CA1121439A - Snap-off control door for an air conditioning unit - Google Patents
Snap-off control door for an air conditioning unitInfo
- Publication number
- CA1121439A CA1121439A CA000344098A CA344098A CA1121439A CA 1121439 A CA1121439 A CA 1121439A CA 000344098 A CA000344098 A CA 000344098A CA 344098 A CA344098 A CA 344098A CA 1121439 A CA1121439 A CA 1121439A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- door
- pin
- opening
- support
- front cover
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Abstract
Snap-Off Control Door for an Air Conditioning Unit Abstract Apparatus for securing a control door to an air conditioning unit.
A door assembly is disclosed wherein a door is mounted to cover the control opening in a front panel of an air conditioning unit.
The door has pin support extensions on which pins are mounted.
Door supports having pin openings for receiving the pins from the door are provided in the front panel. The door and front panel are so arranged that the door pivots about the pins located within the pin openings and upon excessive rotation of the door after engagement of a portion of the door with the front panel the pin support extensions are deformed allowing the pins to be released from the pin openings without causing damage to the door.
A door assembly is disclosed wherein a door is mounted to cover the control opening in a front panel of an air conditioning unit.
The door has pin support extensions on which pins are mounted.
Door supports having pin openings for receiving the pins from the door are provided in the front panel. The door and front panel are so arranged that the door pivots about the pins located within the pin openings and upon excessive rotation of the door after engagement of a portion of the door with the front panel the pin support extensions are deformed allowing the pins to be released from the pin openings without causing damage to the door.
Description
L439~
Snap-Off Control Door for an Air Conditioning Unit This invention relates to air conditioning units and means for covering a control area thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a front panel of an air conditioning unit co-acting with a door covering the control area such that a snap-off door is provided which serves to cover the control area and is esthetically pleasing as well as functional in that excessive rotation will result in the door being nondestructively removed from its mounting.
Room air conditioning units, which extend through a wall of a residence or are mounted in a window of a residence, include a discharge port for discharging conditioned air from the unit into the space to be conditioned and a door for controlling the opening of the port. Additionally controls such as a thermostat setting switch, fan speed selector, "on" and "off" switches, and exhaust or other mode of operation selector are provided. These controls may extend such that they are visible from the outside of the unit or may be molmted in a control area which is covered by a door.
The provision of a control area covered by a door provides for the surface of an air conditioning unit which extends into the interior of a room to be esthetically pleasing. Proper arrangement of components result in a unit which during periods of non-operation is very attractive and has no protruding doors or other features.
3~
A door mounted to cover a control area is, when open, susceptible to being s~ruck or inadvertently over rotated. Since these parts are often made of plastic or other material which may be broken it is desirable to build a door which may have a fully open position beyond which it will not rotate and furthermore have the capability of snapping out of its hinges should it be rotated beyond that point. With this capability over rotation results in nondestructive removal of the door Erom the unit such that the door thereafter may be reinserted into the unit without having suffered any damage.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a front cover to encase the interior portion of a room air conditioning unit. This front cover has a control door mounted to encase the control area of the unit. This door has connected thereto a pivot support from which a pin support and a pin support extension project. A pin is mounted to the pin support extension such that it may be inserted into a pin opening contained in a door support which is formed as a part of the front panel. The pin support extensions are flexible such that upon stress being applied by over rotation of the door the pin is released from the pin opening and the door snaps out of the unit.
A contact portion of front cover acts to engage the pivot support of the door to provide a stop to limit rotation of the door once it is in the open position.
This invention will now be described by way of example with referral to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a front view of a front cover of a room air conditioning unit.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the control door of this unit.
~ .
3~
Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a section taken along lines III-III on Figure 1 illustrating the control door molmted in the closed position on the front panel of the unit.
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the control door mounted in the open position on the front panel.
Figure 5 is,a reverse view of the control door mounted on the front panel.
The present invention provides an extremely simple yet efficient apparatus for mounting the control door of a room air conditioning unit. Pin openings are shown, see Figure 5, each being formed as part of the front panel of the unit. It should be understood that these separate portions of a single molding may actually be separate pieces or that separate pieces may be a single molding.
The combination described herein may be but a single molding although the components act and serve the purpose of several various components fastened together.
Referring now to Figure 1 there may be seen front cover lO of a room air conditioning unit. Front cover 10 has mounted on the top thereof discharge door 50 and as the body thereof front panel 20.
Dummy door 12 at the right side of the unit and control door 14 on the left side of the unit are also shown. Handles in the form of knobs 16 are shown on both the dummy door 12 and control door 14.
It can be seen in Figure 2 that control door 14 has a door face 27 for covering an opening formed by front panel 20 and door lip 25 extending about the door face for engaging front panel 20.
Mounted to the door edge is door face 27 and pivot support 21 which is a vertically extending solid segment offset from the plane of the face of the door. At the top and bottom of the door - are located horizontal pin supports 26 each having pin support extensions 27' to which pins 22 are mounted. The door is so 3~9 arranged that a pin support, pin support extension and pins extending in opposite directions are provided at each end of the door.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 it can be seen that control door 14 with door face 27 is in the closed position with the door face being in essentially the same plane as front panel 20 of front cover 10. Door latch 24 can be seen extending from one end of the front door into latch opening 33. Lip 25 adjacent to latch 24 contacts front panel 20 when it is in the closed position. The control area designated as 40 is shown to indicate the area to be covered by the door. Control area flange 39 delineates the interior size of the opening where the controls are mounted. At the other end of the door from the latch it can be seen that pivot support 21 is attached to door face 27 and has extending therefrom pin support 26. Pin support 26 which is perpendicular to pivot support 21 has extending therefrom pin support extension 27' to which pin 22 is mounted. In Figures 3 and 4 it can be seen that pin 22 extends from the pin support extension through pin opening 31 formed in door support 30. Door support 30 is an extension of front panel 20 in a horizontal plane such that an opening 31 may be provided for engagement with pin 22.
When the door is in the open position as shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that contact portion 37 of front panel 20 engages at front panel contact point 35 with pivot support 21 at pivot support contact point 36. The door as shown is in the fully open position with pin 22 remaining in pin opening 31 and the two contact points engaging each other. Should the door be opened further or moved rotationally in the clockwise direction then pin 22 will be forced to rotate about an axis formed at contact points 35 and 36 such that an angular force is applied thereto. As angular force is applied to the pin, the pin support extension 27' is deformed allowing pin 22 to snap out of pin opening 31 and door to be removed from the front panel. This over rotation caused by an 11;~143~
excessive rotational force or accidental force merely results in the door releasing from the unit as the pins snap out of the pin openings. Neither the pin support extensions nor the pin openings are damaged when the door is removecl such that the door may be forced back into position by compressing the pins and allowing them to expand into the pin openings. The engagement of the pivot support and the contact portion 37 of front panel 20 acts to provide a stop at the fully open position of the door as well as providing a pivot point for the application of force resulting in the pin being released from the pin opening.
It can be seen in Figure 5 that the pin support extensions 27' are angled from the plane of door support 30 as opposed to the pin supports 26 which are approximately parallel to door support 30.
This additional inclination in the order of approximately 5 serves to further enhance the pin being released from the opening upon over rotation. Figure 5 is a view of the door looking from the inside of the unit outwardly. It can be seen that control area flange 39 defines the interior size of the control area 40 together with pivot support 21. The opposite deflection of the pin supports together wi~h the relative locations thereof can further be seen in Figure 5.
The above invention has been described with particular reference to the preferred embodiment thereof but it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made within the spirit and the scope of this invention.
Snap-Off Control Door for an Air Conditioning Unit This invention relates to air conditioning units and means for covering a control area thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a front panel of an air conditioning unit co-acting with a door covering the control area such that a snap-off door is provided which serves to cover the control area and is esthetically pleasing as well as functional in that excessive rotation will result in the door being nondestructively removed from its mounting.
Room air conditioning units, which extend through a wall of a residence or are mounted in a window of a residence, include a discharge port for discharging conditioned air from the unit into the space to be conditioned and a door for controlling the opening of the port. Additionally controls such as a thermostat setting switch, fan speed selector, "on" and "off" switches, and exhaust or other mode of operation selector are provided. These controls may extend such that they are visible from the outside of the unit or may be molmted in a control area which is covered by a door.
The provision of a control area covered by a door provides for the surface of an air conditioning unit which extends into the interior of a room to be esthetically pleasing. Proper arrangement of components result in a unit which during periods of non-operation is very attractive and has no protruding doors or other features.
3~
A door mounted to cover a control area is, when open, susceptible to being s~ruck or inadvertently over rotated. Since these parts are often made of plastic or other material which may be broken it is desirable to build a door which may have a fully open position beyond which it will not rotate and furthermore have the capability of snapping out of its hinges should it be rotated beyond that point. With this capability over rotation results in nondestructive removal of the door Erom the unit such that the door thereafter may be reinserted into the unit without having suffered any damage.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a front cover to encase the interior portion of a room air conditioning unit. This front cover has a control door mounted to encase the control area of the unit. This door has connected thereto a pivot support from which a pin support and a pin support extension project. A pin is mounted to the pin support extension such that it may be inserted into a pin opening contained in a door support which is formed as a part of the front panel. The pin support extensions are flexible such that upon stress being applied by over rotation of the door the pin is released from the pin opening and the door snaps out of the unit.
A contact portion of front cover acts to engage the pivot support of the door to provide a stop to limit rotation of the door once it is in the open position.
This invention will now be described by way of example with referral to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a front view of a front cover of a room air conditioning unit.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the control door of this unit.
~ .
3~
Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a section taken along lines III-III on Figure 1 illustrating the control door molmted in the closed position on the front panel of the unit.
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the control door mounted in the open position on the front panel.
Figure 5 is,a reverse view of the control door mounted on the front panel.
The present invention provides an extremely simple yet efficient apparatus for mounting the control door of a room air conditioning unit. Pin openings are shown, see Figure 5, each being formed as part of the front panel of the unit. It should be understood that these separate portions of a single molding may actually be separate pieces or that separate pieces may be a single molding.
The combination described herein may be but a single molding although the components act and serve the purpose of several various components fastened together.
Referring now to Figure 1 there may be seen front cover lO of a room air conditioning unit. Front cover 10 has mounted on the top thereof discharge door 50 and as the body thereof front panel 20.
Dummy door 12 at the right side of the unit and control door 14 on the left side of the unit are also shown. Handles in the form of knobs 16 are shown on both the dummy door 12 and control door 14.
It can be seen in Figure 2 that control door 14 has a door face 27 for covering an opening formed by front panel 20 and door lip 25 extending about the door face for engaging front panel 20.
Mounted to the door edge is door face 27 and pivot support 21 which is a vertically extending solid segment offset from the plane of the face of the door. At the top and bottom of the door - are located horizontal pin supports 26 each having pin support extensions 27' to which pins 22 are mounted. The door is so 3~9 arranged that a pin support, pin support extension and pins extending in opposite directions are provided at each end of the door.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 it can be seen that control door 14 with door face 27 is in the closed position with the door face being in essentially the same plane as front panel 20 of front cover 10. Door latch 24 can be seen extending from one end of the front door into latch opening 33. Lip 25 adjacent to latch 24 contacts front panel 20 when it is in the closed position. The control area designated as 40 is shown to indicate the area to be covered by the door. Control area flange 39 delineates the interior size of the opening where the controls are mounted. At the other end of the door from the latch it can be seen that pivot support 21 is attached to door face 27 and has extending therefrom pin support 26. Pin support 26 which is perpendicular to pivot support 21 has extending therefrom pin support extension 27' to which pin 22 is mounted. In Figures 3 and 4 it can be seen that pin 22 extends from the pin support extension through pin opening 31 formed in door support 30. Door support 30 is an extension of front panel 20 in a horizontal plane such that an opening 31 may be provided for engagement with pin 22.
When the door is in the open position as shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that contact portion 37 of front panel 20 engages at front panel contact point 35 with pivot support 21 at pivot support contact point 36. The door as shown is in the fully open position with pin 22 remaining in pin opening 31 and the two contact points engaging each other. Should the door be opened further or moved rotationally in the clockwise direction then pin 22 will be forced to rotate about an axis formed at contact points 35 and 36 such that an angular force is applied thereto. As angular force is applied to the pin, the pin support extension 27' is deformed allowing pin 22 to snap out of pin opening 31 and door to be removed from the front panel. This over rotation caused by an 11;~143~
excessive rotational force or accidental force merely results in the door releasing from the unit as the pins snap out of the pin openings. Neither the pin support extensions nor the pin openings are damaged when the door is removecl such that the door may be forced back into position by compressing the pins and allowing them to expand into the pin openings. The engagement of the pivot support and the contact portion 37 of front panel 20 acts to provide a stop at the fully open position of the door as well as providing a pivot point for the application of force resulting in the pin being released from the pin opening.
It can be seen in Figure 5 that the pin support extensions 27' are angled from the plane of door support 30 as opposed to the pin supports 26 which are approximately parallel to door support 30.
This additional inclination in the order of approximately 5 serves to further enhance the pin being released from the opening upon over rotation. Figure 5 is a view of the door looking from the inside of the unit outwardly. It can be seen that control area flange 39 defines the interior size of the control area 40 together with pivot support 21. The opposite deflection of the pin supports together wi~h the relative locations thereof can further be seen in Figure 5.
The above invention has been described with particular reference to the preferred embodiment thereof but it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made within the spirit and the scope of this invention.
Claims (7)
1. A control door assembly for an air conditioning unit having a control area wherein the various controls are located which comprises a front cover for encasing a part of the unit extending into an area to be conditioned, said front cover defining a control area opening for allowing access to the various air conditioning unit controls, a door for covering the control area opening, a pivot support mounted to the door and offset from the plane of the opening defined by the front cover, means for securing the door to the front cover, said means including a pin mounted to a flexible pin support extension attached to the pivot support, said front cover including support means having a pin opening therein, said opening being adapted to receive the pin such that the door may be mounted to cover the opening and rotated about the pin; and said front cover including a contact portion which limits the amount of rotation of the door, said flexible pin support extension being displaced and the pin dislodged without breaking from the opening if the door is forcibly rotated beyond the point where the door first engages a contact portion.
2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein there are two pins, one mounted at the top and one at the bottom of the door and wherein there are two support means and openings, one for each pin.
3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein there is a pin support extending from the pivot support and wherein the pin support extension extends therefrom and is angled from the plane of the pin support to promote release of the pin from the pin opening upon excessive door rotation.
4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the contact portion of the front panel and the pivot support are arranged such that the pivot support contacts the contact portion of the front panel when the door is rotated to the fully open position.
5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the pin is released from the pin opening by the pin support extension being displaced when the door is rotated in excess of the fully open position.
6. A room air conditioning unit for supplying conditioned air to an enclosure having a control area in which the various controls for operating the unit are located which comprises a front cover for encasing a part of the unit extending into an area to be conditioned, said front cover defining a control area opening for allowing access to the various air conditioning unit controls, a door for covering the control area opening, a pivot support mounted to the door and offset from the plane of the opening defined by the front cover, means for securing the door to the front cover, said means including a pin mounted to a flexible pin support extension attached to the pivot support, said front cover including support means having a pin opening therein, said opening being adapted to receive the pin such that the door may be mounted to cover the opening and rotated about the pin, said first cover including a contact portion which limits the amount of rotation of the door, said flexible pin support extension being displaced and the pin dislodged from the opening if the door is forcibly rotated beyond the point where the door first engages the contact portion, and wherein the contact portion of the front panel and the pivot support are arranged such that the pivot support contacts the contact portion of the front panel when the door is rotated to the fully open position.
7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the pin is released from the pin opening by the pin support extension being displaced when the door is rotated in excess of the fully open position.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US845479A | 1979-02-01 | 1979-02-01 | |
| US008,454 | 1979-02-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1121439A true CA1121439A (en) | 1982-04-06 |
Family
ID=21731693
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000344098A Expired CA1121439A (en) | 1979-02-01 | 1980-01-21 | Snap-off control door for an air conditioning unit |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1121439A (en) |
-
1980
- 1980-01-21 CA CA000344098A patent/CA1121439A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |