US2920459A

US2920459A - Room air conditioner

Info

Publication number: US2920459A
Application number: US769928A
Authority: US
Inventors: William T Ladusaw
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1958-10-27
Filing date: 1958-10-27
Publication date: 1960-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1977-01-12

Description

Jan. 1960 w. T. LADUSAW ROOM AIR CONDITIONER Filed Oct. 27, 1958 w Hznnnaas:nnnunaansnzannnuz 4 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM T. LADUSAW BY W HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent ROOM AIR CONDITIONER William T. Ladusaw, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 27, 1958, Serial No. 769,928

3 Claims. (Cl. 62-281) The present invention relates to an air conditioner of the type adapted to be mounted in the wall of a room or an enclosure and more particularly to an arrangement within such an air conditioner for disposing of condensate water collecting in the unit and for maintaining a minimum temperature drop across the barrier dividing the conditioner into separate compartments.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a room air conditioning unit having an improved arrangement for disposing of the Water which condenses out of the air flowing through the evaporator of the unit.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a condensate disposal arrangement for an air conditioner in which the condensate is evaporated from a large surface not associated with the condenser.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a condensate disposal arrangement for an air conditioner which also functions to reduce the heat losses which normally occur through the barrier that divides the air conditioning unit into two separate compartments.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the feature of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the specification.

In carrying out the objects of the present invention there is provided an air conditioning unit including a casing which is divided into two separate compartments by a barrier. One of the compartments is provided with an evaporator and the other compartment contains a condenser and means are provided for circulating separate streams of air through each of the compartments in thermal exchange with the evaporator and the condenser. A condensate sump is formed int he bottom of the condenser compartment and means are provided for collecting water condensed out of the air flowing over the evaporator and for delivering the water to the condensate sump. In order to promote the vaporization of the water collected in the condensate sump into the air stream flowing through the condenser compartment, a water absorbent material is provided which is attached to the barrier surface facing the condenser compartment and arranged to extend downwardly into the condensate sump. The water absorbent material absorbs the water and causes it to flow upwardly along the absorbent material so that the water is spread over a large surface and vaporized upon contact with the air stream being circulated through the condenser compartment. The heat taken up by the vaporization of the condensate water also maintains the barrier at a temperature below the temperature of the air stream circulating through the condenser compartment and reduces the heat losses through the barrier from the evaporator compartment.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is an elevation view of an air conditioner [having the condensate disposal arrangement of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown anair conditioning unit of the type arranged to be positioned within a wall of an enclosure and used to condition the air Within the enclosure. The unit comprises a casing 2 which is divided by a barrier 3 into an inner or'evaporator compartment 4, within which an indoor heat exchanger or evaporator 6 is mounted, and an outer or condenser compartment 7, containing an outdoor heat exchanger or condenser 8. Heat exchangers 6 and 8 are connected in refrigerant flow relationship with a compressor (not shown). The opposite sides of the casing most remote from the barrier 3 are provided with inlet and outlet openings through which air is circulated through the respective compartments.

When the conditioner is operating to cool the enclosure, air is drawn from within the room and circulated through the inner compartment where it is passed over the evaporator 6 to cool the air of the room. Moisture from the rom air circulated over the evaporator 6 condenses onto the coil surfaces of the heat exchanger and drains downwardly where it collects in a suitable drip tray 9 from which it is delivered, by means of an insulated conduit 11, to a condensate collection sump 12 formed in the bottom of the outer compartment 7 of the conditioner. Air moving means are provided for circulating separate streams of air in thermal exchange with the heat exchangers of each of the compartments. More specifically, mounted within the inner compartment 4 behind the evaporator 6, is an evaporator fan 13 which pulls air through the inlet opening 14' and thence through the evaporator 6, blowing the air inwardly against the barrier 3 whereupon it flows upwardly to be dischar ed back to the room through the outlet opening 16. Within the condenser compartment 7 there is provided a condenser fan 17 which pulls air inwardly through the inlet opening 18, blowing it inwardly toward the barrier 3 whereupon it flows upwardly and is then discharged to the outdoors through the outlet opening 19. It should be noted that the air streams flowing through the separate compartments 4 and 7 first flow through the evaporator and the condenser before being directed against the opposite sides of the barrier 3. Thus, the air stream flowing adjacent the barrier in the evaporator compartment 4 is relatively cold 'while the air stream flowing toward the barrier in the condenser compartment 7 is relatively warm. Because of the difference in temperatures between the air streams flowing on opposite sides of the barrier 3 substantial heat losses can occur through the barrier 3.

As will now be described, the invention deals with a means for disposing of condensate water accumulated in the condensate sump which arrangement also provides a means for reducing to a the heat losses through the barrier.

In the condenser compartment 7 there is provided an absorbent material which is attached to the surface of the barrier 3 facing the condenser compartment. This water absorbent'material may be a felt, cotton or any like material capable of absorbing water and covers substantially the entire surface of the barrier facing the condenser compartment. The lower end 22 of the material extends downwardly into the condensate sump 12, and'is at least partially immersed in the condensate Water, of the sump. During operation of the air conditioner, water in the condensate sump 12 is absorbed by the lower end 22 of the absorbent material and, due to capillary attraction, is caused to flow upwardly on the material to wet or dampen all or a substantial amount of the absorbent material on the surface of the barrier. The dampened or wet surface of the absorbent material 21 is relatively large in comparison to the surface of the sump 12 and promotes exceedingly rapid vaporization of the water thereon. This is due both to the increased evaporating surface area and to the fact that the absorbent material is advantageously positioned to increase the air to surface contact. In fact, in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the air stream from the fan 17 impinges directly upon the absorbent material 21 before being diverted in the upward direction and this greatly enhances the vaporization of the Water.

Not only does the utilization of the absorbent material increase the area of the vaporization surface but it also provides an insulating and cooling means for the surface of the barrier 3. As the condensate water is vaporized from the surface of the absorbent material, it cools the absorbent material which in turn cools the barrier surface below the temperature of the warm air stream flowing through the condenser compartment. This maintains the condenser side of the barrier 3 cooler than would ordinarily be the case if the absorbent material 21 were not present.

By means of applicants condensate disposal or vaporization arrangement a relatively large vaporization surface is provided which surface is not at all damaged by the dirt and salts which are canied in the condensate water and deposited on the surface during the vaporization of this water. The depositing of these salts and dirt on the absorbent material in no way impairs the operation of the air conditioner. Moreover, by utilization applicants vaporization arrangement, the heat losses which normally occur through the barrier, separating the evaporator side of the air conditioner from the condenser side, are greatly reduced.

While in accordance with the patent statutes there has been described what is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is therefore the aim of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A self-contained air conditioning unit comprising a casing, a barrier dividing said casing into an evaporator compartment and a condenser compartment, an evaporator in said evaporator compartment and a condenser in said condenser compartment, means for circulating separate streams of air through each of said compartments in thermal exchange with said evaporator and said condenser, a condensate sump in the bottom of said condenser compartment, means for collecting water condensed out of the air flowing over said evaporator and delivering said water to said condensate sump, water absorbent material attached to and covering substantially all of the barrier surface facing said condenser compartment, said water absorbent material extending into said condensate sump for absorbing condensate water in said sump and causing said water to flow upwardly along said absorbent material so that said water is evaporated by said air stream being circulated through said condenser compartment to dispose of said water and to maintain said barrier at a temperature below the temperature of said air stream circulated through said condenser com partment.

2. A self-contained air conditioning unit comprising a casing, a barrier dividing said casing into an evaporator i compartment and a condenser compartment, air inlet and outlet openings in each of said compartments, an evaporator in said evaporator compartment and a condenser in said condenser compartment, said evaporator being disposed across the inlet opening to said evaporator compartment, means for circulating a stream of air through said evaporator for cooling said air stream, said cooled air stream flowing through said evaporator compartment and cooling said barrier surface facing said evaporator compartment, means for circulating a stream of air through said condenser compartment in thermal exchange with said condenser, a condensate sump in the bottom of said condenser compartment, means for collecting Water condensed out of the air flowing over said evaporator and delivering said water to said condensate sump, water absorbent material attached to said barrier and covering substantially all of the surface thereof facing said condenser compartment, said water absorbent material extending into said condensate sump for absorbing condensate water in said sump and causing said water to flow upwardly along said absorbent material so that said water is vaporized by said air stream being circulated through said condenser compartment to dispose of said water and to cool the surface of said barrier facing said condenser compartment to a temperature below the temperature of said air being circulated through said condenser compartment.

3. A self-contained air conditioning unit comprising a casing, a barrier dividing said casing into a condenser compartment and an evaporator compartment, air inlet openings along the lower portion of said ends of said casing most remote from said barrier and air outlet openings along the upper portions of said ends of said casing most remote from said barrier, an evaporator positioned across said inlet opening in said evaporator compartment and a condenser disposed across said inlet opening in said condenser compartment, an evaporator fan disposed behind said evaporator for circulating an air stream through said evaporator and directing said air stream against said barrier whereupon said air stream is diverted upwardly through said evaporator compartment to be discharged out said outlet opening, a condenser fan disposed behind said condenser for circulating a stream of air through said condenser and directing said air stream toward said barrier whereupon said air stream is diverted upwardly through said condenser compartment to be discharged through said outlet opening, a condensate sump in the bottom of said condenser compartment, means for collecting water condensed out of the air stream flowing over said evaporator and delivering said water to said condensate sump, water absorbent material attached to said barrier and covering substantially all of the surface thereof facing said condenser compartment, said water absorbent material extending downwardly into said condensate sump for absorbing condensate water in said sump and causing said water to flow upwardly along said absorbent material so that said water is evaporated by said air stream being circulated through said condenser compartment to dispose of said water and to maintain said barrier surface facing said condenser compartment at a temperature below the temperature of said air stream circulating through said condenser compartment.

Kelly May 14, 1935 .lenmngs June 21, 1955