KR100346996B1 - Condensate collection system for a room air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the invention, there is provided an air conditioner 2 comprising an interior part 4 and an outdoor part 6, supported by a base fan and separated by a partition wall forming part of the base fan. The interior part 4 includes an indoor blower 24 and an evaporator coil 22. During operation, the low temperature evaporator condenses the moisture from the air to be cooled, the condensate flows downward to the lower end of the evaporator 22 where the condensate is collected, and the flow passage from the interior part 4 through the partition wall to the outdoor part. (6) provided. The lower end of the evaporator is supported by a substantially horizontal support surface. The condensate collection channels 108, 136 have a first portion in fluid communication with the horizontal support surface and located substantially parallel to the horizontal support surface. The first portion of the condensate collection channel 108 slopes from a high point at one end of the first portion to a low point at the other end of the first portion. The condensate collection channel has a second portion in fluid communication with the other end of the first portion. The second part is inclined from a high point in fluid communication with the first part to a low point in the outdoor part 6 of the air conditioner 2.

Description

CONDENSATE COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR A ROOM AIR CONDITIONER

Warm air often contains moisture, ie the accompanying water vapor. While the air conditioning system is operating in the cooling mode, the system evaporator reduces the temperature of the air passing through it below the dew point. In this state, water vapor condenses on the evaporator. Means for treating such condensate should be provided. In small integrated air conditioners, such as room air conditioners, conventional means for achieving condensate treatment provide condensate collection and discharge passages communicating between the interior and exterior of the air conditioner.

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system, and more particularly to a room air conditioner in which moisture removed from internal air is discharged to the outside of the device.

Those skilled in the art will apparently understand and best understand the objects and advantages of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a room air conditioner embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the air conditioner of Figure 1 with the top cover, front grille and other selected elements removed.

3 is a top view of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 with the upper housing and other elements removed.

3A is an enlarged view of the left front portion of FIG.

3B is an enlarged view of the right front portion of FIG.

4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 with certain elements removed.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the bottom housing and base fan of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 with multiple elements removed; FIG.

6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG.

According to the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner comprising an interior part and an exterior part supported by a basepan and separated by a partition wall forming a part of the base pan. The interior unit includes an indoor blower and an evaporator coil. During operation, the cold evaporator condenses the moisture from the air to be cooled, the condensate flows downward to the lower end of the evaporator from which the condensate is collected, and a flow passage is provided from the interior to the exterior through the septum. The lower end of the evaporator is supported by a substantially horizontal support surface. The condensate collection channel has a first portion in fluid communication with the horizontal support surface and positioned substantially parallel to the vicinity of the horizontal support surface. The first portion of the condensate collection channel is inclined from a high point at one end of the first part to a low point at the other end of the first part. The condensate collection channel has a second portion in fluid communication with the other end of the first portion. The second portion is inclined from a high point in fluid communication with the first part to a low point in the exterior of the air conditioner.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the air conditioner 2 generally includes an indoor unit 4 and an outdoor unit 6. The air conditioner 2 comprises a substantially rectangular housing 12 comprising a lower housing portion 14, an upper housing portion 16 and an indoor grill portion 18. The lower housing part 14 is mounted in a metal support pan 20, and the entire room air conditioner is a window sill of the room where cooling is required, with the indoor grille 18 facing the inside of the room as in the conventional apparatus. And located in a rectangular opening on or in the outer wall.

The housing parts 12, 14 and the grille 18 are preferably made of molded plastic material. As best shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the entire air conditioner 2 is supported on a base fan 8 which forms and integrally forms the bottom of the lower housing 14. A vertically extending partition wall 13 separating the interior part 4 and the exterior part 6 extends upwardly from the base pan and is integrally formed with each of the left and right side walls 10 and 11.

2 shows the air conditioner 2 with the upper housing portion 16 and the indoor grille portion 18 removed. Again, like conventional devices, the air conditioner includes an indoor refrigerant to air heat exchanger 22 (hereinafter referred to as an “evaporator coil”) and an internal or evaporator blower 24. Air from the space to be regulated by the system is aspirated by the action of the evaporator blower 24 through an inlet louver 26 formed in the indoor grill 18 and the evaporator coil 22 where the air is cooled. Guided through. The cooled air is then returned into the space to be cooled by the scroll assembly 28 and then guided through the indoor exhaust assembly 30 of regulated air to form part of the grill 18.

It should be noted that scroll assembly 28 is shown only in FIG. 4. In a fully assembled air conditioner, the evaporator blower 24 is positioned in the scroll assembly such that the air flow described above occurs. To clearly show the detailed condensate collection system of the present invention, the scroll assembly has been removed in the other figures.

2, the air conditioner 2 is an outdoor refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger or coil 32 (hereinafter referred to as “condenser coil 32”), a condenser blower 34 and a compressor 36, as in conventional devices. ). In operation, ambient air enters through a plurality of louvered air inlets 38 located in the top and sides of the housing portions 14, 16. Air entering the inlet 38 is then drawn through the outdoor blower 34 and guided through the condenser coil 32 before exiting through the outlet opening 40 in the back of the housing 12. As best shown in FIG. 2, both the evaporator blower 24 and the condenser blower 34 are opposite ends of a single drive shaft of a conventional drive motor 42 mounted to the exterior 6 of the housing 12. Is driven from.

3, 3A and 3B, a plan view of the evaporator coil 22 supported in the front end 44 of the base fan 8 of the lower housing portion 14 is shown. The evaporator coil 22 includes a left tube plate 46 and a right tube plate 48. As with conventional devices, two rows of heat exchanger tubes 50 are interconnected by hairpin turn ends 52 extending between the tube plates to define a continuous flow path of refrigerant through the refrigerant tubes. Connected. A plurality of heat exchanger fins 54 extending vertically are supported by the tubes and extend substantially perpendicularly and parallel to the tube plates 46, 48.

Support of the evaporator coil 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show the air conditioner with the evaporator coil 22 and a number of other components removed to show the support structure, the condensate collection system and the condensate discharge passage.

Each tube plate 46, 48 has a long U-shaped cross section, each with short legs 56, 58 extending to the left in the figure. In particular, with reference to FIG. 3A, first, with respect to the support for the left tube plate 46, a vertically extending support channel 60 is integrated into the base pan and to the left wall 10 of the lower housing portion 14. Is molded into. The support channel 60 includes a first portion 64 integrally formed with the left wall 10 and extending substantially parallel to the evaporator coil 22. The second portion 66 extends forwardly and vertically of the first portion 64, and the short third portion 68 extends substantially parallel and to the right with the evaporator coil 22. A short wall portion 70 spaced from the third portion 68 at a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the rear leg 58 of the tube plate 48 extends from the right side of the lower end of the second portion 66. . Accordingly, the rear leg 58 of the tube plate 48 is engaged with the face 72 facing rearward of the third portion 68 and received in a space defined between the face and the short wall portion 70. It is supposed to be.

3B, the rear leg 58 of the right tube plate 48 extends vertically with a cross section substantially the same as the cross section of the channel 60 described in detail for the support of the left tube plate 46. It is adapted to engage the rear facing face 74 defined by the channel 76. The channel 76 on the right side is molded inside the base pan of the lower housing portion 14. Like the left tube plate, the rear leg 58 of the right tube plate is adapted to engage the rear face 72 of the channel 60. However, unlike the left tube plate, the support of the right tube plate extends vertically, such that it engages with both the face facing the rear of the rear leg 58 and the flat face facing the right of the right tube plate 48. It is provided in two positions where the side and front and back abut by the substantially cross-shaped portion (78).

Further positioning of the evaporator coil 22 is provided by the combination of the front facing 56 of the left tube plate 46 with the right facing wall 86 formed in the front of the lower housing portion 14. . In a similar manner, the left facing wall formed in the front of the lower housing portion 14 is adapted to engage the wall facing to the right of the right tube plate 48.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the lower ends of the tube plates 46, 48 of the evaporator coil 22 are formed with a drain pan formed at the front end of the base fan 8 of the lower housing portion 14. , 92). The condensate drain pan 92 is defined by a lower horizontal plane 94 that serves to support a perimeter wall portion 96 that extends perpendicularly to the lower end of the tube plate. The outer circumferential wall 96 includes short portions 98 and 100 extending outward from left and right sides, and an elongated portion 102 interconnected with the short portions 98 and 100. It should be noted that the aforementioned tube plate support wall 86 is formed in the long wall portion 102.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the horizontal plane 94 of the condensate discharge fan 92 has a plurality at the left and right ends of the horizontal plane just below the lower ends of the left and right tube plates 46 and 48. Small upright support pads 104 are provided. When the evaporator coil is installed as described above, the lower ends of the tube plates 46 and 48 engage with the support pads 104. As a result, the lower end of the heat exchanger fins 54 of the tube plate and coil is supported to be spaced apart from the horizontal plane 94.

Horizontal plane 94 terminates at rear edge 106 providing a transition to condensate collection channel 108. The condensate collection channel 108 is rearward by a vertically extending wall 110 formed inside the base pan 8, in part by a tube plate support channel 76 extending vertically at the right end of the channel. And is defined in part by a tube plate support channel 60 extending vertically at the left end of the channel.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the base pan 8 is provided with a limited condensate collection region 112 which lies to the right rear of the right end of the evaporator coil 22. The condensate collection region 112 is defined by the obliquely positioned portion 114 of the partition wall 13 at the rear side of the collection region, and extends to the wall portions 116, 118 extending vertically on the left and right sides of the collection region. Each is limited by. The lower surface 120 of the condensate collection region 112 is at substantially the same height as the horizontal plane 94 of the condensate discharge pan at its front end and is higher at the intersection with the inclined portion 114 of the partition.

As schematically shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant tube 122 extends from the right side of the evaporator coil 22 through an opening 124 in the partition for the compressor and condenser coils in the outdoor portion. The coolant tube 122 overlies the condensate collection region 112 described above. In operation of the air conditioner, especially in very humid conditions, condensate may form on the refrigerant tube 122. This condensate will fall from the tube and the condensate will collect in the condensate collection region 112 that will flow to the horizontal plane 94 of the condensate discharge pan 92 and enter the condensate collection channel 108 therefrom.

4, 5, and 6, the plurality of small tapered channels 126 are shallow near the outer edge of the condensate outlet fan 92 at the rear edge 106 in fluid communication with the condensate collection channel 108. It is provided in a horizontal plane that transitions from the depth to the maximum depth of the end 130 of the tapered channel. These channels promote the flow of condensate from the horizontal plane 94 and collection region 120 into the channel interior 108.

Thus, while the air conditioner is in operation, condensate flowing downward from the condensate collection region 102 and the evaporator coil 22 is led through the tapered channel 126 to the condensate collection channel 108. The condensate collection channel 108 then slopes from a higher height at the right end 132 of the channel to a lower height of the left end 134. This causes the flow of the condensate by gravity from right to left, shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

The left end of the condensate collection channel 108 is in fluid communication with the second condensate collection channel 136 at the left end, as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The second condensate collection channel 136 is defined by a pair of substantially parallel upstanding walls 138 formed in the base pan 8. The channel 136 passes through the opening 138 in the septum and extends into the exterior 6 along the path indicated by the arrow 142.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 5, the channel 136 is an outdoor blower for an area 142 that extends horizontally to the back of the lower housing portion 14 supporting the condenser coil 32 of the air conditioner. Extends to the left of the upstanding wall 144 forming a portion of the cover. The vertically extending wall portion 148 defines the front of the condenser support surface 146 and excludes the opening 145 through which the second condensate collection channel 136 is in fluid communication with the condenser support surface 146. It extends across the full width of the base pan 8.

The condenser support surface 146 is provided with a plurality of raised support pads 150 at the left and right ends of the support surface, which serve to support the condenser coil 32 at a position slightly higher than the condenser support surface 146. A centrally located opening 152 is provided in the rear wall of the lower housing portion 14 to provide a discharge passage for excess condensate collected on the condenser support surface as in conventional devices.

In a manner similar to the first condensate collection channel 108, the second condensate collection channel 136 transitions from the same height as the left side of the first condensate collection channel to a lower height at the back of the housing 14 in communication with the condenser support surface. do.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the channel 136 has a lower stepped portion 154 formed in the channel at a position just behind the blower cover wall 144. The step 154 serves to prevent backflow of condensate into the channel 136 or any rainwater that may collect in the exterior. As a result, the condensate collecting passage starting at the maximum height of the condensate collecting region 112 continuously down through the first condensate collecting channel 108 and the second condensate collecting channel 136, to the condenser support surface 146. This ensures a flow for the treatment of the condensate collected from the front of the air conditioner to the rear of the apparatus.

The free flow of condensate from the evaporator coil to the rear of the apparatus and the treatment of the condensate are further facilitated by the mounting of the condenser coil and the evaporator coil on each of the lift pads 104, 150 described above. This arrangement and tapered channel 126 breaks any surface tension of the condensate and promotes free flow of the condensate.

Claims (5)

Having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit supported by a base fan and separated by a partition wall, the indoor unit includes an indoor blower and an evaporator coil, wherein the low temperature evaporator condenses moisture from the cooled air, and the condensate collects the condensate. In a room air conditioner of the kind provided with a flow passage which flows downward to the lower end of the evaporator and is provided from the interior to the exterior through the partition, A substantially horizontal horizontal plane supporting the lower end of the evaporator, A first portion in fluid communication with the horizontal plane and substantially parallel to the horizontal plane and inclined from a high point at one end to a low point at the other end, and in fluid communication with the other end of the first part; A condensate collection channel having a second portion inclined from a high point in fluid communication with a low point in the outdoor portion Room air conditioning comprising a. The refrigerant tube of claim 1, further comprising: a refrigerant tube extending from the evaporator coil to the outdoor portion through the partition wall; A condensate collection region underlying the refrigerant tube and inclined from a high point near the partition and in fluid communication with the one end of the first portion of the condenser collection channel to a low point in fluid communication with the first portion of the condenser collection channel Housing further provided with Room air conditioning comprising a. The room air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the substantially horizontal horizontal plane is provided with a plurality of tapered channels each extending from a high point on the horizontal plane to a low point in fluid communication with the first portion of the condensate collection channel. . The room air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the second portion of the condensate channel has a step which provides a transition from a high point near the indoor part to a low point rearward in the outdoor part. The left and right ends of the substantially horizontal horizontal plane are each provided with one or more upright projections, which are adapted to engage the lower end of the evaporator coil and to be supported in a spaced apart relationship. Room air conditioning.