Heating and cooling ventilation system

Abstract

A heating and cooling ventilation system includes an enclosure including a plurality of walls and a nose plate that are interconnected to enclose an interior volume of the enclosure. An air inlet opening, and a plurality of air outlet openings extending through the nose plate, are in fluid communication with the interior volume. At least one or more heat exchangers and a blower are disposed within the interior volume. At least one airflow damper plate is associated with one of the plurality of air outlet openings and is adjustable relative to said one air outlet opening to thereby adjust an amount of airflow passing through said one air outlet opening. In various examples, the heat exchanger(s) are hydronic and/or utilize other heat transfer fluids in a variety of configurations, and at least one airflow damper plate is adjustable from an exterior of the enclosure, and/or the nose plate is interchangeable.

1 . A heating and cooling ventilation system, including:
 an enclosure including a plurality of side walls, a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a nose plate that are interconnected to enclose an interior volume of the enclosure;   an air inlet opening in fluid communication with the interior volume;   a plurality of air outlet openings extending through the nose plate that are each in fluid communication with the interior volume;   a heat exchanger disposed within the interior volume;   a blower disposed within the interior volume; and   a plurality of airflow damper plates each associated with a respective one of the plurality of air outlet openings, each of the plurality of airflow damper plates being linearly movable towards and away from the air outlet openings to thereby adjust an amount of airflow passing through each of the plurality of air outlet openings.   
     
     
         2 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of airflow damper plates are independently linearly movable, within the interior volume, towards and away from a respective one of the plurality of air outlet openings. 
     
     
         3 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of airflow damper plates includes at least one adjustment screw to permit the linear movement of the airflow damper plates towards and away from the air outlet openings. 
     
     
         4 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of airflow damper plates includes at least a pair of opposed adjustment screws. 
     
     
         5 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 3 , further including a threaded insert associated with each of the plurality of air outlet openings and adapted for threaded engagement with the at least one adjustment screw. 
     
     
         6 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of airflow damper plates is adjustable via the respective at least one adjustment screw from an exterior of the enclosure. 
     
     
         7 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of air outlet openings defines an outlet cross-sectional area, and wherein each of the plurality of airflow damper plates includes a major surface that defines a major cross-sectional area that is substantially equal to the outlet cross-sectional area of a respective air outlet opening. 
     
     
         8 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 7 , wherein the heat exchanger is capable of producing condensate, and wherein the major surface of each of the plurality of airflow damper plates is adapted to inhibit the condensate from being exhausted through the plurality of air outlet openings. 
     
     
         9 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of air outlet openings defines an outlet cross-sectional area that may be different from the remainder of the plurality of air outlet openings. 
     
     
         10 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of airflow damper plates are adjustable between a maximum amount of airflow and a minimum amount of airflow, the minimum amount of airflow being greater than zero. 
     
     
         11 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of air outlet openings has a first configuration, and wherein the nose plate is interchangeable with an alternative nose plate having an alternative plurality of air outlet openings that has a second configuration. 
     
     
         12 . A heating and cooling ventilation system, including:
 an enclosure including a plurality of side walls, a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a first nose plate that are interconnected to enclose an interior volume of the enclosure;   an air inlet opening in fluid communication with the interior volume;   a plurality of air outlet openings extending through the first nose plate that are each in fluid communication with the interior volume;   a heat exchanger disposed within the interior volume;   a blower disposed within the interior volume; and   a second nose plate that is interchangeable with the first nose plate,   wherein the first nose plate includes a first configuration of the plurality of air outlet openings, and the second nose plate includes a second configuration of the plurality of air outlet openings that is different from the first configuration.   
     
     
         13 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 12 , wherein the first configuration includes a first number of air outlet openings, and wherein the second configuration includes a second number of air outlet openings, the second number being different from the first number. 
     
     
         14 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 12 , wherein the first configuration includes at least one air outlet opening having a cross-sectional area in the range of about 3-50 square inches, and wherein the second configuration includes at least one air outlet opening having a different cross-sectional area in the range of about 3-50 square inches. 
     
     
         15 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one air outlet opening of the first configuration includes has a diameter in the range of about 2-8 inches, and wherein at least one air outlet opening of the second configuration has a different diameter in the range of about 2-8 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of air outlet openings of the first and second configurations define a geometry selected from the list including circular, obround, square, and rectangular. 
     
     
         17 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of air outlet openings includes a duct collar that extends away from the nose plate and is adapted to be coupled to airflow ducting. 
     
     
         18 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 17 , wherein the duct collar is integrated together with the nose plate. 
     
     
         19 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of the duct collar may be flexible. 
     
     
         20 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 17 , further including a length of flexible ducting interconnected between the duct collar and a generally inflexible portion of the airflow ducting. 
     
     
         21 . A heating and cooling ventilation system, including:
 an enclosure including a plurality of side walls, a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a nose plate that are interconnected to enclose an interior volume of the enclosure;   an air inlet opening in fluid communication with the interior volume;   a plurality of air outlet openings extending through the nose plate that are each in fluid communication with the interior volume;   a hydronic heat exchanger cartridge disposed within the interior volume and in fluid communication with the air inlet opening and the plurality of air outlet openings;   a blower disposed within the interior volume to move air across the hydronic heat exchanger; and   at least one airflow damper plate associated with one of the plurality of air outlet openings and being adjustable, within the interior volume, relative to said one air outlet opening to thereby adjust an amount of airflow passing through said one air outlet opening,   wherein the at least one airflow damper plate is configured to be adjusted from an exterior of the enclosure.   
     
     
         22 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one airflow damper plate is linearly movable towards and away from said one air outlet opening. 
     
     
         23 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one airflow damper plate includes at least one adjustment screw to permit the linear movement of the airflow damper plate towards and away from said one air outlet openings, and wherein the at least one adjustment screw includes an operative head that is operable from an exterior of the enclosure. 
     
     
         24 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 21 , further including a plurality of airflow damper plates each associated with a respective one of the plurality of air outlet openings, each of said plurality of airflow damper plates being independently adjustable from an exterior of the enclosure. 
     
     
         25 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 24 , wherein each of the plurality of airflow damper plates are independently adjustable between a maximum amount of airflow and a minimum amount of airflow, the minimum amount of airflow being greater than zero. 
     
     
         26 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 21 , wherein the heat exchanger is capable of producing condensate, and wherein the bottom wall at least partially defines a condensate collection pan that is disposed to collect condensate produced by the hydronic heat exchanger cartridge. 
     
     
         27 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 26 , wherein the condensate collection pan includes at least first and second discharge outlets, and wherein the first discharge outlet is arranged at least partially below the second discharge outlet. 
     
     
         28 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 26 , further including a condensate baffle plate located vertically below the plurality of air outlet openings and being configured to direct condensate produced by the hydronic heat exchanger cartridge towards the condensate collection pan. 
     
     
         29 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 28 , wherein the condensate baffle plate arranged between the heat exchanger cartridge and the nose plate, and is angled downwards towards the condensate collection pan. 
     
     
         30 . The heating and cooling ventilation system of  claim 26 , wherein the condensate collection pan is located downstream from the blower such that the condensate collection pan experiences a positive air pressure greater than ambient air pressure.