WO2025151027A1

WO2025151027A1 - A ventilation device

Info

Publication number: WO2025151027A1
Application number: PCT/MY2025/050003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wei Tat NG; Zhe Xuan KHO; Yin Han THAN
Original assignee: Daikin Research and Development Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Current assignee: Daikin Research and Development Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Priority date: 2024-01-09
Filing date: 2025-01-08
Publication date: 2025-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2026-07-09

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ventilation device (100), comprising a body (101) having at least two air inlet ports and two air outlet ports, a supply air flow path (150) provided with a first blower (120), an exhaust air flow path (160) provided with a second blower (130), and a heat exchanger (140). The first blower (120) and the second blower (130) are positioned horizontally within the body (101). The body (101) is partially partitioned into two compartments, in which one compartment accommodating the first blower (120) and the heat exchanger (140), and another compartment accommodating the second blower (130). The second blower (130) is disposed to be at least partially aligned with one side end plate (141) the heat exchanger (140), thereby contributing a relatively compact configuration.

Description

A VENTILATION DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a ventilation device, and more particularly, to a ventilation device having a relatively compact configuration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays, buildings are constructed to be more insulated for higher energy efficiency. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised that increased airtightness in a building may significantly reduce air exchange between the interior and the exterior of the building, and this may result in reduced indoor air quality as the indoor air may gradually become stale, humid and stuffy over time if there is no sufficient ventilation in the building. Thus, it is important for maintaining adequate ventilation in buildings in order to prevent deterioration on the indoor air quality and negative impacts on the health of occupants.

With the increasing tightness of buildings, mechanical ventilation is becoming essential for building design to ensure acceptable indoor air quality and maintain occupant comfort. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery are one of the examples of mechanical ventilation means designed to promote mixing of air between the interior and the exterior of a building. These ventilation works by recovering heat from outgoing indoor air and conditioning fresh incoming outdoor air using the recovered heat. Their ability to recover heat from the outgoing indoor air to preheat or precool the incoming air has greatly reduced cost required for heating or cooling the healthy fresh air circulating throughout the building.

Conventional mechanical ventilation with heat recovery normally comes in larger size and it requires more space for installation. For example, prior art document JP6259997B2 provides a supply and exhaust type ventilation device that exchanges outside air and indoor air, and the ventilation device includes a damper for switching between a heat exchange ventilation and an ordinary ventilation. Referring to Figure 1 of JP6259997B2, the air supply fan and the exhaust fan are disposed to sit vertically by having the suction inlet facing sideways. Such configuration will result in an increased height of the ventilation device, thus require a higher space above ceiling for installation.

There is an increasing demand on a smaller-sized mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to facilitate installation in residential condominiums and apartments which have limited height for ceiling space. A number of examples were provided over the prior art aiming to provide a mechanical ventilation device incorporated with heat recovery function with a relatively compact configuration for facilitating installation thereof in a limited space. One of the prior art is CN108195019A that provides a heat exchange ventilation device with a reduced casing thickness. The ventilation device has its centrifugal fans to be arranged in a way that the axial direction of the centrifugal wind wheels coincides with the thickness direction of the body of the ventilation device. Also, the inner cavity of the body is further divided into an outdoor side cavity and an indoor side cavity, and they are separately disposed at upper and lower layers respectively for intake and exhaust. On the other hand, the ventilation device is not designed to recover any heat or humidity from the bathroom as the air from the bathroom is not directed to pass through the total heat exchanger for undergoing heat transfer process with the incoming air. The total heat exchanger may possibly retain the moisture and contaminants extracted from the humid air coming from the bathroom if the humid air is directed to pass through the total heat exchanger. This may increase risk of cross contamination between the outgoing air flow and the incoming air flow. Also, there is a possibility that the total heat exchanger may achieve moisture saturation, causing liquid droplets to form and accumulate at the bottom of the body of the ventilation device. The liquid may possibly overflow and drip from the ventilation device, causing damage to the property’s ceiling.

There is another prior art document CN106765850A disclosing a ventilation device which allows heat exchange between indoor air and outdoor air. As shown in Figure 1 of CN106765850A, the air inlet duct is formed in a parabola-like shape while the air outlet duct is formed in L shape. The outflow area of the inlet fan is connected to one side of the heat exchange core and the inflow area of the exhaust fan is connected to another side of the heat exchange core, in which these two sides of the heat exchange core are perpendicular to each other. Therefore, the body of the ventilation device can be made with the body size reduced. Nevertheless, there is no bypass passage provided within the ventilation device. If a bypass passage is added, the body size of the ventilation device may be increased relatively. Further, the ventilation device has implemented a blow-through mechanism for the air inlet duct, in which the inlet fan is disposed before the heat exchange core. The blow-through mechanism is further facilitated by an auxiliary heating source, which is PTC heater at the air inlet port of the air inlet duct. It can be seen that the heat transfer efficiency in the blow-through set-up may be insufficient as additional PTC heater is required in order to improve the overall heat exchange efficiency. Also, the overall power consumption of the ventilation device could be higher due to presence of PTC heater. Furthermore, the cost of production will be higher because of having the PTC heater as additional heating source.

In view of the aforementioned issues and shortcomings, it can be seen that there exists a need to provide an improved compact ventilation device with a reduced size for facilitating installation in a limited space. The improved ventilation device is capable of recovering heat from humid air in an indoor environment and further conditioning incoming outdoor air using the recovered heat via a heat exchanger of the improved ventilation device. The improved ventilation device does not require extra ducts as well as additional heating means as disclosed in the prior art documents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a compact ventilation device having a reduced thickness for installation in a ceiling space with limited height. Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact ventilation device that is capable of recovering heat from humid exhaust air and utilizing the recovered heat on incoming air, thereby reducing power consumption and cost.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a compact ventilation device that is capable of avoiding cross-contamination when performing heat transfer between outgoing humid air and incoming fresh air.

Accordingly, these objects are achievable by following the disclosure and teachings of the present invention. The present invention relates to a ventilation device comprising a body having at least four ports, a supply air flow path, an exhaust air flow path, a first blower provided at the supply air flow path, a second blower provided at the exhaust air flow path, and a heat exchanger provided at a position in which the supply air flow path and the exhaust air flow path meet with each other for exchanging heat between the outdoor air and the indoor air.

The ventilation device is having an indoor side suction port, an indoor side discharge port, an outdoor side suction port, and an outdoor side discharge port. The outdoor side suction port allows outdoor air to flow into the body of the ventilation device and exit via the indoor side discharge port, forming the supply air flow path. On the other hand, the indoor side suction port allows the indoor air to flow into the body of the ventilation device and exit via the outdoor side discharge port, forming the exhaust air flow path. The body of the ventilation device further comprising a first partition for at least partially partitioning the body into a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment is adapted for accommodating the first blower and the heat exchanger, while the second compartment is adapted for accommodating the second blower. The heat exchanger is having a first side end plate abutting the first partition, separating the indoor side discharge port and the outdoor side suction port. Besides, the second compartment further comprises a second partition provided perpendicularly to the first partition and substantially aligned with the heat exchanger, separating the indoor side suction port and the outdoor side discharge port. The first blower and the second blower are positioned horizontally within the body of the ventilation device. Preferably, the first blower and the second blower are centrifugal blowers. The first blower is disposed between the indoor side discharge port and the heat exchanger, whereas the second blower is interposed between the outdoor side discharge port and the second partition by having the second blower to be at least partially aligned with the first side end plate of the heat exchanger. As a result, the exhaust air flow path is diverted from the second compartment into the first compartment to pass through the heat exchanger and subsequently redirected into the second compartment towards the second blower, while the supply air flow path is extending along the first compartment, thereby contributing a relatively compact configuration of the ventilation device.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first partition is provided with a first opening in proximity to the indoor side suction port for allowing the exhaust air flow path entering the first compartment to pass through the heat exchanger, and a second opening in proximity to the outdoor side discharge port for allowing the exhaust air flow path exiting the first compartment and redirected into the second compartment after passing through the heat exchanger.

The first compartment is having a lower part located upstream of the heat exchanger and an upper part located downstream of the heat exchanger for the supply air flow path and the exhaust air flow path. The supply air flow path allows air from the outdoor side suction port to flow into the heat exchanger via the lower part of the first compartment and exiting the heat exchanger into the upper part of the first compartment before discharging through the indoor side discharge port. The exhaust air flow path allows air from the indoor side suction port to be diverted into the lower part of the first compartment for passing though the heat exchanger and exiting the heat exchanger into the upper part of the first compartment before further redirected into the second compartment and discharging through the outdoor side discharge port. Furthermore, the ventilation device further comprising an air guiding structure at the indoor side suction port for guiding and diverting the air from the indoor side suction port to enter the lower part of the first compartment. Moreover, the ventilation device is preferably comprising at least an air filter at upstream of the heat exchanger for both the supply air flow path and the exhaust air flow path.

The ventilation device further comprising a bypass air flow path for allowing indoor air to flow from the indoor side suction port directly to the outdoor side discharge port without passing through the heat exchanger. The bypass air flow path is provided with a damper for opening and closing the bypass air flow path. The damper is located adjacent to the indoor side suction port. On the other hand, the second partition further comprising an opening for allowing the bypass air flow path to reach the second blower and the outdoor side discharge port.

The ventilation device of the present invention further comprising a service panel that is detachably mounted to a side wall of the body for accessing the internal of the body, for example, the heat exchanger from one side. Preferably, the service panel is disposed adjacent to the second side end plate of the heat exchanger. Also, the ventilation device is preferably comprising a drain pan which is removably disposed at the bottom of the heat exchanger for collecting condensate formed on the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is preferably a sensible heat exchanger.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger may be total heat exchanger which does not have a drain pan, depending on its application and environment conditions to install the ventilation device.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the second side end plate comprising a layer of moisture-absorbing material provided at an outer peripheral portion of the second side end plate for absorbing any liquid droplets. The second side end plate of the heat exchanger comprising an outer periphery with at least one portion to be provided with a layer of moisture-absorbing material for absorbing any surrounding liquid droplets. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The features of the invention will be more readily understood and appreciated from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a ventilation device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates top views of a ventilation device with indication of different air flow paths according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a ventilation device with top part removed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 illustrates cross-sectional views taken along a vertical plane of a ventilation device with indication of different air flow paths according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 illustrates a top view of a ventilation device with indication of an air flow path according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view illustrating a second side end plate of a heat exchanger in a ventilation device provided with layers of moistureabsorbing material at outer peripheral portion of the second side end plate according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the present invention is described herein by way of example using embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments of drawing or drawings described, and are not intended to represent the scale of the various components. Further, some components that may form a part of the invention may not be illustrated in certain figures, for ease of illustration, and such omissions do not limit the embodiments outlined in any way. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim. As used throughout this description, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e. meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense, (i.e. meaning must). Further, the words "a" or "an" mean "at least one” and the word “plurality” means “more than one” unless otherwise mentioned. Furthermore, the terminology and phraseology used herein is solely used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting in scope. Language such as "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," or "involving," and variations thereof, is intended to be broad and encompass the subject matter listed thereafter, equivalents, and additional subject matter not recited, and is not intended to exclude other components, integers or steps. Any discussion of documents, materials, devices, and the like is included in the specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention.

The present invention is described hereinafter by various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein reference numerals used in the accompanying drawings correspond to the like elements throughout the description. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, the embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 -5.

A conventional ventilation device is generally bulky and large-sized as it is aimed to achieve higher air recovery efficiency for industrial and commercial usage. For residential building, such ventilation device may be space-consuming and difficult to be installed in an indoor ceiling space with limited height. The present invention thus provides a compact and smaller-sized ventilation device (100) that is adapted for residential usage. It is also capable of removing humid exhaust air from bathroom or laundry area, and recovering waste heat from the exhaust air for reheating other housing area without involving additional parts.

With reference to Figure 1 , the ventilation device (100) of the present invention comprises a body (101 ) having an indoor side suction port (102), an indoor side discharge port (103), an outdoor side suction port (104), and an outdoor side discharge port (105). Preferably, the outdoor side suction port (104) is disposed opposite to the indoor side discharge port (103) while the indoor side suction port (102) is disposed opposite to the outdoor side discharge port (105).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are at least two air flow paths provided in the ventilation device (100) as shown in Figure 2(c), including a supply air flow path (150) as illustrated in Figure 2(a) and an exhaust air flow path (160) as illustrated in Figure 2(b). The supply air flow path (150) allows outdoor air to flow from the outdoor side suction port (104) to the indoor side discharge port (103), while the exhaust air flow path (160) allows indoor air to flow from the indoor side suction port (102) to the outdoor side discharge port (105). Moreover, the supply air flow path (150) is provided with a first blower (120) disposed at a position along the supply air flow path (150), while the exhaust air flow path (160) is provided with a second blower (130) disposed at a position along the exhaust air flow path (160). Preferably, the first blower (120) and the second blower (130) are centrifugal blowers. Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of a ventilation device (100) without having top part according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The ventilation device (100) is furnished with a heat exchanger (140) provided at a position in which the supply air flow path (150) and the exhaust air flow path (160) intersect and meet with each other for exchanging heat between the outdoor air and the indoor air. Preferably, the heat exchanger (140) is a sensible heat exchanger and it is equipped with a drain pan (143) for collecting condensate formed on the heat exchanger (140). The drain pan (143) is constructed to be removably disposed at the bottom of the heat exchanger (140) so as to facilitate installation and removal of the drain pan (143) without involving fastening means. In another embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger (140) may be a total heat exchanger if the indoor side suction port (102) is used for housing area with lower humidity, for example, bedroom or living room. In this case, the heat exchanger (140) is not necessarily accompanied by a drain pain.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ventilation device (100) further comprising a first partition (106) for at least partially partitioning the body (101 ) into a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment is for accommodating the first blower (120) and the heat exchanger (140), while the second compartment is for accommodating the second blower (130). The heat exchanger (140) is having a first side end plate (141 ) abutting the first partition (106), separating the indoor side discharge port (103) and the outdoor side suction port (104). On the other hand, the second compartment further comprising a second partition (107) provided perpendicularly to the first partition (106) and substantially aligned with the heat exchanger (140), separating the indoor side suction port (102) and the outdoor side discharge port (105).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first blower (120) and the second blower (130) are positioned horizontally within the body (101 ). The inlet of the first blower (120) and the second blower (130) are facing towards a transverse direction of the body (101 ) of the ventilation device (100), while the outlet of the first blower (120) and the second blower (130) are connected to the indoor side discharge port (103) and the outdoor side discharge port (105) respectively. The first blower (120) is disposed between the indoor side discharge port (103) and the heat exchanger (140), while the second blower (130) is interposed between the outdoor side discharge port (105) and the second partition (107) by having the casing of the second blower (130) to be at least partially aligned with the first side end plate (141 ) of the heat exchanger (140) abutting the first partition (106). With such configuration, the exhaust air flow path (160) is diverted from the second compartment into the first compartment to pass through the heat exchanger (140) and subsequently redirected into the second compartment towards the second blower (130) while the supply air flow path (150) is extending along the first compartment, thereby contributing to a relatively compact configuration of the ventilation device (100).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first partition (106) is provided with a first opening in proximity to the indoor side suction port (102) for allowing the exhaust air flow path (160) entering the first compartment to pass through the heat exchanger (140), and a second opening in proximity to the outdoor side discharge port (105) for allowing the exhaust air flow path (160) exiting the first compartment and redirected into the second compartment after passing through the heat exchanger (140). The first compartment of the body (101 ) is preferably separated into an upper part and a lower part at both sides of the heat exchanger (140). More preferably, the first compartment is having the lower part located upstream of the heat exchanger (140) and the upper part located downstream of the heat exchanger (140) for the supply air flow path (150) and the exhaust air flow path (160).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger (140) comprising the first side end plate (141 ) and a second side end plate (142) that is horizontally opposed to the first side end plate (141 ). Further, the heat exchanger (140) is preferably having a hexagonal prism shaped cross-section, in which the upper portion of the heat exchanger (140) is having a pair of outgoing airflow sides and the lower portion of the heat exchanger (140) is having a pair of incoming airflow sides. The pair of outgoing airflow sides is connected by a top shielding side and the pair of incoming airflow sides is connected by a bottom shielding side. The top and bottom shielding sides may be longer than the outgoing airflow sides and the incoming airflow sides.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ventilation device (100) further comprising at least an air filter at upstream of the heat exchanger (140) for the supply air flow path (150) and the exhaust air flow path (160). The air filter may be accompanied by a pre-filter for filtering the inflowing air before entering the heat exchanger (140) to ensure a longer lifespan for the heat exchanger (140). The air filter and the pre-filter can be inserted into and removed from respective designated slots by sliding mechanism at upstream of the heat exchanger (140).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ventilation device (100) further comprising a service panel (1 1 1 ) detachably mounted to a side wall of the body (101 ) for accessing the internal of the body (101 ), for example, the heat exchanger (140), the air filter and the drain pan (143) from one side. The service panel (1 1 1 ) is preferably disposed adjacent to the second side end plate (142) of the heat exchanger (140). Further, the service panel (1 1 1 ) can be mounted to the body (101 ) by any one or a combination of fastening means, latching means, hinging elements and hooking means. The service panel (11 1 ) can be removed to take out the air filter, the pre-filter and the heat exchanger (140) by sliding. The drain pan (143) can be accessed and cleaned after removing the heat exchanger (140). Further, there is an electric control box (1 12) fixedly attached to the body (101 ) of the ventilation device (100) adjacent to the service panel (1 1 1 ), in which the electric control box (1 12) has one end hingedly fixed to the body (101 ) and another end removably fastened and affixed to the body (101 ) so that it can be unfastened and swung open.

Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along a vertical plane of a ventilation device (100) to show the supply air flow path (150). The supply air flow path (150) allows air drawn from the outdoor side suction port (104) to flow into the heat exchanger (140) via the lower part of the first compartment, passing through the heat exchanger (140) in an obliquely upward direction, and subsequently exiting the heat exchanger (140) into the upper part of the first compartment before discharging through the indoor side discharge port (103).

Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along a vertical plane of a ventilation device (100) to show the exhaust air flow path (160). The exhaust air flow path (160) allows the air drawn from the indoor side suction port (102) to be diverted into the lower part of the first compartment for passing through the heat exchanger (140) in an obliquely upward direction, and then exiting the heat exchanger (140) into the upper part of the first compartment before it is further redirected into the second compartment and discharged through the outdoor side discharge port (105). The ventilation device (100) is further provided with an air guiding structure (1 10) connected to the indoor side suction port (102) for guiding and diverting air from the indoor side suction port (102) to enter the lower part of the first compartment.

With reference to Figure 5, the ventilation device (100) further comprising a bypass air flow path (170) extending within the second compartment for allowing indoor air to flow from the indoor side suction port (102) directly to the outdoor side discharge port (105) without passing through the heat exchanger (140). The bypass air flow path (170) is preferably provided with a damper for opening and closing the bypass air flow path (170). The damper is preferably located adjacent to the indoor side suction port (102), and it can be incorporated with the air guiding structure (1 10) to become one part. Further, the second partition (107) further comprising an opening (108) for allowing the bypass air flow path (170) to reach the second blower (130) and the outdoor side discharge port (105). The bypass air flow path (170) is preferably provided with a bypass structure (109) extending from the damper to the opening (108) of the second partition (107).

Figure 6 further illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the second side end plate (142) comprising a layer of moisture-absorbing material (146) provided at an outer peripheral portion of the second side end plate (142) for absorbing any liquid droplets. In particular, the moisture-absorbing material (146) is for absorbing any surrounding liquid droplets and allowing the liquid droplets to move towards a predetermined area under aid of gravity, which is preferably the drain pan (143) beneath the heat exchanger (140).

In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger (140) is slidably engaged into the body (101 ) of the ventilation device (100) using at least two parallel guide rails with each extending along a first side vertex (144) and a second side vertex (145) of the heat exchanger (140) respectively between the first side end plate (141 ) and the second side end plate (142). The moisture-absorbing material (146) is preferably disposed onto at least four portions of outer periphery of the second side end plate (142), in which two portions are close to the first side vertex (144) and another two portions are close to the second side vertex (145).

Various modifications to these embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description and the accompanying drawings. The principles associated with the various embodiments described herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the description is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown along with the accompanying drawings but is to be providing broadest scope of consistent with the principles and the novel features disclosed or suggested herein. Accordingly, the invention is anticipated to hold on to all other such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the present invention and appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A ventilation device (100), comprising: a body (101 ) having an indoor side suction port (102), an indoor side discharge port (103), an outdoor side suction port (104), and an outdoor side discharge port (105); a supply air flow path (150) for allowing outdoor air to flow from the outdoor side suction port (104) to the indoor side discharge port (103); an exhaust air flow path (160) for allowing indoor air to flow from the indoor side suction port (102) to the outdoor side discharge port (105); a first blower (120) provided at the supply air flow path (150); a second blower (130) provided at the exhaust air flow path (160); a heat exchanger (140) provided at a position in which the supply air flow path (150) and the exhaust air flow path (160) meet with each other for exchanging heat between the outdoor air and the indoor air; wherein the body (101 ) further comprising a first partition (106) for at least partially partitioning the body (101 ) into a first compartment and a second compartment, the first compartment accommodating the first blower (120) and the heat exchanger (140) with a first side end plate (141 ) abutting the first partition (106), separating the indoor side discharge port (103) and the outdoor side suction port (104), and the second compartment accommodating the second blower (130); wherein the second compartment further comprising a second partition (107) provided perpendicularly to the first partition (106) and substantially aligned with the heat exchanger (140), separating the indoor side suction port (102) and the outdoor side discharge port (105); wherein the first blower (120) and the second blower (130) are positioned horizontally within the body (101 ); and wherein the second blower (130) is interposed between the outdoor side discharge port (105) and the second partition (107) with the second blower (130) at least partially aligned with the first side end plate (141 ) of the heat exchanger (140), so that the exhaust air flow path (160) is diverted from the second compartment into the first compartment to pass through the heat exchanger (140) and subsequently redirected into the second compartment towards the second blower (130) while the supply air flow path (150) is extending along the first compartment, thereby contributing to a relatively compact configuration of the ventilation device (100).

2. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first partition (106) is provided with a first opening in proximity to the indoor side suction port (102) for allowing the exhaust air flow path (160) entering the first compartment to pass through the heat exchanger (140), and a second opening in proximity to the outdoor side discharge port (105) for allowing the exhaust air flow path (160) exiting the first compartment and redirected into the second compartment after passing through the heat exchanger (140).

3. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first blower (120) is disposed between the indoor side discharge port (103) and the heat exchanger (140).

4. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first compartment comprises a lower part located upstream of the heat exchanger (140) and an upper part located downstream of the heat exchanger (140) for the supply air flow path (150) and the exhaust air flow path (160) respectively.

5. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the supply air flow path (150) allows air from the outdoor side suction port (104) to flow into the heat exchanger (140) via the lower part of the first compartment and exiting the heat exchanger (140) into the upper part of the first compartment before discharging through the indoor side discharge port (103).

6. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the exhaust air flow path (160) allows air from the indoor side suction port (102) to be diverted into the lower part of the first compartment for passing through the heat exchanger (140), and exiting the heat exchanger (140) into the upper part of the first compartment before further redirected into the second compartment and discharging through the outdoor side discharge port (105).

7. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ventilation device (100) further comprising an air guiding structure (1 10) provided at the indoor side suction port (102) for guiding and diverting air from the indoor side suction port (102) to enter the lower part of the first compartment when passing through the exhaust air flow path (160).

8. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ventilation device (100) further comprising at least an air filter at upstream of the heat exchanger (140) for any or both of the supply air flow path (150) and the exhaust air flow path (160).

9. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ventilation device (100) further comprising a drain pan (143) removably disposed at the bottom of the heat exchanger (140) for collecting condensate formed on the heat exchanger (140).

10. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ventilation device (100) further comprising a service panel (1 1 1 ) detachably mounted to a side wall of the body (101 ) for accessing the internal of the body (101 ) from the side wall of the body (101 ).

1 1. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ventilation device (100) further comprising a bypass air flow path (170) for allowing indoor air to flow from the indoor side suction port (102) directly to the outdoor side discharge port (105) without passing through the heat exchanger (140).

12. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein the bypass air flow path (170) is provided with a damper for opening and closing the bypass air flow path (170).

13. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the damper is located adjacent to the indoor side suction port (102).

14. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein the second partition (107) further comprising an opening (108) for allowing the bypass air flow path (170) to reach the second blower (130) and the outdoor side discharge port (105).

15. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger (140) is any one of a sensible heat exchanger and a total heat exchanger.

16. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first blower (120) and the second blower (130) are centrifugal blowers.

17. The ventilation device (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger (140) comprises a second side end plate (142) that is opposed to the first side end plate (141 ) and is provided with a moisture-absorbing material (146) at an outer peripheral portion of the second side end plate (142) for absorbing any liquid droplets.