EP0450273B1

EP0450273B1 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: EP0450273B1
Application number: EP91101237A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fusakichi C/O Intellectual Prop. Div. Takahashi; Tomoyoshi C/O Intellectual Property Div Takeuchi; Hiroyuki C/O Intellectual Property Div. Tokita
Original assignee: Toshiba Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Corp
Priority date: 1990-03-30
Filing date: 1991-01-30
Publication date: 1994-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-30
Also published as: KR940010972B1; EP0450273A2; KR910017133A; EP0450273A3

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioner wherein an improvement is applied to the grip of the water tank for adding water to the sprinkler means.
There has been well-known the air conditioner of the carrier type which enables the air conditioner body itself to be located at any optional position in a room which is to be cooled. In the case of this air conditioner, all of means which form the cooling cycle are housed in the air conditioner body. In order to keep the efficiency of heat exchange high particularly in the condenser, it is common that the condenser comprises a heat exchanger of the air cooling type and another heat exchanger of the water cooling type.
The sprinkler means is located relative to the water cooling heat exchanger and water is sprinkled over the water cooling heat exchanger by the sprinkler means to achieve high efficiency of heat exchange. As the sprinkler means sprinkles water, the water is evaporated from both of the sprinkler means and the water cooling heat exchanger. That part of the water which is thus evaporated must be continuously added to the sprinkler means. This asks the water tank to be located by the sprinkler means. Further, when water in the water tank is used up, the water tank must be newly filled with water. The water tank is therefore designed to be easily detachable from the air conditioner body.
The typical water tank in the air conditioner has the following form. Each of the top and bottom and the other four sides of the water tank is shaped substantially rectangular and a grip is formed on the top in the center thereof. A water supply opening is projected downward from the bottom, having a screw thread on the lower outer circumference, and a cap provided with a valve is screwed onto the thread portion of the water supply opening. A part of the valve is projected downward from the cap and when this part of the valve is pushed upward, the cap is opened while when no force is added to push the part of the valve upward, the cap is closed. A water tank of this kind is disclosed in EP-A- 341 370.
The water tank thus formed is freely detachably held at a certain position in the air conditioner body by an appropriate means with its grip located up and with its water supply valve down. The bottom of the water tank is contacted with a part of the sprinkler means only through the water supply valve, thereby leaving the cap open.
The air conditioner body is often located remote from a faucet of the water service which serves as the water supply source to the water tank. When alarm is sounded telling that the level of water surface in the sprinkler means has become lower than a predetermined value, therefore, the water tank must be pulled out of the air conditioner body, carried to the faucet of the water service and filled with water through the faucet. Since the grip is located on the top of the water tank, the pulling and carrying of the water tank are done while holding the grip by hand. When water is to be supplied into the water tank which has been carried to the faucet, the cap is unscrewed from the water supply opening to leave the latter open and the water tank is filled with water through the opened water supply opening. This asks the water tank to be turned upside down, keeping the water supply opening above. When the water supply into the water tank through the faucet is finished, the water tank is again carried to the air conditioner body. The water tank is therefore turned upside up this time and the grip on the top of the tank in held by hand.
The air conditioner body is located remote from the faucet of the water service, as described above, and the water tank filled with water is very heavy. Therefore, the user wants sometimes to take a rest, putting the water tank on the floor, on the way of his carrying it to the air conditioner body. Or he wants sometimes to put it on the floor to do something urgent.
When the water tank is put on the floor with its upside up, the water supply valve on its bottom is pushed by the floor and thus opened, causing water in it to leak outside on the floor through the valve. The amount of water filled in the water tank is thus decreased and the floor is made wet by water leaked. The weight of the water tank is centered on the water supply valve so that the valve may be broken. The water tank cannot be therefore put on the floor on the way of its being carried to the air conditioner body.
The object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner having a water tank which can be put on the floor without leaking any water in it but with its water supply valve protected on the way of its being carried to the air conditioner, holding it, full of water, by hand with its water supply valve directed downward.
This object can be achieved by an air conditioner comprising a casing, a heat exchanger of the water cooling type housed in the casing to form a cooling circuit, a sprinkler means for sprinkling water over the water cooling heat exchanger, and a water tank for additionally supplying that amount of water to the sprinkler means which equals to that of water evaporated from both of the sprinkler means and the water cooling heat exchanger as the water sprinkling of the sprinkler means advances, wherein the water tank includes a grip on its top, a water supply valve projected downward from its bottom, and an auxiliary grip located adjacent to the water supply valve and projected downward from its bottom to a greater extent than the water supply valve is.
This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertically-sectioned view showing an example of the air conditioner according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram showing the cooling circuit in the air conditioner;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an inside arrangement in the air conditioner;
Figs. 4 and 5 are front and bottom views showing a water tank;
Figs. 6 and 7 are side and plan views showing casings enclosing fans in the air conditioner;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the rear side of the air conditioner from which an air filter is being pulled;
Fig. 9 is a rear view showing a drain hose housing section formed at the rear side of the air conditioner;
Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along a line I - I in Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a vertically-sectioned view showing a sprinkler and a water tray in the air conditioner;
Fig. 12 is a horizontally-sectioned view showing the water tray;
Fig. 13 is a partly-sectioned view showing a cooling chamber in the air conditioner;
Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing a drain pan;
Fig. 15 is a front view showing an operational panel for the air conditioner;
Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit for the air conditioner;
Figs. 17 and 18 are front views showing variations of the operational panel;
Figs. 19 and 20 are side and end views showing a water supply hose; and
Fig. 21 is a perspective view showing a variation of the water supply tank.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Reference numeral 30 in Fig. 1 denotes an air conditioner body which is provided with plural wheels 31 on the underside thereof to enable it to be carried on the floor of a room. The inside of this air conditioner body 30 is divided into an upper cooling chamber 33 and a lower machine chamber 34 by a horizontal partition wall 32. A grille 36 through which cooled air is blown out and which is provided with a louver 35 for adjusting the direction of the cooled air blown out is arranged on the front side of the cooling chamber 33. A sucking grille 37 is arranged on the rear side of the cooling chamber 33 and an evaporator 38 which forms the cooling cycle is located in opposite to the sucking grille 37. A drain pan 139 is located under the evaporator 38 to receive drain water created by the evaporator 38.
A motor 39 which has rotating shafts 39a and 39b projected outside from its top and bottom is held, passing through the partition wall 32. These shafts 39a and 39b are directed vertical and a first fan 40 is attached to the rotating shaft 39a which is projected upward from the top of the motor 39. This first fan 40 is provided with upper and lower sucking openings 41a and 41b at the top and bottom thereof and it is enclosed by a casing 43 which has a blowing opening 42 communicated with the cooled air blowing grille 36.
A grille 44 through which heat exchanging air is sucked is arranged on the rear side of the machine chamber 34 and a heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type which serves as the condenser for the cooling cycle is located in opposite to the air sucking grille 44. The heat exchanger 45 is of the so-called finned tube type and it is tilted under the evaporator 38 with the partition wall 32 interposed between them. The heat exchanging air sucking grille 44 is located under the sucking grille 37 with a certain interval interposed between them and adjucent to an opening of the air passage 200. An air filter 46 is detachably attached to the rear side of the body 30, interposing between the sucking grille 37 and the evaporator 38 and between the heat exchanging air sucking grille 44 and the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type.
The heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type is supported on a casing 47, which is provided with upper and lower sucking openings 48 and 49 through which the rotating shaft 39b projected downward from the motor 39 is passed. The casing 47 encloses a second fan 50 attached to the rotating shaft 39b. A blowing opening 51 of the casing 47 is introduced into an opening 52 which is opened at the rear side of the body 30.
A flexible exhausting hose (not shown) is connected to the blowing opening 51 of the casing 47 and another end of the hose is connected to an exhausting opening which is communicated outside through a wall of the room in which heat exchange is conducted. As the exhausting hose is flexible, the body 30 can be carried to any optional position in the room and all of heat exchanging air taken into the machine chamber 34 can be exhausted outside the room.
A heat exchanger 53 which serves as the condenser for the cooling cycle, land a sprinkler means 54 are arranged under the casing 47. The condenser comprises heat exchangers 45 and 53 of the air and water cooling types. The heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type is a heat exchanging pipe coiled in double, and it is housed in a cover 55 which is a component of the sprinkler means 54. This sprinkler cover 55 is opened at the top thereof and communicated with the lower sucking opening 49 of the casing 47. The sprinkler cover 55 is also opened at the bottom thereof and the heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type is projected downward through the opened bottom of the sprinkler cover 55. The lower portion of the heat exchanger 53 is immersed in water in a water tray 56. The lower circumference of the sprinkler cover 55 enters into the water tray 56 with a certain interval interposed relative to the lower circumference of the water tray 56. Further, the lower end of the sprinkler cover 55 is not immersed in the water in the water tray 56 but separated from the level of the water in the water tray 56 by a certain distance. A float switch 57 is located on one side of the water tray 56 to detect the lowest level of the water in the water tray 56.
A sprinkler 58 is fitted onto an end of the rotating shaft 39b which is projected from the second fan 50, extending into the sprinkler cover 55 through the lower sucking opening 49 of the casing 47. The sprinkler 58 is enclosed by the heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type. The sprinkler 58 is a cylinder closed at the top thereof but opened at the bottom thereof and this cylinder is tapered in such a way that its diameter becomes gradually smaller from its top to its bottom. A vane 58a is attached integral to the outer circumferential center portion of the sprinkler 58 and a circular sprinkling hole 58b is formed adjacent to the vane 58b. Further, plural sprinkling windows 58c which are slits are formed adjacent to the upper end of the sprinkler 58.
An auxiliary sucking opening 59 is arranged at that lower portion of the rear side of the machine chamber 34 which is adjacent to the above-described sprinkler means 54.
According to the air conditioner of the present invention, the air cooling heat exchanger 45 is connected to the discharge side of a compressor 63 through a coolant pipe P and the water cooling heat exchanger 53 is located downstream the air cooling heat exchanger 45, as shown in Fig. 2. The water cooling heat exchanger 53 is connected to the take-in side of the compressor 63 through a capillary tube 65 and the evaporator. Reference numeral 120 represents a high pressure switch located between the air cooling heat exchanger 45 and the water cooling heat exchanger 53 to detect coolant pressure in the coolant pipe P.
As shown in Fig. 3, a part of the water tray 56 is extended sideways from a partition plate 56a to form a water supply section 61 which serves to receive water supplied from a water tank 60. The partition plate 56a is provided with a communicating pipe 62 for enabling an amount of water in the water tank 60 which corresponds to that of water used up and evaporated on the side of the sprinkler 58 is added to the side of the sprinkler 58 through the water supply section 61.
As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a body 60a of the water tank 60 has a top, a bottom and four sides each being shaped substantially rectangular and flat. A main grip 76a is formed on the top of the body 60a in the center thereof. A water supply valve 79 and an auxiliary grip 76b are formed side by side on the bottom of the tank body 60a.
The water supply valve 79 is included in a cap 78 and a cylindriacl protrusion is projected downward from the bottom of the tank body 60a, having a screw thread round the outer circumference thereof, to form a water supply opening 77 onto which the cap 78 is screwed. A part of the water supply valve 79 is projected downaward from the cap 78 and when this part of the valve 79 is pushed up, the cap 78 is opened and when no force is added to it, the cap 78 is left closed.
The grip 76b is located adjacent to the water supply valve 79 on the bottom of the tank body 60a and it has a predetermined thickness and a hole so large as to enable it to be easily held by hand. Its lower end is further projected from the lower end of the water supply valve 79 by a predetermined distance.
The water tank 60 thus formed is held in the water supply section 61 with its valve 79, through which water is being supplied to the water supply section 61, and with its auxiliary grip 76b directed down and with its main grip 76a directed up.
Further, the compressor 63 is located side by side with the water tank 60. Reference numeral 64 denotes a flexible hose connected to the blowing opening 51 of the casing 47.
As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the vertical dimension A of the blowing opening 42 in the case of the casing 43 which encloses the first fan 40 is made smaller than the longitudinal dimension B of a blade of the first fan 40. The traverse dimension C of the blowing opening 42 may be made substantially wider than the diameter D of the first fan 40 but a little narrower than the front width of the body 30.
As shown in Fig. 8, a rear side panel 30a is freely detachably attached to the back of the air conditioner body 30 and it includes the sucking grille 37 and the heat exchanging air sucking grille 44 which are separated from each other by a certain distance in the vertical direction. The air filter 46 is freely detachably inserted into the body 30 inside the panel 30a, facing the grilles 37 and 44.
The exhausting hose 64 extends from the substantially center portion of the rear side panel 30a and from under the heat exchanging air sucking grille 44. The rear side panel 30a includes adjacent to its bottom a drain hose housing section 66 and a cut-away portion 68 through which a power source cord 67 extending from a power source section (not shown) in the body 30 is passed. A projection 69 on which a cord grip 68 for holding the power source cord 67 as a bundle is hooked is formed integral to the rear side panel 30a between the grilles 37 and 44.
As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a cut-away portion 66a is formed at the drain hose housing section 66, extending upward from the bottom of the rear side panel 30a to a certain height, and plural curved pieces 66b are then piled upward one upon the other, projecting alternately forward and backward. Each of the curved pieces 66b is made semi-circular and the adjacent ones form a true circle when they are combined with each other. The diameter of this circle is made a little larger than that of an open front end portion of a drain hose 70 connected to the water tray 56. That portion which extends upward from the uppermost curved piece 66b is swelled outward to form a swelled portion 66c.
As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a rib 71 is formed integral to the water tray 56. The rib 71 comprises plural pieces located on a circle concentric to the sprinkler 58, separated from the outer circumference of the sprinkler 58 by a certain distance and also separated from the adjacent ones by a certain distance. The height of the rib 71 must be made larger than the surface level of water collected in the water tray 56.
As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, plural drain water discharging openings 72 are formed at the bottom of the drain pan 139 arranged under the evaporator 38, and they are communicated with the hole 73 of the partition wall 32. One end of a hose (not shown) is connected to the communicating hole 73 while the other end thereof is connected to the water tray 56. All of drain water created by the evaporator 38 is thus introduced into the water tray 56. A pair of air filter guides 74 are formed on the rear side of the drain pan 139. These air filter guides 74 are projected so that both sides of the air filter may be struck against them when the air filter 46 are inserted into the body 30 inside the rear side panel 30a.
As shown in Fig. 15, an operation panel 80 is arranged on a part of the front side of the body 30. Switches 81 are arranged on the upper portion of the operation panel 80 and lamps 82 and a power switch 83 are arranged on the lower portion thereof. Fan, dry or cool can be selected by an operation mode switch 84 of the switches 81. High, low or automatic can be selected by a changeover switch 85 to adjust the amount of air blown by the first fan 40. "Continued", "switched on after the lapse of a set time" or "switched off after the lapse of a set time" can be selected by a timer switch 86. Any optional cooling temperature can be set in a range of predetermined temperatures by a temperature set switch 87. Any optional time can be set in a range of predetermined times by a timer switch 88. An abnormal lamp 89 of the lamps 82 is lit only when something wrong such as abnormal rise of pressure and failure of water supply occurs. Lamp 90 is lit only when the float switch 57 detects that the surface level of water in the water tray 56 is lower than a predetermined level. A timer lamp 91 is lit when the timer is under operation. An operation lamp 92 is lit when the power switch 83 is switched on.
As shown in Fig. 16, a control circuit 93 which comprises a micro-computer for the air conditioner is electrically connected to the switches 81 and the lamps 82 on the operation panel 80, the float switch 57 in the water tray 56, the compressor 63 which forms the cooling cycle, the motor 39 and an alarm buzzer 94.
The operation of the air conditioner which is arranged as described above will be described.
As shown in Figs. 1 through 3, the compressor 63 is driven to compress the coolant and blow it under high temperature and pressure. At the same time the motor 39 is switched on to simultaneously drive the first and second fans 40 and 50 and the sprinkler 58. The coolant is introduced from the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type into the heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type where it is condensed while exchanging heat. It is further introduced into the capillary tube 65 to reduce its pressure and then into the evaporator 38 where it is evaporated. Heat exchanging air in the room which is to be cooled has been introduced into the evaporator 38 and it exchanges heat with the coolant so that the latent heat of vaporization can be taken from it. Its temperature is thus lowered to create cooled air, which is again blown into the room. The cooling of the room is thus conducted.
On the other hand, the first fan 40 takes heat exchanging air into the cooling chamber 33 through the sucking grille 37. This heat exchanging air is filtered by the air filter 46 and passed through the evaporator 38 while it is exchanging heat with the coolant to become cooled air after the latent heat of vaporization is taken off from it. The cooled air is sucked into the first fan 40 through the upper and lower openings 41a and 41b of the casing 43 and again blown into the room through the opening 42 of the casing 43 and the cooled air blowing grille 36.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the vertical dimension A of the opening 42 of the casing 43 is made smaller than the longitudinal dimension B of the blade of the first fan 40 and the traverse dimension C thereof is made considerably larger than the diameter Dφ of the first fan 40, that is, substantially close to the traverse dimension of the front side of the body 30, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Therefore, the cooled air blown by the first fan 40 gradually raises its static pressure while it flows from the fan 40 to the blowing opening 42. Its flow is thus scattered in the traverse direction. In fact, the speed of its flow is averaged by the time when it is blown outside through the blowing opening 42, and it can be uniformly blown out into the room while its amount blown out through the cooled air blowing grille 36 is being averaged in the traverse direction of the grille 36.
As shown in Figs. 1 through 3, the second fan 50 is driven together with the first fan 40 to take heat exchanging air into the machine chamber 34 through the heat exchanging air sucking grille 44. The heat exchanging air is filtered at this time by the air filter 46 to thereby keep the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type clean. The heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type is located adjacent to the evaporator 38 with the partition wall 32 interposed between them. This enables the air filter 46 to filter both of the room air introduced to the evaporator 38 and the heat exchanging air introduced to the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type. In addition, the partition wall 32 interposed between the evaporator 38 and the heat exchanger 45 enables both of the evaporator 38 and the heat exchanger 45 to conduct heat exchange independently of the other. The heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type is tilted. Therefore, a sufficient amount of heat exchanging air can be obtained even if the vertical dimension of the heat exchanging air sucking grille 44 is made small.
Except when the air conditioner is started, the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type exchanges heat with the heat exchanging air, relatively low in temperature and humidity, in the room which has been already cooled. Therefore, temperature difference between the coolant and the air introduced to the heat exchanger 45 is so large that the efficiency of heat exchange can be made large.
The air which has been passed through the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type to exchange heat is introduced into the casing 47 through the upper sucking opening 48 of the casing 47 and exhausted outside the room through the opening 51 and the exhausting hose 64.
The air in the room is also sucked into the machine chamber 34 through the auxiliary sucking grille 59 and introduced into the sprinkler cover 55, passing between the lower outer circumference of the sprinkler cover 55 and the upper inner circumference of the water tray 56, due to the operation of the second fan 50. The heat exchanging air exchanges heat with the heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type in the sprinkler cover 55. It is then introduced into the casing 47 through the lower sucking opening 49 of the casing 47 and combined with the air which has exchanged heat with the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type to be exhausted outside the room through the exhausting hose 64.
The sprinkler 58 is rotated by the motor 39 to suck up water in the water tray 56 along its inner circumference through its bottom opening due to its centrifugal force. The water which has reached the sprinkling hole and windows 58b and 58c is sprinkled, flying out through the hole and windows 58b and 58c. The heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type receives directly drops of water sprinkled by the sprinkler 58 or indirectly drops of water once struck against and splashed by the sprinkler cover 55. Or drops of water dropped on the top of the coiled tube of the heat exchanger 53 flow downward along the bottom of the tube. The blade 58a attached to the outer circumference of the sprinkler 58 stirs up the air in the sprinkler cover 55 while it is being rotated, to thereby assist the air in exchanging heat with the heat exchanger 53. At the same time, it receives drops of water struck against and splashed by the heat exchanger 53 to again sprinkle them on the heat exchanger 53.
The heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type sufficiently undertakes the water sprinkling operation of the sprinkler 58, thereby enabling the coolant and the water introduced to the heat exchanger 53 to exchange heat with each other. Most of the water drops which have drenched the heat exchanger 53 falls into the water tray 56 and it is again sprinkled by the sprinkler 58. A part of the water drops is vaporized and mixed with the air which has been introduced into the sprinkler cover 55 and exchanged heat with the heat exchanger 53 to become air of high humidity. This high humid air is introduced into the casing 47 through the lower sucking opening 49 of the casing 47 and mixed with the heat exchanging air which has been sucked through the upper sucking opening 48 and exchanged heat with the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type. The high humid air introduced from the sprinkler cover 55 exchanges heat with the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type while it is being heated to air of relatively high temperature. This air is changed to air of low humidity on the way of its being introduced from the second fan 50 to the exhausting hose 64 and it is exhausted outside through the hose 64. This prevents water drops from adhering to the second fan 50 and the exhausting hose 64.
As shown in Fig. 1, therefore, a first air passage 200 extending from the heat exchanging air sucking grille 44 to the exhausting hose 64 through the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type, upper sucking opening 48, second fan 50 and blowing opening 51 is formed in the machine chamber 34 along with a second air passage 201 extending from the auxiliary sucking grille 59 to the exhausting hose 64 through the sprinkler cover 55, lower sucking opening 49, second fan 50 and blowing opening 51.
The heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type is located on the sucking side of the first air passage 200 and the heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type on the sucking side of the second air passage 201. No water drop sprinkled by the sprinkler 58 adheres to the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type. Therefore, the heat exchanger 45 is neither eroded nor jammed with water drops, thereby enabling the heat exchange to be attained with a higher reliability. The heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type is bathed in water sprinkled by the sprinkler 58 and also contacted with the heat exchanging air introduced through the second air passage 201. This also enables the heat exchange to be achieved with a higher reliability.
An amount Q of heat exchanged on this high pressure side can be expressed as follows: $Q = Q₁ + Q₂$
$Q 1 = Kc (Tc - Ta)$
$Q2 = Cu · G$

wherein Q₁ represents an amount of heat exchanged by the heat exchanger 45, Q₂ an amount of heat exchanged by the heat exchanger 53, Kc a rate of heat (Kcal/h·°C) exchanged by the heat exchanger 45, Tc an average temperature (°C) of the coolant in the heat exchanger 45, Ta a temperature (°C) of air sucked into the heat exchanger 45, Cu a latent heat (Kcal/Kg) of water and G an amount (Kg/h) of water consumed.
Providing that the amount Q of heat exchanged on the high pressure side is certain. Tc - Ta becomes large and Q₁ is increased when the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type is located in the air passage 200 different from that of the heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type. Q₂ becomes small instead, while keeping Cu certain. G is thus decreased. Namely, the amount of water consumed is reduced to a greater extent, the time period during which the air conditioner can be continuously operated is made considerably longer and the interval during which no water may be added into the water tank 60 is made longer. The labor of adding water into the water tank 60 can be thus saved.
As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the water tank 60 is set at a predetermined position in the air conditioner body 30 with its valve 79 and auxiliary grip 76b directed down and with its main grip 76a directed up. When the water tank 60 is to be pulled out of the air conditioner body 30 and carried to the faucet of the water service, therefore, the main grip 76a on the top of the tank body 60a is held by hand.
When water is to be supplied to the water tank 60 carried to the faucet, however, the water tank 60 is turned upside down, locating the valve 79 above, and the cap 78 is unscrewed from the water supply opening 77, through which water is supplied to the tank 60.
When the water tank 60 is filled with water, the cap 78 is screwed onto the water supply opening 77 and the water tank 60 is then carried to the air conditioner body 30. The water tank 60 is very heavy this time because it is filled with water. When it is tried to carry the water tank 60, holding the auxiliary grip 76b which is now located above by hand, therefore, it becomes difficult to carry the tank 60 because the tank 60 tends to lean to one side. This asks the water tank 60 to be again turned upside up while holding the main and auxiliary grips 76a and 76b by hands. As the result, the main grip 76a can be held by hand, locating it above.
It is common that the air conditioner body 30 is located remote from the faucet of the water service, and the water tank 60 filled with water is heavy. The user, therefore, wants to take a rest, putting the water tank 60 on the floor on the way of his carrying it to the air conditioner body 30. Or he may have to put it on the floor to do something urgent.
The water tank 60 may be put on the floor in this case with its valve 79 directed downward. Only the auxiliary grip 76b is contacted with the floor, holding the water supply valve 79 above the floor, because the auxiliary grip 76b is further projected from the lower end of the valve 79. No force is added to the water supply valve 79 to push it up, so that it can be left closed. This prevents water in the water tank 60 from being leaked to decrease the amount of water in it and make the floor wet.
When the water tank 60 is carried to and from the faucet, the water supply valve 79 is directed downward in the same manner as in the conventional cases, but it can be kept not struck against anything on the floor because the auxiliary grip 76b is further projected downward from the lower end of it. Namely, it can be protected by the auxiliary grip 76b.
If the auxiliary grip 76b is located in front of the water supply valve 79 in the tank-carrying direction while carrying the water tank 60 to and from the faucet, the effect of protecting the water supply valve 79 can be made higher.
The air conditioner of the present invention has the following characteristics:
As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the drain hose 70 connected to the water tray 56 is bent upward at about right angle on the way of it and its front end portion is inserted into the drain hose housing section 66, as shown by two-dot and dash lines, except when water collected in the water tray 56 is to be drained. A part of the water in the water tray 56 can be held in it because the level of its front end opening is made higher than that of the water surface in the water tray 56. In addition, it can be more easily housed in the drain hose housing section 66. The curved pieces 66b which form the drain hose housing section 66 are projected alternately forward and backward and each of these curved pieces 66b is made substantially semicircular. And when the curved piece 66b projected forward is combined with its adjacent one projected backward, they form a true circle, and the diameter of this true circle is made a little smaller than that of the drain hose 70. This enables the drain hose 70 to be held and housed in the drain hose housing section 66 with a higher reliability. When the drain hose housing section 66 is shaped as described above and the drain hose 70 is colored in same color as that of the rear side panel 30a, the drain hose 70 can be hardly viewed from outside, thereby keeping the appearance of the air conditioner fine.
When the water tray 56 is to be cleaned, the drain hose 70 is pulled out of the drain hose housing section 66 and extended outside the rear side panel 30a. Because the front end opening of the drain hose 70 is made lower than the bottom of the water tray 56, all of the water in the water tray can be drained. This makes it easier to drain the water in the water tray 56.
As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the rib 71 formed integral to the water tray 56 encloses the sprinkler 58, its top is made higher than the surface of water in the water tray 56, and it is divided into pieces on the circle concentric with the sprinkler 58. Even when the surface of water in the water tray 56 waves as the sprinkler 58 sucks up the water collected in the water tray 56, therefore, the rib 71 can prevent the surface of water in the water tray 56 from waving. As the result, any noise because of the waving water surface can be neither created nor sounded outside. In addition, the lower portion of the sprinkler 58 inside the rib 71 is kept immersed in the water in the water tray 56. This enables a predetermined amount of water to be sucked up and sprinkled by the sprinkler 58.
As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the air filter 46 covers both of the sucking grille 37 located on the side of the evaporator 38 and of the heat exchanging air sucking grille 44 located on the side of the heat exchanger 45 of the air cooling type to thereby filter air sucked through both of them. When the air filter 46 is to be cleaned to prevent it from being jammed by dust, it may be pulled out from inside the rear side panel 30a through the slit 95.
When the cleaning of the air filter 46 is finished, the air filter 46 is again inserted inside the rear side panel 30a through the slit 95. The lower end portion of the air filter 46 is slidably contacted with and guided by the air filter guides 74 projected from the drain pan 39. In other words, the air filter guides 74 help the air filter 46 be smoothly located inside the rear side panel 30a.
When the air filter 46 is located at the predetermined position inside the rear side panel 30a, its intermediate portion is pushed against the rear side panel 30a. Even when the air conditioner is vibrated under operation, therefore, the air filter 46 is not shaked to thereby prevent any noise from being created.
When water in the water tank 60 is consumed as water in the water tray 56 is sprinkled by the sprinkler 58 and when the float switch 57 detects that the surface of water in the water tray 56 is lower than the predetermined value, detection signal is applied to the control circuit 93, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. The control circuit 93 then sends signal to the lamp 90 on the operation panel 80 and the lamp 90 is lit or flickered for a certain time period responsive to the signal. Or the alarm buzzer 94 is made operative for a certain time period to inform the user that water in the water tank 60 is used up. Responsive to the lit or flickering lamp 90 or sounding buzzer 94, the user takes the water tank 60 out of the body 30 and detaches the water supply hose 75 from the water tank 60, as shown in Figs. 19 through 21. Water is supplied into the water tank 60 through the water supply hose 75 and the water tank 60 thus filled with water is then located at the pre-determined position in the body 30. It is needed that a series of these processes is quickly done. Because the efficiency of heat exchanged by the heat exchanger 53 of the water cooling type is reduced when the amount of water sprinkled over to the heat exchanger 53 is decreased. This causes the abnormal lamp 89 to be lit and the cooling operation of the air conditioner to be stopped accordingly.
According to the air conditioner of the present invention, water supply into the water tank 60 can be quickly attained, it is not needed that the cooling operation is stopped every time water is supplied to the water tank 60, and temperature in the room is not raised accordingly to keep the room comfortably cooled.
When the timer switch 86 is made operative to set on or off the air conditioner after the lapse of a certain time period, not knowing that the amount of water left in the water tank 60 is quite a little, the lamp 90 is lit before the lapse of the certain time period. If water is supplied to the water tank 60 at once even in this case, the effect of the timer can be kept because the cooling operation of the air conditioner is continued.
Figs. 17 and 18 show variation of the operation panel.
In the case of a operation panel 80A shown in Fig. 17, a display 110 which is a means for displaying a remaining operation time period is added just above a water lamp 90 which tells how much water is left in the water tank 60. In the case of the air conditioner provided with this remaining time display 110, the float switch which is a means for detecting the level of water surface in the water tray 56 must have such a function that allows the switch to successively detect the changing level of water surface in the water tray 56. Detection signal is kept applied from the float switch to a control circuit 93, where the level of water surface in the water tray 56 is arithmetically calculated responsive to the detection signal now received and a remaining operation time period is presumed from the result of this calculation to digital-display it on the display 110.
The user who sets a timer as needed may do it after judging whether or not water must be added to the water tank 60 while seeing the remaining operation time period digital-displayed on the display 110. This prevents the operation of the air conditioner from being stopped in a time period he has set by the timer or just after the operation of the air conditioner is started by the timer. The merit of the timer can be thus attained.
The operation panel 80A is provided with an economy switch 112, for example. When this economy switch 95 is turned on, the air conditioner is operated under economy mode to reduce the power consumed.
When the economy switch 112 is turned on, the control circuit 93 controls the compressor 63 to be made on and off at a certain interval and it also controls the motor 39, which drives the first fan 40, to be rotated at a rotation speed lower by one level than that of the compressor 63.
If temperature in the room which is to be cooled is lower than a predetermined value, for example, when the economy switch 112 is turned on, the compressor 63 and the motor 39 are controlled to turn off. If it is higher, the compressor 63 and the motor 39 are controlled to turn on and off at a certain interval.
More specifically, if the temperature in the room is higher by 0 - 2°C than the predetermined value when the economy mode is selected, the compressor is turned on for three minutes and then off for four minutes till the lapse of one hour. It is turned on for three minutes and then off for seven minutes after the lapse of one hour and till the lapse of two hours. After the lapse of two hours, it is turned on for three minutes and then off for ten minutes until the temperature in the room becomes lower than the pre-determined value. At the same time, the rotation number of the first fan 40 is controlled to be smaller by one level than that of the compressor 63. Namely, the rotation number of the first fan 40 is controlled to become smaller in such a way that the amount of air blown by the first fan 40 becomes medium when the compressor 63 is turned on and that it becomes low when the compressor 63 is off.
If the temperature in the room is higher by 2°C than the predetermined value when the economy mode is selected, the compressor 63 is made on for 18 minutes and then off for 3 minutes till the lapse of one hour. It is made on for 5 minutes and then off for 7 minutes after the lapse of one hour and till the lapse of two hours. After the lapse of two hours, it is made on for 5 minutes and then off for 10 minutes until the temperature in the room becomes lower than the predetermined value. At the same time, the rotation number of the first fan 40 is similarly controlled to become smaller by one level than that of the compressor 63.
The economy switch 112 which enables the above-described control to be conducted may be arranged on the operation panel shown in Fig. 15 or it may be arranged on an operation panel 80B which will be described later.
The water lamp 90 on the operation panel 80A which tells the amount of water remaining in the water tray 56 may be lit or flickered at the time when the amount of water in the water tray 56 becomes the smallest needed or it may be replaced by the time display 110.
In the case of the operation panel 80B shown in Fig. 18, the lighting manner of the abnormal lamp 89a is changed. Namely, it is changed depending upon what abnormalities have occurred. When water in the water tray is almost used up because the user leaves the water tank 60 not filled with water although the water lamp 90 is lit, the abnormal lamp 89a is lit and this lighting of the abnormal lamp 89a is continued. When pressure is abnormally raised on the high pressure side because of something wrong, the abnormal lamp 89a is continuously flickered at a Certain interval. Therefore, the abnormal lamp 89a can be used in two manners, thereby making it unnecessary to use two lamps.
Figs. 19 and 20 show a variation of the water tank. A hose holder recess 60b is formed round the outer circumference of the water tank 60 and a water supply hose 75 can be held in the hose holder recess 60b in this case. The hose 75 includes couplings 75a and 75b one of which has a diameter d₁φ smaller than that d₂φ of the other to enable the small-diameter coupling 75a, for example, to be freely detachably fitted into the large-diameter coupling 75b, and an expansive hose section 75c for connecting the couplings 75a and 75b to each other. The large-diameter coupling 75b is provided with a hook 95 for hooking the hose 75 on the faucet. The hook 95 is a string, for example, which is high in water resistance and not easily broken. Both ends of this string are fixed to the coupling 75b and the other portion thereof is shaped like a loop.
When the water supply hose 75 is not used, it is wound round the water tank 60 in the hose holder recess 60a. When the hose 75 is used to supply water into the water tank 60, it is extended after it is detached from the water tank 60, and its coupling 75a is inserted into and connected to the opened water supply opening 77 of the water tank 60 while its other coupling 75b is connected to the faucet (n) at a wash stand M, hanging or hooking the hook 95 of the coupling 75b on the faucet (n), as shown in Fig. 21. The open end face of the coupling 75b is opposed to water supply opening of the faucet (n) to receive all of water supplied through the faucet (n).
According to this variation of the water tank 60, the water supply hose 75 is attached to the water tank 60 in such a way that it is wound round the water tank 60 in the hose holder recess 60a and that its coupling 75a is fitted into its other coupling 75b. This makes it easier to put the water supply hose 75 into order. When water is to be supplied to the water tank 60, the water supply hose 75 is detached from the water tank 60 by pulling the coupling 75a out of the other coupling 75b and the coupling 75a is connected to the water supply opening 77 from which the cap 78 has been removed, while connecting the other coupling 75b to a water supply source such as the faucet of the water service. This also makes it easier to supply water into the water tank 60.
Further, the hook 95 enables one end of the water supply hose 75 to be more easily connected to the faucet (n) without being fitted onto the faucet (n), and it also prevents the hose 75 from getting off from the faucet (n) even when the pressure of water supplied through the faucet (n) is made large.

Claims

An air conditioner comprising
a casing;
a heat exchanger of the water cooling type housed in the casing to form a cooling circuit;
a sprinkler means for sprinkling water over the water cooling heat exchanger; and
a water tank for suppling the sprinkler means with an amount of water which corresponds to that of water evaporated from both of the sprinkler means and the water cooling heat exchanger as the water sprinkling of the sprinkler means advances;
characterized in that said water tank (60) includes a grip (76a) on its top, a water supply valve (79) projected downward from its bottom, and an auxiliary grip (76b) projected downward, adjacent to the water supply valve (79), from its bottom, extending the lower end thereof longer than that of the water supply valve (79).
The air condition according to claim 1, characterized in that said grip (76a) is able to carry the water tank (60); said water supply valve (79) is projected downward to adjust the amount of water supplied from the water tank (60) to the sprinkler means (58); and in that the lower end of said auxiliary grip (76b) is projecting from the bottom of the water tank (60) longer than that of the water supply valve (79), to thereby enable the water tank (60) to be carried upside down.
The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by further comprising a hose holder recess (60b) formed around the outer circumference of the water tank (60), and a water supply hose (75) freely detachably wound around the water tank (60) in the hose holder recess (60b) and used to supply water to the water tank (60).
The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that said water supply hose (75) includes cylindrical couplings (75a,75b) one of which has a diameter different from that of the other to enable one of them to be freely detachably fitted into the other, and expansive hose section (75c) connecting the couplings (75a,75b) to each other at the both ends thereof.
The air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized by further comprising a hook (95) attached to one of the couplings (75a,75b) of said water supply hose (75) and hooked by a water supply source such as the faucet (n) of the water service to hold the coupling (75b) opposed to the faucet (n) at the time when water is to be supplied to the water tank (60).