Heating and air conditioning system

Abstract

A heating and cooling system for a building utilizes lower vents which open into lower portions of rooms of a building, and upper vents which open into upper portions of rooms of the building. When the system is operating in a heating mode, heated air is delivered into the upper portions of the rooms through the upper vents and air is removed from the rooms through the lower vents. When the system is operating in a cooling mode, cool air is delivered into the rooms through the lower vents, and air is removed from the rooms through the upper vents. Operating the heating and cooling modes in this fashion provides the most efficient operation of the heating and cooling system.

1 . A method of heating and cooling a room of a building, comprising:
 delivering heated air to the room through at least one upper vent positioned in an upper part of the room and removing air from the room through at least one lower vent positioned in a lower part of the room during a heating operations; and   delivering cooled air to the room through the at least one lower vent and removing air from the room through the at least one upper vent during a cooling operation.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during a heating operation, the method further comprises:
 generating heated air with a heating unit;   conveying the heated air from the heating unit to a switching unit;   conveying the heated air from the switching unit to the at least one upper vent;   conveying air from the at least one lower vent to the switching unit; and   conveying air from the room from the switching unit to the heating unit.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein during a cooling operation, the method further comprises:
 generating cooled air with a cooling unit;   conveying the cooled air from the cooling unit to the switching unit;   conveying the cooled air from the switching unit to the at least one lower vent;   conveying air from the at least one upper vent to the switching unit; and   conveying air from the room from the switching unit to the cooling unit.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein air from the heating and cooling units is delivered to an inlet of the switching unit, wherein air from the room is delivered from an outlet of the switching unit to an inlet of the heating and cooling units, wherein the at least one upper vent is coupled to a first I/O port of the switching unit, and wherein the at least one lower vent is coupled to a second I/O port of the switching unit, the method further comprising:
 configuring the switching unit for heating operations by setting the switching unit such that the inlet of the switching unit is coupled to the first I/O port, and such that the outlet of the switching unit is coupled to the second I/O port; and   configuring the switching unit for cooling operations by setting the switching unit such that the inlet of the switching unit is coupled to the second I/O port, and such that the outlet of the switching unit is coupled to the first I/O port.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein a switching plate within the switching unit is movable between a heating position which configures the switching unit for heating operations and a cooling position which configures the switching unit for cooling operations, and wherein the method further comprises moving the switching plate to one of the heating and cooling positions depending on the type of operation to be performed. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of moving the switching plate to one of the heating and cooling positions is performed by a powered switch unit. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the powered switch unit comprises a motor that is operatively coupled to the switching plate. 
   
   
       8 . A method of configuring a heating and cooling system of a building, comprising:
 installing at least one upper vent in an upper portion of at least one room of the building;   installing at least one lower vent in a lower portion of the at least one room of the building;   coupling the at least one upper vent to a first I/O port of a switching unit;   coupling the at least one lower vent to a second I/O port of the switching unit;   coupling an inlet of the switching unit to an outlet of a heating and cooling unit that produces heated and cooled air;   coupling an outlet of the switching unit to an inlet of the heating and cooling unit;   wherein the switching unit is configured so that it can switch between a heating mode in which the inlet of the switching unit is coupled to the first I/O port and the outlet of the switching unit is coupled to the second I/O port, and a cooling mode in which the inlet of the switching unit is coupled to the second I/O port and the outlet of the switching unit is coupled to the first I/O port.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of installing at least one upper vent comprises installing a plurality of upper vents at different locations in an upper portion of the at least one room, and wherein all of the upper vents are coupled to the first I/O port of the switching unit. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of installing at least one lower vent comprises installing a plurality of lower vents at different locations in a lower portion of the at least one room, and wherein all of the lower vents are coupled to the second I/O port of the switching unit. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of installing at least one upper vent comprises installing at least one upper vent in upper portions of a plurality of rooms of the building, wherein all of the upper vents are coupled to the first I/O port of the switching unit. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of installing at least one lower vent comprises installing at least one lower vent in lower portions of a plurality of rooms of the building, wherein all of the lower vents are coupled to the second I/O port of the switching unit. 
   
   
       13 . A switching unit for a heating and cooling system of a building, comprising:
 a rectilinear enclosure;   an inlet opening into an interior of the enclosure;   an outlet opening into the interior of the enclosure;   at least one first I/O port opening into the interior of the enclosure;   at least one second I/O port opening into the interior of the enclosure; and   a switching plate that is rotatably mounted inside the enclosure, wherein the switching plate can be moved to a first operating position at which the switching plate operatively couples the inlet to the at least one first I/O port and the outlet to the at least one second I/O port, and wherein the switching plate can be moved to a second operating position at which the switching plate operatively couples the inlet to the at least one second I/O port and the outlet to the at least one first I/O port.   
   
   
       14 . The switching unit of  claim 13 , further comprising a switch unit that moves the switching plate between the first and second operating positions. 
   
   
       15 . The switching unit of  claim 14 , wherein the switch unit comprises a manually operable lever or knob that is operatively coupled to the switching plate. 
   
   
       16 . The switching unit of  claim 14 , wherein the switch unit comprises a power operated unit that is configured to automatically move the switching plate between the first and second operating positions depending on an operational state of a heating and cooling system incorporating the switching unit. 
   
   
       17 . The switching unit of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one first I/O port comprises a plurality of first I/O ports. 
   
   
       18 . The switching unit of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one second I/O port comprises a plurality of second I/O ports. 
   
   
       19 . The switching unit of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one second I/O port comprises a plurality of second I/O ports.