MXPA99007874A - Control box for a conditioner of a - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control box of an air conditioner, which is configured to contain control components and a capacitor, wherein the improvement is characterized in that it comprises: a housing having an inverted L shape, the housing defines a substantially vertical section and a substantially horizontal section, the horizontal section has an open front defined by a plurality of edges peripherally extending, one or more of the edges have a connecting structure on these, a section of the control panel to accommodate control components, section control panel has an open back defined by a plurality of edges extending peripherally, edges are configured to engage the edges of the horizontal section and having an attachment structure formed on these, the which is configured to contribute to the joining structure of the horizontal section p In this way, attach the control panel section to the horizontal section

Description

CONTROL BOX FOR A CONDITIONER D? BRIEF AIR DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to air conditioners and, more particularly, to a control box for an air conditioning unit. Air conditioning units called "window air conditioners" are commonly used for residential and similar applications and generally include closed cooling circuits that have an evaporator and a condenser. The unit is normally divided by a separation in the evaporator section and the condenser section. The evaporator section communicates with the air in the room to be conditioned and the condenser section communicates with the external air as is the ambient air. The refrigerant flows through a refrigerant circuit absorbing heat from the room's air in the evaporator and discharging the heat energy to the outside air in the condenser. The conventional refrigeration circuit is completed by adding a compressor, an expansion device, and the appropriate connections between the components. Said air conditioning unit usually includes a base tray that supports all the components and an external housing that surrounds the entire unit. The front of the evaporator or the interior section includes an interior grid, which has openings therein for directing the interior hot air inside the evaporator and discharge openings therein to direct the air back to the room. The outer section of the housing includes a plurality of openings in the sides and upper part thereof, which serve as inlet openings for the cooled air which flows in and out of the outer section after passing through the cooling coil, which is mounted vertically on the back of the outer section. The interior grille also includes an opening therein for the control panel in which the control rods, buttons, switches and the like are mounted to facilitate adjustment of the function and temperature output of the air conditioning unit. The control panel and the control components associated therewith are typically mounted in a control box for the unit in which other components associated with the electrical system of the air conditioning unit are housed. Because it is considered desirable to make an air conditioning unit of a given cooling capacity as compact as possible, it is also considered desirable to optimize the use of the available space in the interior section of an air conditioner.

A control box for an air conditioning unit, which is configured to contain control components and a capacitor. The control box includes an inverted L-shaped housing, which defines a substantially vertical section and a substantially horizontal section. The horizontal section has an open front defined by the edges that extend peripherally. One or more of the edges are provided with a fixing structure integrally formed thereon. A control panel section for housing the control components has an open back portion defined by a plurality of peripherally extending edges. The edges of the control panel section are configured to couple the edges of the horizontal section and are provided with a fastening structure formed thereon which is configured to cooperate with the fastening structure of the section to thereby facilitate Fixation of the control panel to the horizontal section. The control panel section may be configured to house electronic or electromechanical controls. Different sections of the control panel are easily interchangeable with the basic housing of the control box. The vertical section of the housing is adapted to be located behind the evaporator section of the air conditioning unit while the horizontal section is adapted to extend over the evaporator of the unit when installed in an air conditioning unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and its objects and advantages will be obvious to those skilled in the art with reference to the attached drawings., in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioner, which illustrates the characteristics of this invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the air conditioner unit of Figure 1 with the outer cover and the front grille removed therefrom; Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the control box and mounting section of the air conditioning unit, as illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a mechanical version of the control box of the present invention; Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of an electronic version of the control box of the present invention; Figure 7 is an exploded view of the control box illustrated in Figure 5; Figure 8 is an exploded view of the control box illustrated in Figure 6; Figure 9 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 4 of an electronic version of the control box; Figure 10 is a partially exploded view of the control box illustrated in Figure 5; Figure 11 is a right side view of the control box of Figure 5 with the control panel partially disassembled therefrom and partially cut away to show details of the fastening structure; Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11 with the cut side to show installation detail of the capacitor within it; and Figure 13 is a rear view of the control box of Figure 5. Figure 1 illustrates an air conditioner unit 10 which generally includes an interior section 12 and an exterior section 14. The air conditioner is housed in a substantially rectangular housing 16 and adapted to be placed in a rectangular opening on the outside of a room or in the window of a room to be cooled, with the interior section 12 facing into the room, as is conventional. The inner section 12 includes an inner grille section 18, which includes air inlet grilles 19 and an air discharge assembly 20. The front grille 18 also includes a door 21 in the upper right corner, which covers a control panel for the unit as will now be described in detail. Now looking at Figures 2, the components of both the inner section 12 and the outer section 14 are supported on a rectangular base tray 24. The outer and inner sections are separated by a vertically extending metal partition 26, which is illustrated in more detail in Figures 3, 4 and 9. The inner section includes a coil of the evaporator 28 vertically provided at the front end thereof and an indoor evaporator or fan 30 located behind the evaporator 28. The outer section 14 includes a coil cooling 32 vertically disposed adjacent the rear end thereof and a condensing fan 34, located within the inner section adjacent to the cooling coil. The compressor of the unit 36 is also located in the outer section 14. The cooling coil 32 is fluidly interconnected with the compressor 36 and the evaporator 28 in a conventional manner to provide cooling of the room in which the unit is installed.

During operation, the air in the space to be cooled by the unit is sucked by the action of the evaporator fan 30 through the inlet ventilation grids 19 and is directed through the evaporator coil 28 where the air is cooled. The cooled air is then directed back to the room to be cooled through the air discharge assembly 20. At the same time, ambient air is sucked through the inlets 38 in the outer section of the housing 16, by operation of the condenser fan 34, and is directed through the cooling coil 32 before letting it out from the rear of the cooling coil. As best seen in Figure 2, the control panel forms a part of a control box 40, which is fixed to a flat section 42 of the metal division 26. The control box 40 basically comprises a main housing 44 that has an inverted L shape. As will be seen, the housing 44 comprises a vertically extended section 46 located behind the evaporator coil 28 and a horizontally extended section 48, which extends partially in a relation covered with the evaporator coil. The control box 40 is illustrated in two different embodiments, an electromechanical mode as illustrated in Figures 2-5., 7, 10 and 11, and an electronic mode illustrated in Figures 6, 8 and 9. The housing of the control box 44 is identical for both the electromechanical and electronic modes. Also, the housing 50 for the electromechanical control panel and the housing 52 for the electronic control panel are structurally identical in terms of their cooperation with the housing of the control box 44 and differ only in the configuration of their front walls 54 and 56, as will be described in detail below. As for the housing of the control box 44, the horizontally extended section 48 comprises a substantially rectangular box defined by a lower wall 58, an upper wall 60, left and right side walls 62 and 64, respectively, and a partially open rear wall 66. The front edges, 68 of the upper wall, 70 of the lower wall and 72 and 74 of the left side walls cooperate to define the open front of the horizontal section 48. Integrally formed with the front end of the upper wall 60 are they find a pair of horizontally extended spaced hinge pins 76. The bolts each are supported in a parallel forwardly spaced relationship with the front edge 68 of the wall 60 or a pair of forwardly extending bolt supports 78. As best can be seen in Figures 7, 8 and 11, the lower wall 58 of the housing section 48 is provided with a horizontally latching bar and extended 80, which is separated upwards from the plane of the wall 58. A horizontally extended slot is provided in the lower wall 58, rearwardly of the latch bar (better seen in Figure 11). The vertically extended section 46 of the housing of the control box 44 is integrally formed with the horizontal section 48. The vertical section is substantially narrower than the horizontal section, as best seen in Figure 3. The vertical section comprises a front wall vertically extended 84, which is interconnected with the lower wall 58 of the horizontal section by a curved wall section 86. A right wall 88 is integrally formed and coplanar with the right side wall 64 of the horizontal section 48, and has an extension out 90 on the back of the latter, which forms a part of the tension release path of the power cable. The left side wall 92, as best seen in Figure 13, extends downwardly from its intersection 94 with the bottom wall 58 of the horizontal section.

The lower part of the vertical section 46 includes a first inner wall section 96. As best seen in Figures 12 and 13, the inner wall has a discontinuity 98 at the left rear end thereof 100, as can be seen in FIG. Figure 13. Throughout, as best seen in Figures 12 and 13, a horizontal external wall 102 extends perpendicular to and contiguous with the tension release section 90. The outer wall 102 has a discontinuity 104 at its end right 106 of this one. { as seen in Figure 13). Again, as best seen in Figure 13, a vertically extended wall section 108 extends parallel to and in a spaced relationship with the tension release section 90 of the side wall 88. Therefore, as can be seen in FIG. see in Figure 13 the tension release section 90, the vertical wall 108, the horizontal wall 102, and the discontinuity 104 together define the voltage release path for the power cable 110 of the air conditioning unit. Also contained in the vertical section 48 of the housing is a large capacitor 110 associated with the electric motors of both the fans and the compressor. The capacitor 110 is of the electrolytic type and has an outer metal cover, which must be connected to ground. With reference to Figures 11 and 12, installation of the capacitor 110 is achieved by inserting a peripherally extended flange 112 at the upper end of the capacitor under a retaining protrusion 114 formed on the interior surface of the upper end of the front wall 84 of the vertical section. Following the coupling (as illustrated in Figure 12) the lower end of the capacitor is rotated inside the housing until the lower part 115 engages the upper part of a vertical lug 116. The lug 116 is formed at the front edge of the section bottom wall 96. Because this wall is not fixed at its discontinuous end 100, the contact of the capacitor causes the wall and the lug to flex downwardly until the capacitor moves in its installed position, as illustrated in FIGS. Figures 11 and 13, with the lug 116 engaging the rear side 118 of the capacitor thereby positively holding the capacitor in place. It should be understood that several electrical cables are interconnected with the control components of the control box with the capacitor 110. These components extend through the rear opening of the housing of the control box 44, and when the control box is mounts in the metal division 26, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the wires pass through an opening 120 formed in the metal division to pass within the outer section 14 of the air conditioning unit where the fan , motor and compressor are located. The fixing of the control box to the division is carried out by means of a pair of mounting lugs 121, the first extending upwards from the upper wall 60 of the horizontal section 48, and the second extending downwards from the tension release guide wall 102 which forms part of the lower part of the vertical section 46. A pair of suitable threaded fasteners (not shown) pass through the openings 123 in the lugs and is threaded to couple the provided aperture. in the metal splitting sheet 42 with the control box fixed to the dividing wall 42, a depression 125 drilled through the wall 42 from the rear side causes the capacitor to contact 127 in order to establish a ground connection between these. As indicated above, with the exception of the front walls 54 and 56, respectively, the electromechanical control panel section 50 and the electronic control panel section 52 are identical, and therefore, will be described as such with common reference numbers. applied to common components, as illustrated in the drawings. Each of the control panel sections 50 and 52 includes a substantially planar top 122, a substantially planar bottom 124, and left and right end 126 and 128, respectively. Each of the walls 122, 124, 126 and 128 defines an edge that is facing backwards, together they cooperate to define a rectangular peripheral opening which is identical to the opening that is facing forward defined by the horizontal section 48 of the housing of the control box by the edges 68, 70, 72 and 74. These edges that are facing backwards are collectively identified by the reference number 130. Located adjacent the rear edge of the top wall 122 are a pair of forward facing hinge elements 132, as best seen in Figure 10, which are adapted to engage the horizontally extended hinge bolts 76 carried in the upper wall 60 of the horizontal section 48. The control box section it is illustrated with the hinges 132 coupled with the bolts 76 in Figure 11. Located in the lower wall 124 of the housings of the control panel 50, 52 as m etter can be seen in Figure 11, is an element of handle extending back 134, which includes a flexible section 136 and a head latch 138. The head of the latch is adapted to engage the bar handle that extends horizontally 80 formed in the bottom wall 58 of the horizontal section and to flex downward during coupling as a result of flexing of the bending section 136 for with this allow the head latch 138 is moved to the position of latch behind the latch bar 80, as illustrated in Figure 9, to thereby securely secure the control panels 50, 52 with the horizontal section 48 of the housing to the control box 44. Now viewing the electromechanical control panel 50, as better seen in Figures 4 and 7, the front wall 54 is provided with a pair of circular depressions 140, each of which has an opening 142 within it, the which communicates with the interior of the control panel 50. Mounted within the control panel 50 in suitable mounting configurations are the function switch 144 and the thermostat 146, each having control axes 148 and 150 of the switch and the tester, respectively, which extend through the openings 142 and are adapted to receive the appropriate control knobs 152 and 154 on them. A thermostat sensor 156 extends from the thermostat and is adapted to have its detector end 158 placed in the flow of air entering the evaporator, as is conventional. The front wall 56 of the electronic control panel 52 as best seen in Figures 8 and 9 comprises a series of cantilevered flexible elements 160, which are adapted to transfer a touch or touch input to an external surface 162 of this through an activating element on the other side of this for the appropriate pressure sensitive mechanisms 168 carried in an electronic circuit board 170 mounted behind the front wall 56, inside the interior of the electronic control panel 52. One second printed circuit board 172 is adapted to be received in a horizontal orientation with body edges 168 and 180 thereof engaging in a drawer-like manner in parallel guides 182 formed on the upper internal sides of side walls 62 and 64 of the section horizontal 48, as shown in Figure 4. In the electromechanical mode as well as in the electronics, the electrically appropriate wiring inte It connects the control components. The wiring is not illustrated in the Figures drawn except as illustrated in Figure 9, to simplify the illustration of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. CLAIMS 1. A control box for an air conditioner which is configured to contain components of control of a capacitor. The improvement is characterized in that it comprises: a housing that has an inverted L shape, the housing defines a substantially vertical section and a section substantially horizontal; the horizontal section has an open front defined by a plurality of peripherally extended edge, one or more of the edges having a fixing structure formed therein; a control panel section for housing the control components, the control panel section has an open rear portion defined by a plurality of peripherally extended edges, the edges are configured to engage the edges of the horizontal end and having a structure of Fixation formed on these, which is configured to cooperate with the fixing structure of the horizontal section in order to fix the control panel section to the horizontal section. The control box according to claim 1, characterized in that the control components are electromechanical and comprise a switch function and a thermostat, and, wherein the control panel section comprises a box with the back open which defines an interior and having a front wall, the front wall has at least two openings formed therein, each of the switch and thermostat functions having a "control" axis, and means associated therewith for mounting the switch and the thermostat with the interior with the control axes extending through the openings 3. The control box according to claim 2, characterized in that the vertical section comprises a substantially rectangular box having an open rear part, which is surrounded by a plurality of edges that are facing backwards peripherally extended, the box "such vertical section com it engages a mounting structure formed therein to receive and support a capacitor within it in a pressure setting relationship. The control box according to claim 1, characterized in that the control components are electronic and comprise at least one printed circuit board which is configured to receive touch control inputs; wherein the control panel section comprises a box with the rear part open defining an interior and having a front wall, said front wall having a plurality of flexible elements associated therewith, each of the flexible elements having a surface of constant contact coplanar with such front wall and an activation element that extends inside the interior of such box with the rear part open; and further comprising means for supporting at least one printed circuit board with the interior of such box with the rear part open in an operational proximity to the activation elements of the flexible elements; by means of which the manual pressure of such contact surface of the flexible elements, the activation elements will couple and operate the touch control input elements of the printed circuit board. The control box according to claim 4, characterized in that said vertical section comprises a substantially rectangular box having the rear part open, which is surrounded by a plurality of peripherally extending rearwardly extending edges; the box of such vertical section comprises a mounting structure formed therein for receiving and supporting a capacitor therein in a pressure setting relationship.