US2995906A

US2995906A - Compact cooling unit

Info

Publication number: US2995906A
Application number: US849263A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred P Brandimarte
Original assignee: ARA Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: ARA Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 1959-10-28
Filing date: 1959-10-28
Publication date: 1961-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1978-08-15

Description

Aug. 15, 1961 A. P. BRANDIMARTE 2,995,905

CQMPACT COOLING UNIT Filed on. 28, 1959 I ALFRED RBRANDIMARTE I INVENTOR.

K ,2 BY Why- A TTORNE Y t d States Patg t if Filed Oct. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 849,263

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-427) This invention relates to refrigeration evaporator coils and has reference to construction of cooling coil units for installation in recessed areas. The operation of cooling coils with associated air drivmg systems in recessed spaces often presents special problems in the attainment of both adequate air circulation and sufficient cooling. Where a cooling unit is to be installed beneath the dashboard of an automobile, for example, useful circulation may be restricted to three directions and the height of the available installation space may greatly limit the diameter of a fan positioned perpendicular to any direction of circulation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling coil construction for installation in a confined area and wherein a simple and economical arrangement of components may be used to provide eflicient circulation and cooling of air.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for cooling units wherein a single motor may be used to drive two fans or two combination wheels in SlIOCCO type wheel housings and produce a desirable air circulation pattern in an area to be cooled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit of the class described and wherein its air discharge pattern may be adjusted or modified to meet particular requirements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for a cooling unit adapted for installation in a dimensionally restricted space and wherein circulated air may be passed twice over a cooling surface in an internal flow pattern.

These and other objects willbecome apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: I

FIGURE 1 is a sectional plan view of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partially sectional front elevational view of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

In the drawings, a rectangular box like housing is ;hown with its height as its smallest dimension and with its width greater than its depth; hence, the upper and

lower walls

11 and 12 of the housing 10 constitute its largest bounding surfaces whereas the forward and rear walls 13 and '14 are smaller in area than the upper and lower walls, and the side walls and 16 are smaller vhan the forward and rear walls. The illustrated coniguration of the drawing 10 conforms generally to the :pace available for installation of a cooling unit in a .aterally disposed recess as beneath the dashboard of an automobile, and it is assumed for purposes of the present lescription that the upper, lower and

rear walls

11, 12 ind 14 are confined by the boundaries of an installation ;pace and are available as passageways for air circulaion. Within the housing 10 an electric motor 17, in- :luding oppositely projecting shafts 18 and 19, is mounted nedially between the side walls 15 and 16 and is spaced from the upper, lower, forward and

rear walls

11, 12, [3 and 14 with its shafts 18 and 19 projecting equidistanty toward the side walls 15 and 16.

Fans

20 and 21 are respectively secured to the projecting ends of the shafts l8 and 19 and blades of the two fans are oppositely pitched so that operation of the motor 17 will cause each fan to impel air inwardly toward the motor as indicated by arrows in FIGURE 1. v It will be noted that rearrangement of the

fans

20 and 21 may be utilized to effect a reversal of air flow from that described above and shown in FIGURE 1. If blower type impeller wheels in sirocco housings are used instead of fans, the air flow is only as indicated in FIGURE 1.

A U-shaped evaporator coil 22 is also mounted within the housing 10 and is there oriented with its central or closed portion inwardly adjacent the forward wall 13 of the housing 10 and with its opposite ends projecting rearwardly so as to be substantially parallel with the side walls 15 and 16. The evaporator coil 22 is shown in a conventional form of construction and has a plurality of horizontal evaporator tubes 23 passing through a plurality of vertically disposed heat exchange fins 24; U- joints 25 communicate the ends of adjacent evaporator tubes 24 to form a closed evaporator system between a suction manifold 26 and an intake manifold 27. The

suction manifold 26 projects laterally and exteriorly of.

the housing 10 where it is provided with a fitting 28 for connection with the low pressure side of a refrigerant pump (not shown). An expansion valve 29 is positioned within the housing 10 rearwardly of the motor 17 and communicates its low pressure side with the intake manifold 27 through a union 30. A liquid line 31 (FIG- URE 2) communicates with the high pressure side of the expansion valve 29 and projects exteriorly of the housing 10 where it is provided with a fitting 32 for connection with a condenser (not shown).

Lateral partitions

33 and 34 extend vertically between the upper and

lower walls

11 and 23 of the housing 10 and are positioned forwardly of the

respective fans

20 and 21 where they extend laterally from the inner sides of the evaporator coil 22 to the respective planes of rotation of the

fans

20 and 21. Lateral partition extensions 33a and 34a respectively extend, in alignment with the

lateral partitions

33 and 34, from the outer sides of the evaporator coil 22 to the side walls 15 and '16 of the housing 10. Shroud plates 35 and 36 integrally formed as continuations of the respective

lateral partitions

33 and 34 extend rearwa'fdly in the respective planes of rotation of the

fans

20 and 21.

Circular openings

37 and 38 are provided in the shroud plates to accommodate the

fans

20 and 21.

Cylindrical shrouds

39 and 40 may be mounted within the periphery of each

circular opening

37 and 38. Deflection partitions 41 and 42, constructed as continuations of the respective shroud plates 35 and 36, are formed arcuately, inwardly and forwardly from the rearward extremities of the

shrouds

39 and 40 to the central periphery of the motor 17' where the deflection partitions are joined by a vertical juncture plate 43. Deflection partitions 41a and 42a extend laterally and outwardly from the respective rearward extremities of the shroud plates 35 and 36 to the side walls 15 and 16 of the housing 10. A divider partition 44 extends from the center of the U-shaped evaporator coil 22 to the juncture plate 43 where it is provided with a flange 45 attached to the forward surface of the juncture plate. The rearward termination of the divider partition 44 and forward portions of the deflection partitions 41 and 42 and the juncture plate 43 are recessed to circumjacently accommodate the motor 17.

Intake ports

46 and 47 are formed in opposite side walls 15 and 16 of the housing 10 at positions therein in lateral alignment with the

fans

20 and 21. A rectangular air discharge grill 48 including stationary horizontal louvers 49 is formed in the forward wall 13 of the housing 10 and projects forwardly of the remainder of the forward wall. Within the rectangular air discharge grill 48 a plurality of circular openings 50, each defined by a peripheral lip 51, are arranged in coplanar relationship with one another and with the rectangular grill. A rotatable' circular grill 52" defined by a cylindrical bearing surface 53 is positioned within each circular opening 50; an annular flange 54, larger in diameter than the circular opening 59 is formed on the rearward edge of each cylindrical bearing surface and is positioned rearward of and adjacentthe peripheral lip 51 in'therectangular In oper'ation; thefans 20 and 2fareset in rotation by the -motor 1-7 "and the evaporator coil is cooled-byexpansion of an internal refrigerant-asiswell known in the art; One fan20 impelsair into"theh ousing 10*through corresponding intake port 46 and the air thus impelled is-drawn through an end portion of theU-shapedevapor'ato'r coil 22'. The lateral portion-33, shroud-plate 35', deflection partition 41 and divider partition 44 define'an internal compartmentforwardlybounded by a portion of'the evaporator coil 22'not' utilized asa cooling sur-- face in the originalintroduction of air into the=housing 10; Air which haspassedthrough the shroud 39'is forwardlydefiected by the deflection partition-4landpassed over adifierent part-of the evaporator coil 22 before being expelled from the housing '10 through the'discharge' grill 48: In like manner, the other fan 21 impels air through an intake port 47, through an end portion of the evaporator coil'22 and then overa central portion of the evaporator coil'before expelling cooled air-through thedischargegrill 48. Thus, the respective fans'20 and 21, driven by a single'motor 17, draw' air through intake pforts and 47' in opposite'sides of the housing 10 and each expels air forwardly through the dischar'gcgrill after it has been twice exposed to'coolingsurfaces: In passing' through the housing '10 air is subjected to a' single 90 change in direction of flow regardless of which'intake port it enters; deflection partitions"41' and 4 2: minimize turbulence'in this'flow pattern.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown anddescribed; but maybe made in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

' What isclaimed is:

ll A cooling unit comprising: a box-like housing including a forward wall and side- Walls; air intake ports in said side walls ofsaid housing,- an exhaust port substantially coextensive with saidfront wall of said housing, a U-shaped evaporator coil positioned within said housing and having its end portions adjacent said air intake ports in said side walls and having a central portion adjacent saidexhaust port in said front wall, a motor positioned within said housing and including shafts projecting oppositely therefrom toward said side walls, fans pitched oppositely with respect to one another and respectively attached to said shafts, partitions respectively extending 'fro'm a position on said ll-shaped evaporator coilforward of each fan to theplane of rotation of each fan and thence rcarwardly in the plane of rotation of each fan beyond the rearwardextent' of each fan and thence arcuately inwardly and forwardly to the central periphery of said motor, openings in said partitions to accommodate said fans, shrouds within'said openings insaid partitions, and a' central partition extending forwardly from the central periphery'ofsaid motor'to said central portion of said evaporator coil.

2. A cooling" unit comprising: a housing including a front'walland sidewalls; intake ports in said sidewalls, an exhaust port insaidfrontwall, a cooling element positioned within said housing and' having ends' thereof positioned adjacent" saidintake ports in said' side walls froirn said shrouds to said central portion of said cooling element said meanscomprising arcuate vertical partitionsrespectively extending from therearward extremities of' said shrouds inwardly and forwardly to the central cir-' cumferen'ceof'said motor, and a central partition extending forwardly from the'central periphery of said motor to said central portionof said cooling element;

References Citedin the file'of this" patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,778,732 Seelert- Oct. 21, 1930 2,360,386 Young Oct. 17, 1944 2,486,828 i a n r 1949 2,610,484 Lange a.'.-.. Sept.' 16, 1952