with a sensor on a fly lead because the slave unit itself may be concealed from view by the fire surround. In such a situation, the sensor can be located in an unobtrusive location, for example, within the fire-receiving aperture, to enable an out-of-sight slave unit to be remotely controlled from within the room.

A fifth aspect of the invention provides a climate control system arranged to condition air in a room comprising a fireplace with fire surround having an aperture therein and providing a space behind the surround for receiving the slave unit of a split-unit air conditioner the air slave unit of the air conditioner being adapted to deliver a flow of conditioned air into the room via an aperture in the surround, the slave unit of the air conditioner being concealed from view by the surround, the climate control system being characterised by a portion of the fireplace being moveable or removable.

By providing a moveable or removable portion of the fireplace, it ban become easier to access the slave unit of the air conditioner, for example, during maintenance, servicing, repair and cleaning of it.

A moveable portion of the fireplace may be hingedly connected to enable it to fold or hinge to reveal the slave unit. Where the moveable portion is arranged to hinge upwardly to an open position, lift-assist means, such as a counterweight, gas strut or spring may be provided. The use of a lift-assist means may enable more heavily or sturdily constructed fireplace portions to be manipulated by a single operator, preferably with minimal effort. Preferred embodiments of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a climate control system in accordance with the second and third aspects of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic cross section through the climate control system of Figure 1 on ll-ll;

Figure 3 is a part cut-away view of a first alternative climate control system in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

Figure 3A is part cut-away of a variant of the climate control system shown in Figure 3;

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a second alternative climate control system in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4A is a partial cross-section of Figure 4 on A-A.

Figure 5 is a part cut-away view of a third embodiment of a climate control system in accordance with the invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a climate control system according to the invention;

Figure 7 shows the same embodiment as Figure 6, but with the airflow direction reversed; Figure 8 is a schematic cross-section through a climate control system in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a climate control system according to the invention.

In Figure 1, a climate control system 10 according to the invention is provided for heating a room 12 and comprises a main housing 14 having a decorative fascia 16. Fascia 16 comprises a viewing window 18 through which a flame simulation screen 20 can be seen. To add realism to the visual effect of the climate control system 10, a hearth grille 22 is provided between the rear surface of the glass viewing window 18 and in front of the flame simulation screen 20 to retain a quantity of cullet 24 thereby adding to the visual effect of a real fire. The fascia 16 has an inlet grille 26 located above the viewing window 18 through which air within the room 12 can be drawn into the main housing 14. Also provided below the viewing window 18 is an outlet grille 28 through which heated/cool air can be blown back into the room 12.

The fascia 16 also comprises a control panel 30 having a number of operator controls enabling a user to control the operation of the climate control system 10.

It will be appreciated that the climate control system of the invention 10 largely resembles a conventional electric fire and can be located and used in a similar manner to a conventional electric fire.

In Figure 2, the climate control system 10 of figure 1 is shown in partial cross-section to illustrate the working components within it. As can be seen more clearly from Figure 2, the main housing 14 is receivable within an aperture 32 in a fire surround 34, which is located adjacent to a fireplace opening 36 in the inner leaf 38 of a cavity wall. The housing 14 protrudes partially into the room 12 through the aperture 32, and partially into the cavity space 40 between the inner 38 and outer 42 leaves of the wall.

The inlet grille 26 leads to a duct 46 located within the housing 14 which directs the air from the room 12 through a heat exchanger 50 and back out through the outlet grille 28. Air is drawn through the duct 46 by a fan 44, which is powered by an electric motor 45. The motor 45 can be configured to rotate in either direction enabling the inlet 26 and outlet grilles 28 to be reversed, which may be a desirable option if the climate control system 10 is to be used as both a heating device and as a cooling device.

The upper portion of the duct 46 is provided with an auxiliary inlet tube 52, which communicates with the cavity space 40. A flap valve 54 is provided where the auxiliary inlet tube 52 meets the inlet portion of the doctor 46 to enable a user to select air to be drawn in from the room 12 or from the cavity space 40, depending on whether a "re-circulating" mode, or a "fresh air" mode is required. The operation of the flap valve 54 can also be controlled by a circuit associated with the control panel 30 such that the selection of "recirculating", or "fresh air" mode can be automatic. The heat exchanger 50 replaces the electric heater element of a conventional electric fire and is heated and/or cooled by an external air conditioning unit 58. The external air conditioning unit 58 is shown located on the exterior of the building at floor level, but could be wall-mounted or located within the cavity space 40 depending on the dimensions of the unit 58 and the cavity space 40. By mounting the air conditioning unit 58 within the cavity space 40, one can eliminate the problem of icing of the external heat exchanger 60 during extreme cold weather. On the other hand, the cooling efficiency of the air conditioning unit 58 could be reduced in hot weather if it is mounted within the cavity space 40. As such, the location of the air conditioning unit 58 will therefore depend on the prevailing weather conditions, the amount of space available and other factors, such as access to an external wall etc.

The heat exchanger 50 located within the housing 14 communicates with the air conditioning unit 58 via pipework 62. The pipes 62 are insulated to minimise heat transfer into/out of the system between the external heat exchanger 60 and the internal heat exchanger 50, which is more important where long pipe runs are involved. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the pipes 62 are "heat pipes" enabling extremely efficient transfer of heat between the heat exchangers 50, 60.

The control panel 30 comprises an integral circuit having various feedback loops associated with it. In the illustrated example, there is a first temperature sensor 64 located within the inlet portion of the duct 46 for sensing the temperature of the air entering the duct 46, and a second temperature sensor 66 located on top of the housing 14 within the cavity space 40 for sensing the temperature of the air entering the duct 46 from the cavity space 40. The control panel 30 comprises a circuit that compares the target temperature set by the user with the air temperature in the room (using sensor 64) and with the air temperature within the wall cavity space 40 (using sensor 66) and decides whether the flap valve 54 should be set to draw air 68 in from the room 12 or to draw air 70 in from the cavity space 40 to obtain the optimum efficiency. The fan 44 comprises a multi-stage turbine located within a relatively wide portion 72 of the duct 46 that is driven by a shaft 74 extending through an aperture in the sidewall of the duct 46 with electric motor 45. The speed and/or direction of the motor 45 is adjustable using a variable speed controller (not shown) that is controlled by the control circuit 30.

In a "heating" mode, the fan 44 causes the air 68 to be drawn into the duct 46 through the inlet grille 26 or through the auxiliary inlet port 52, through the heat exchanger 50 and out 76 into the room 12 via an outlet portion 78 of the duct 46. Conversely, in a "cooling" mode, air can optionally be drawn in through grille 28, through the heat exchanger 50 and out through the upper grille 26. The direction of the air flow within the duct 46 will depend on the temperature of the air within the room 12 and the wall cavity 40 relative to the "target" temperature set by the user.

The flame simulation screen 20 is configured to give the visual effect of a real fire and preferably comprises a flat screen display, such as an LCD/LED display connected to a video driver 78 containing a looped video of a real fire that can be displayed continuously upon the screen 20. Video driver 78 is also connected to an internal speaker 80 that can optionally output a sound recording simulating the crackling/hissing sound of a real fire. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, video driver 78 contains a number of user-selectable simulations giving different visual/audio effects.

Turning now to Figure 3, a climate control system according to the first aspect of the invention comprises a fireplace 100 located within a room 102 to be heated/cooled. The fireplace 100 comprises a false chimney breast 104 providing a hollow cavity 106 whose dimensions are sufficient to accommodate the slave unit 108 of a split unit air conditioner. The slave unit 108 is secured to the wall 110 using screws (not shown) and is located at a level slightly above the upper periphery 112 of an aperture 114 in a fire surround 116. The slave unit 108 only needs to be sited slightly higher than the upper periphery 112 of the aperture 114 because in most situations, the eye level of an observer will be higher than the upper periphery 112 of the aperture 114. By siting the slave unit 108 just out of view, it is still relatively easy to access via the aperture 114, for servicing, repair etc.

In a manner similar to that previously described, the slave unit 108 is connected to an externally-located master unit 118 via insulated pipes 120. A supplementary, flame-effect, electric fire 122 is located within the aperture 114 of the fire surround 116 to provide a pleasing visual appearance and also to provide a supplementary/alternative source of heat for the room 102. There is a gap 124 between the upper periphery of the electric fire 122 and the upper periphery 112 of the aperture 114 in the fire surround to permit conditioned air 126 from the slave unit 108 to be blown into the room 102.

The chimney breast 104 is also provided with inlet ports 126, 128 that communicate with the room 102 and the exterior of the building, respectively to provide a supply of recirculated 130 or fresh air 132, respectively for the slave unit 108. A control valve 134 is fitted to each of the inlet ports to enable them to be automatically opened or closed by a control circuit (not shown) of the slave unit 108 to enable an appropriate combination of fresh air/recirculated air to be used for the reasons previously described.

In Figure 3A, a similar climate control system according to the first aspect of the invention to that shown in Figure 3 is shown. The main difference is that in Figure 3A, there is no supplementary heater, but rather an open hearth into which, if desired, a fire simulation means 20 can be optionally placed. In the illustrated example, the flame effect 20 comprises an electrically-illuminated bed of simulated coals, but this could be omitted, or replaced with a "passive" decorative effect, for example some logs, pebbles or other ornaments.

Finally, Figure 4 shows a yet further embodiment of the invention 200 in which the air conditioning slave unit is 202 is concealed within a fireplace 204. In this embodiment, the fireplace 204 comprises a surround 206 having an aperture 208 therein for receiving a conventional gas or electric fire 210. The surround 206 is spaced from the wall 212 by a distance sufficient to accommodate the fire 210 and the air conditioning unit 202. A pair of pilasters 214 are provided on either side of the surround 206 and comprise side walls 216 that extend rearwardly to the wall 212 thereby enclosing and concealing the fire 210 and air conditioning slave unit 202. The pilasters 214 and upper edge of the surround 206 support a mantle 220, which projects slightly forwardly of the pilasters 214. In the particular embodiment shown, the air conditioning slave unit 202 is located within a hollow portion of the mantle 220.

The air conditioning slave unit 202 comprises a downwardly directed outlet port 222 that is arranged to direct the conditioned air 224 out through the aperture 208 in the surround 206, through a small gap 226 between an upper periphery of the fire 210 and the upper periphery of the aperture 208. Air 232 is drawn into an inlet port 228 of the air conditioning slave unit 202 via one or more concealed inlet apertures 230 in the fireplace 204.

The inlet apertures 230 are formed as slots that are positioned at locations where they are not easily visible in normal use, for example on the underside of the mantle 220 or at an intersection of the pilasters and the wall, the mantle and the wall and the like, for example in one or more locations as shown in Figure 4A.

The fireplace 204 can be manufactured of a decorative material, for example, sheets of marble, stone or reconstituted stone giving the visual appearance of a conventional fireplace. However, by concealing an air conditioning unit within the fireplace, in addition to a conventional fire, it is possible to achieve improved control of the room temperature and to save energy by using the air conditioning unit alone, or in combination with the conventional fire 210. Moreover, because the air conditioning unit is concealed from view, the invention overcomes the problem of siting an unattractive or non-coordinating (with the rest of the room's decor) air conditioning slave unit within a room.

One of the main advantages of the invention over a conventional electric fire is that the heating/cooling efficiency of an air conditioning unit 58 is considerably higher than that of a resistive coil heater element. For example, a 1 kW air conditioning unit can provide an equivalent heat output, in certain circumstances to a 3 kW system coil heating element thereby greatly reducing the amount of electricity required for a given heat output. A further advantage of the invention over a conventional electric fire is its ability to provide a cooling function in warmer weather in addition to heating function in cool weather. Furthermore, air conditioning units 58 often comprise air filters and/or dehumidifiers thereby enabling the air in the room 12 to be cleaned/dehumidified, if required. The invention may be particularly suited to homes/environments where air contaminants and allergens (e.g. pollen, dust etc.) need to be controlled - the air conditioning unit's air scrubbing functionality serving to scrub the air of potentially harmful contaminants/pollutants.

A further advantage of the invention is that because the air conditioning unit is located with a housing, such as a fireplace, chimneybreast or within a housing, its noise emissions can be significantly reduced/damped. In that regard, it may be desirable to incorporate sound insulation within the fireplace, chimneybreast or housing to abate the air conditioning's noise emissions.

The invention has been described in relation to an electric fire, although it will be appreciated that the invention could also be incorporated into a range of furniture items other than fires. Moreover, the air conditioning unit 58 has been shown located externally of the building, however, a relatively small air conditioning unit 58 could be located within the wall cavity space 40 above the main housing 14 of the climate control system 10.

In Figure 5, a climate control system 510 according to the invention comprises a fireplace 512 located within a room 514 to be heated/cooled. The fireplace 512 comprises a false chimney breast 516 providing a hollow cavity 518 whose dimensions are sufficient to accommodate the slave unit 520 of a split unit air conditioner. The slave unit 520 is firmly secured to the wall 522 using screws (not shown) and is located at a level slightly above the upper periphery 524 of an aperture 526 in a fire surround 528. The slave unit 520 only needs to be sited slightly higher than the upper periphery 524 of the aperture 526 because in most situations, the eye level of an observer will be higher than the upper periphery 524 of the aperture 526. By siting the slave unit 520 just out of view, it is still relatively easy to access via the aperture 526, for servicing, repair etc. The slave unit 510 is connected to an externally-located master unit 530 via insulated pipes 532. The pipes 532 are insulated to minimise heat transfer into/out of the system between the master and slave units, which is more important where long pipe runs are involved. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the pipes 532 are "heat pipes" enabling extremely efficient transfer of heat between the master and slave units.

A supplementary, flame-effect, electric fire (not shown) may optionally be located within the aperture 526 of the fire surround 528 to provide a pleasing visual appearance and also to provide a supplementary/alternative source of heat for the room 514. Where a supplementary heater is provided, there will be a gap between the upper periphery of the supplementary heater and the upper periphery 526 of the aperture 526 in the fire surround 528 to permit conditioned air 540 from the slave unit 520 to be blown into the room 514.

The slave unit 520 has an outlet grille 542 through which conditioned air is expelled. A length of tubular foam 544, such as that conventionally used as pipe lagging, is sandwiched between a rear surface of the surround 528 and the front surface of the slave unit 510, and is held in place by friction and/or self-adhesive tape. Such an arrangement enables the foam to be easily removed, should the need arise.

The tubular foam insert 544 surrounds three sides of the slave unit's outlet grille 542, that is to say on either side of the grille 542 and above it. As such, conditioned air 540 expelled from the grille 542 is ducted towards the aperture 256 of the surround 528, and is prevented from being drawn back into the fireplace where it may re-enter the slave unit's inlet 546. Such an arrangement prevents recirculation of conditioned air, and thus "cycling" of the slave unit 520.

The chimney breast 16 is provided with inlet ports 548, 550 that communicate with the room 514 and the exterior of the building, respectively to provide a supply of recirculated 552 or fresh air 554, respectively for the slave unit 520. A control valve (not shown) is fitted to each of the inlet ports to enable them to be automatically opened or closed by a control circuit (not shown) of the slave unit 520 to enable an appropriate combination of fresh air/recirculated air to be used for the reasons previously described.

In Figure 6, an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in which the air conditioning slave unit is 520 is concealed within a traditional fireplace 560 that projects outwardly from the wall 522. In this embodiment, the fireplace 560 comprises a surround 562 having an aperture 564 therein for receiving a conventional gas or electric fire. The surround 562 is spaced from the wall 522 by a distance sufficient to accommodate the fire (where provided) and the air conditioning slave unit 520. A pair of pilasters 566 is provided on either side of the surround 562 and comprise side walls that extend rearwardly to the wall 522 thereby enclosing and concealing the fire and air conditioning slave unit 520. The pilasters 566 and upper edge of the surround 562 support a mantle 568, which projects slightly forwardly of the pilasters 566. In the particular embodiment shown, the air conditioning slave unit 20 is located within a hollow portion of the mantle 568.

The air conditioning slave unit 520 comprises a downwardly directed outlet grille 542 that is arranged to direct the conditioned air 540 out through the aperture 564 in the surround, through a small gap 570 located between an upper periphery of the fire and the upper periphery of the aperture 564. Air 572 is drawn into an inlet port 574 of the air conditioning slave unit 520 via one or more concealed inlet apertures 576 in the fireplace.

The inlet apertures 576 are formed as slots that are positioned at locations where they are not easily visible in normal use, for example on the underside of the mantle 568 or at an intersection of the pilasters and the wall, the mantle and the wall and the like.

In Figure 7, which shows an identical construction to Figure 6 other than the inversion of the slave unit 520. In this case, the direction of the airflow is reversed such that air is drawn into the slave unit 520 via the aperture 564 in the surround and is expelled though the concealed slotted apertures 576 in the fire surround. Again, a length of compressible foam or other ducting has been used to separate the incoming air from the outgoing air to inhibit or prevent "cycling" of the slave unit 520.

Figure 8 is a simplified partial cross-section of Figure 6 on IV-IV, and shows the placement of the foam strip 544 to create a duct for separating the incoming and outgoing airflows. As can be seen, the foam strip 544 is sandwiched between the rear surface of the surround and the front fascia of the slave unit to plug the gap, and/or to form a seal, therebetween. Also shown in Figure 8 is a condensate outlet 570 through which water condensing, or melted ice formed, on the slave unit's heat exchanger can be discharged. The condensate outlet 570 comprises an outlet conduit, and optionally a pump 572, which can optionally be provided where the discharge point 574 is higher than the slave unit, for example in a below ground installation, or where the heater is installed on an internal wall a distance from a suitable drain or soak away. The pump 572 can be an inline impeller pump, a sump pump, or any other suitable type of pump.

Figure 9 is an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the mantle 568 is hingedly connected to the wall 522 and is supported on gas struts 580. By making the mantle 568 hingedly removable, full access to the slave unit 520 can be obtained, for example when its air filters need to be changed, for servicing and repair etc. It will be noted in Figure 9 that the foam sealing strip 544 surrounding the slave unit's outlet grille 542 is affixed to the slave unit 520 using self-adhesive strips. When the mantle 568 is lowered, its inner surface presses against the foam strip 544 to form a seal, thereby creating separated pathways for the incoming and outgoing air supplies.

The mantle 568 of the fireplace shown in Figure 9 comprises slotted side inlet apertures 576, similar to those described previously. As before, the slave unit can be inverted, or its operation reversed, such that direction of airflow is reversed.

In Figure 9, there is also shown an infra-red sensor 584 for the slave unit's remote control, which extends from the slave unit 520 on a fly lead and which is adhered to the fire surround at an unobtrusive location. The I sensor 584 interfaces with the slave unit's control panel (not shown) which comprises a circuit having various feedback loops associated with it. In many cases, the slave unit has a first temperature sensor located within its inlet for sensing the temperature of the air entering the unit, and a second temperature sensor located at the outlet for sensing the temperature of the air expelled from the unit. The controller comprises a circuit that compares the target temperature set by the user with the air temperature in the room and operates to control whether air is drawn in from the room or drawn in from another source, such as from outside the room/building, obtain the optimum efficiency.

The fireplace can be manufactured of a decorative material, for example, sheets of marble, stone or reconstituted stone giving the visual appearance of a conventional fireplace. However, by concealing an air conditioning unit within the fireplace, in addition to a conventional fire, it is possible to achieve improved control of the room temperature and to save energy by using the air conditioning unit alone, or in combination with the conventional fire. Moreover, because the air conditioning unit is concealed from view, the invention overcomes the problem of siting an unattractive or non-coordinating (with the rest of the room's decor) air conditioning slave unit within a room.

One of the main advantages of the invention over a conventional electric fire is that the heating/cooling efficiency of an air conditioning unit is considerably higher than that of a resistive coil heater element. For example, a 1 kW air conditioning unit can provide an equivalent heat output, in certain circumstances to a 3 kW system coil heating element thereby greatly reducing the amount of electricity required for a given heat output. A further advantage of the invention over a conventional electric fire is its ability to provide a cooling function in warmer weather in addition to heating function in cool weather. Furthermore, air conditioning units often comprise air filters and/or dehumidifiers thereby enabling the air in the room to be cleaned/dehumidified, if required. The invention may be particularly suited to homes/environments where air contaminants and allergens (e.g. pollen, dust etc.) need to be controlled - the air conditioning unit's air scrubbing functionality serving to scrub the air of potentially harmful contaminants/pollutants. A further advantage of the invention is that because the air conditioning unit is located with a housing, such as a fireplace, chimneybreast or within a housing, its noise emissions can be significantly reduced/damped. In that regard, it may be desirable to incorporate sound insulation within the fireplace, chimneybreast or housing to abate the air conditioning's noise emissions.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments which are merely exemplary. For example, the shape, relative size and arrangement of the features could be altered to suit different applications. In addition, the air conditioning unit need not necessarily be able to heat and cool, but could be a heating only "reverse cycle" air conditioning unit, or a conventional cooling only air conditioning unit. The hinged arrangement shown in Figure 9 could be modified such that a different part of the fireplace is removable.

Claims

Claims:

1. A climate control system arranged to condition air in a room comprising a fireplace with a fire surround having an aperture therein that can be arranged to at least partially receive an electric or gas fire and providing a space behind the surround that is arranged to receive an air conditioning unit, the air conditioning unit being adapted to deliver a flow of conditioned air into the room via the aperture, the air conditioning unit being concealed from view by the surround, and wherein the air conditioning unit comprises a split unit air conditioner, a slave portion of which is at least partially located within the space behind the surround.

2. A climate control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the space behind the fire surround in which the air conditioning unit is receivable at least partially comprises a chimney or flue space.

3. A climate control system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the air conditioning unit is located at a point higher than an upper periphery of the aperture in the fire surround.

4. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim , wherein a master unit of the split unit air conditioner is located remotely from the slave unit and is connected thereto by pipework, the master unit being located externally of the building in which the climate control system is installed.

5. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a supplementary heater located at least partially in the chimney or flue space.

6. A climate control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein, further comprising at least one gap between the supplementary heater and a periphery of the aperture in the fire surround.

7. A climate control system as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the air conditioning unit serves as an alternative or supplementary source of heat for the supplementary heater.

8. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising an inlet aperture communicating with the chimney or flue space to provide a source of fresh air, and/or recirculate air from the room, to the air conditioning unit.

9. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a false chimney breast.

10. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the air conditioning unit can be operated in a "forward cycle" mode in which it produces cold air at the heat exchanger located within the housing, chimney space or flue space or in a "reverse cycle" mode in which produces warm air at the heat exchanger located within the housing, chimney space or flue space.

11. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the air conditioner

comprises a dehumidifier for dehumidifying the air within the room and/or a filter means for cleaning the air within the room.

12. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a flame

simulation means, the flame simulation means comprising any one or more of the group comprising: an image or hologram of a fire; a plurality of ribbons or other movable elements adapted to flutter/move under the influence of actuator; one or more lights adapted to illuminate continuously, intermittently, to fade in/out and/or to change colour; a visual display unit; an LCD/LED display screen for displaying a moving picture/video of a real fire; a sound effect means; and a speaker connected to an audio playback device.

13. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a fan for causing air from a room in which the fire is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the element, and to be reintroduced into the room, the fan being actuated using an electric motor and wherein the speed and/or direction of the fan/motor is adjustable.

14. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a duct having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet of the duct communicating with the room to be heated/cooled, an inlet of the duct communicates with the room to be heated/cooled and wherein air is drawn into an inlet port of the air conditioning slave unit via the duct.

15. A climate control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the duct's inlet communicates with one or more concealed inlet apertures in the fireplace.

16. A climate control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the inlet apertures are formed as slots that are positioned at locations where they are not easily visible in normal use.

17. A climate control system as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the inlet apertures are formed as slots that are positioned at any one or more of the group comprising: an underside of the mantle; at an intersection of the pilasters and the wall; at an intersection of the mantle and the wall.

18. A climate control system as claimed in any of claims 4 to 17, wherein the pipework comprises heat pipes.

19. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a control

interface for enabling a user to select between different modes of operation, the different modes of operation comprising: a heating mode, a cooling mode, an air cleaning mode and/or a dehumidifying mode.

20. A climate control system according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for

separating a first airflow entering an air inlet of the slave unit of the air conditioner from a second airflow exiting via an air outlet of the slave unit of the air conditioner.

21. A climate control system arranged to condition air in a room comprising a fireplace with fire surround having an aperture therein and providing a space behind the surround for receiving the slave unit of a split-unit air conditioner the air slave unit of the air conditioner being adapted to deliver a flow of conditioned air into the room via an aperture in the surround, the slave unit of the air conditioner being concealed from view by the surround and further comprising means for separating a first airflow entering an air inlet of the slave unit of the air conditioner from a second airflow exiting via an air outlet of the slave unit of the air conditioner.

22. A climate control system as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the means for separating the slave unit's intake and outlet airflows comprises a duct or conduit at least partially surrounding at least one of the slave unit's inlets or outlets.

23. A climate control system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the duct is adapted to direct air

entering or leaving the slave unit to or from a remote location.

24. A climate control system as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the duct extends from the outlet of the slave unit to an outlet aperture of the fireplace.

25. A climate control system as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the duct extends from the inlet of the slave unit to an inlet aperture of the fireplace.

26. A climate control system as claimed in any of claims 20 to 25, wherein the means for separating comprises a resiliently deformable strip interposed between a portion of the slave unit surrounding one of the inlet or outlet apertures thereof, and a periphery of an inlet or outlet aperture of the fireplace.

27. A climate control system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the resiliently deformable strip at least partially surrounds the slave unit's inlet or outlet aperture.

28. A climate control system as claimed in claim 26 or claim 27, wherein the resiliently deformable strip surrounds at least three sides of the slave unit's outlet.

29. A climate control system as claimed in any of claims 26, 27 or 28, wherein the resiliently deformable strip obstructs direct recirculation of air from the slave unit's outlet to its inlet, or vice-versa.

30. A climate control system as claimed in any of claims 26 to 29, wherein the resiliently deformable strip comprises tubular foam.

31. A climate control system arranged to condition air in a room comprising a fireplace with a fire surround having a fire-receiving aperture therein that can be arranged to at least partially receive an electric or gas fire and providing a space behind the surround that is arranged to receive and conceal the slave portion of the split unit air conditioner, the slave unit being adapted to draw air in via the fire-receiving aperture and to expel conditioned air into the room via one or more outlet apertures in the fireplace.

32. A climate control system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the fire-receiving aperture serves as an inlet aperture or an outlet aperture for an airflow entering or leaving the slave unit of the air conditioner.

33. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fireplace comprises supplementary inlet or outlet apertures.

34. A climate control system as claimed in claim 33, wherein any one or more of the supplementary inlet or outlet apertures is concealed from view.

35. A climate control system as claimed in claim 33 or claim 34, wherein any one or more of the supplementary inlet or outlet apertures is covered by a grille.

36. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the air conditioner

comprises any one or more of the group comprising: an air-to-air heat pump, an air-source heat pump; a ground-source heat pump; and a water-source heat pump.

37. A climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the slave unit comprises a number of controls to enable a user to select between different modes of operation, the controls being adjustable using a remote control unit.

38. A climate control system according to any preceding claim, characterised by a portion of the fireplace being moveable or removable.

39. A climate control system as claimed in claim 38, wherein the moveable portion is hinged.

40. A climate control system as claimed in claim 39, wherein the moveable portion is arranged to hinge upwardly to an open position and further comprises lift-assist means, the lift-assist means comprising any one or more of the group comprising: a counterweight; a gas strut; and a spring.

41. A climate control system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 37 comprising a moveable or

removable portion according to any of claims 38 to 40.

42. A climate control system substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.