US3519069A

US3519069A - Heat exchanging apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3519069A
Application number: US733859A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lee Robert Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-06-03
Filing date: 1968-06-03
Publication date: 1970-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-07

Description

.uy 7, E70 L* R. GREEN 3,519,069

HEAT EXCIAIIGING APPARATUS Filed June 3, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

July 7, 1970 L.; R. GREEN HEAT EXCHANGING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1968 32? Juy 7, 1970 L. R. GREEN HEAT EXCHANGING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 3. 1968 INVENTOR. BY ee /Fa/f/ free/7 United States Patent O 3,519,069 HEAT EXCHANGING APPARATUS Lee Robert Green, 211 Wayne Ave., Indialantic, Fla. 32901 Filed June 3, 1968, Ser. No. 733,859 Int. Cl. FZSd 23/12 U.S. Cl. 16S 122 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application contains a technical disclosure of a heat exchanging apparatus in the nature of air conditioning equipment whereby air of interior spaces may be heated or cooled by passing such air through either of two compartments thereof containing heating or cooling heat exchangers. The apparatus is provided at opposite ends with movable closures for the compartments which are so positioned that, at each end, when one compartment is open the other compartment is closed. These closures are also interconnected such that when the opening of each compartment is closed at one end, that compartment is open at the other end. Interior air is drawn into either of the compartments, heated or cooled therein, and returned to the interior space, while outside or atmospheric air is similarly drawn into the other compartment where it removes or adds heat from or to the heat exchanger in that compartment. Air circulation means in the form of fans are provided, with squirrel cage type fans having ducts leading to each opening for each compartment shown as a preferred embodiment. The use of movable and removable closures, such as slidable panels or equivalents, permits ready access to the interior components of the apparatus for repair and maintenance, while the identical nature of the apparatus at opposite ends further simplies structure, installation and servicing. Humidity content control and automatic controls for the compartment closures, as well as a mode of operating wherein interior air is exchanged for atmospheric air, are contained in the technical disclosure. The equipment is adaptable to manufacture for large scale (roof type) installations, window type air conditioning, and smaller automobile type air conditioners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improved heat exchanging apparatus and particularly to such apparatus utilized in air conditioning systems. More particularly this invention relates to apparatus which may be utilized for both heating and cooling air spaces of various sizes and which may be utilized in the form of small equipment such as automobile and window-type room air conditioners as well as in larger air conditioning systems such as are required for heating and cooling homes, stores, warehouses and factories.

While various types of heat exchanging apparatus are known for accomplishing this type of summer and winter air conditioning, many of such devices require complex equipment, are diflicult to install, maintain and repair, are relatively ineffective and inefficient in their operation, and frequently fail to operate in either the heating or cooling function if operating satisfactorily in the opposite function. In particular, the arrangement, complexity and large numbers of component parts in devices known in this field of heat exchanging apparatus makes difficult the servicing so frequently required by such devices. Even more particularly, the complex closure components and controls therefore in such devices cause frequent trouble, interrupting operation at critical times, and require extensive and ditlicult repair and maintenance.

ICC

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention described herein is directed to the solution of problems encountered in prior art devices by the provision of heat exchanging apparatus having its components arranged not only for more eicient operation but also simplified for ease in installation, operation, maintenance and repair.

It is an object of this invention to provide a heat exchanging apparatus which may be utilized to both heat and cool air spaces of various sizes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide air conditioning apparatus for such purposes having novel simplified closure means and controls therefor to permit such apparatus to be easily shifted in its function from a heating system to a cooling system.

Further objects of this invention include the provision of air conditioning apparatus whereby interior air spaces may be directly connected with the outside atmosphere to permit various modes of operation of heating, cooling and direct ventilation as may be desired.

Still another object of this invention is to provide apparatus whereby the moisture content of air which is conditioned thereby may be controlled as may be desired in any of the modes of operation.

Further objects of this invention will be apparent from the description of the invention which follows and by reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a preferred form of the lnvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the lines 2 2 of FIG. l, with additional parts broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the lines 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the lines 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of certain of the interior components of a preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the lines 6 6 0f FIG. l;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the construction of the retaining members at the open ends of the preferred form of the invention shown in the drawings;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention illustrating the manner in which the invention may be utilized to achieve ventilation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Reference is rst made to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical parts appearing in the various figures of the drawings.

The preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings includes the heat exchanging apparatus 10 having a casing 16 with oppositely positioned

open ends

40 and 42. Secured to these open ends of the casing 16 are retaining members 12 and 1S which are structurally identical, each having an integrally formed track space 13 and secured to the casing 16 by a plurality of screws 14. The casing 16 houses a compartmentalized structure 18 and a fan unit 20. The compartmentalized structure 18 is composed of

dual compartments

19 and 21, the openings of which at each end correspond with the

open ends

40 and 42 of the casing 16. Each compartment contains means for circulating air therethrough, such as fans. The fan unit 20 is comprised of a fan motor 26,

fans

28 and 30, each associated with

compartments

19 and 21 and each being mounted on a common drive shaft 27. Positioned at the ends of suitable sheet metal ducts (as shown most clearly in FIG. 5) are openings 29 at each end for fan 28 and openings 31 at each end for fan 30, these opening similarly corresponding with the

open ends

40 and 42 of the casing 16. The compartmentalized structure 18 is attached by any suitable means (not shown) to a base plate 22. Structure 18 includes a vertically standing center reinforcing rib 24 and an end Wall 25 for supporting the fan unit 20.

Centrally positioned in each of the

compartments

19 and 21 of the compartmentalized structure 18 are

heat exchanging units

32 and 34, these being disposed below and cooperating with, respectively, the fan unit 28 and the fan unit 30. In the preferred embodiment herein described, one of these heat exchanging units 32 consists of a condenser unit for heating the air circulated in one compartment, 19, by the fan unit, while the other heat exchanging unit 34 consists of an evaporator for cooling the air circulated through the other compartment 21. In the embodiment herein described, the

heat exchanging units

32 and 34 are interconnected through a compressor 60, this compressor being located within the compressor housing 62, shown as formed by the side Wall 64 and the back wall 66 which form a part of the compartmentalized structure 18.

At each of the oppositely positioned open ends of the casing 16, closure means are provided, these being indicated by 36 and 38 in the preferred embodiment of this invention illustrate-d by FIGS. l through 8. The closure means of FIGS. 1 through 8 consist of

panels

36 and 38 slidably mounted in the

retainer members

12 and 15 respectively in the track portion 13 as shown associated with retainer member 12 in FIG. 7.

Slidable panels

36 and 38 are constructed of size approximately equal to that of the openings of the

compartments

19 and 21 at each end of the casing 16 and are positioned such that they may be slidably moved to alternatively close the openings of each of said compartments at each end of the casing.

The closure means, i.e. the

slidable panels

36 and 38 of FIGS. 1 through 8, are interconnected such that closing therewith the opening of either

compartment

19 or 21 at one end of said casing 16 closes the opening of the other compartment at the opposite end of said casing. While various types of interconnecting means may be utilized for this purpose there is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 8, a continuous cable 54 which is threaded through a plurality of guide pulleys 56, supported by brackets 58 and attached by any suitable means such as clamping to the door pulls 59. A motor 50 having a drive pulley 52 may be used to drive continuous cable 54. When a motor 50 is utilized to drive the cable 54 connecting with the

panels

36 and 38, the motor can be switch actuated and can be further controlled by stop switches (not shown) attached to the slidable panels so that temperature control is effected of the space to be conditioned.

The heat exchanging apparatus herein described functions both as a heating system and as a cooling system and as a temperature control for conditioning air spaces, either for small rooms or for stores and warehouses of large areas, in the manner now to be described.

Referring again to the drawings, in which a relatively small air conditioning unit has been disclosed and described in detail only for the purpose of illustrating the principle of this invention, FIG. 3 thereof depicts such a unit mounted in a wall, although it is to be understood that such a unit or larger versions of such a unit might be mounted in a number of different Ways varying from the conventional window mounting to a roof type installation having ducts leading to the spaces to be heated and cooled.

The unit shown in the drawings may be installed with either of its

open ends

40 or 42 of casing 16 facing or connected with the spaces to be air conditioned, although for purposes of decribing herein below the manner in which this unit functions, the unitis described as having the open end 40 facing the spaces to be air conditioned.

In FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, and as seen most clearly in FIG. l, the slidable panel 36 is shown positioned to the left within the open end 40 of the heat exchanging apparatus. In this position the opening of compartment 21, corresponding with the open end 40 of casing 16, faces the space to be air conditioned. As has been described above, and as may be best seen in FIG. 3, when the slidable panel 36 is so positioned, the slidable panel 38 at open end 42 of the casing 16 is positioned such that the opening of compartment 21 corresponding with the open end 42 of casing 16 is closed.

When the fan motor 26 is activated the air circulating means, shown as a squirrel cage type fan 30 having ducts 31 connected to the openings of compartment 21 at one end, draws air into compartment 21, through the open end 40, through the heat exchanging unit 34 and through the end of the squirrel cage fan. Fan 30 then forces the air through the metal duct which forms the fan outlet 31, back into the space from which the air was drawn. This air flow is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 by arrows indicating air currents.

Because slidable panel 38 closes the opening of compartment 21 at the opposite end thereof, there is no flow of outside or atmospheric air into compartment 21 or from that compartment through the metal duct 31 connected with that opening of the compartment at the open end 42 of the casing 16.

`Concurrently with the above described operation, since slidable panel 36 is positioned such that the opening of compartment 19 (corresponding with the open end 48 of casing 16) is closed, and since slidable panel 38 closes the opening of compartment 21 at the opposite end of the heat exchanging apparatus, the opening of compartment 19 at this end is not closed. Accordingly outside or atmospheric air is drawn into compartment 19 by the action of the air circulating means, fan 28 driven by fan motor 26, this air being drawn through the heat exchanging unit 32, into the center of the squirrel cage type fan 28 from where it is then forced through the metal duct 29 back into the outside atmosphere. This flow of air through compartment 19 is shown by the arrows indicating air currents, best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.

There has thus been described the manner in which air from the spaces to be air conditioned has been passed through com-partment 21 in which it is passed through the heat exchanger 34, While concurrently outside atmospheric air has been drawn through compartment 19 in which it passes through heat exchanger 32 before being ejected back into the outside atmosphere. As has been described above, heat exchanger 34 in the embodiment described, consists of an evaporator unit for cooling the air circulated through compartment 21, while heat exchanger unit 32 is a condenser unit for heating the air circulated through compartment 19, the condenser unit and the evaporator unit being interconnected by the compressor 60. It will thus be seen that, with the closure means 36 and 38 positioned as shown in the drawings, room air will be cooled by the heat exchanging apparatus herein described while outside or atmospheric air will be used to cool the condenser unit in compartment 19.

When it is desired to use the heat exchanging apparatus herein described as a heating unit for the air of interior spaces such as rooms, stores, or warehouses, the closure means 36 is slidably moved to close the opening of compartment 21 connecting with the spaces to be air conditioned thereby opening compartment 19 to such spaces. Interconnecting means between the slidable panel 36 and the slidable panel 38, shown in the drawings as a continuous cable 54 connecting with the door pulls 59 on each of the slidable panels, cause slidable panel 38 at the opposite end of casing 16 to be slidably moved so that it is positioned to close the opning of compartment 19 at that end and to open the opening of compartment 21 to the atmosphere at that end. Thereafter, by activation of the fan motor 26, fan 28 draws room air through compartment 19 and through the heat exchanging unit 32 into the center of the fan 28 from where it is forced through metal duct 29 back into the room space from which it Was drawn. Since heat exchanger 32 is a condenser unit for heating the air circulated through compartment 19 there is thus effected a heating of the room air in accordance with the teachings of this invention. The closure means 38 in this mode of operation has served to prevent the entrance of atmospheric air into compartment 19 by the action of fan 28 and has served to block the flow of the heated air through metal duct 29 into the atmosphere.

Concurrently with the heating of room air in this mode of operation, atmospheric air is drawn in through compartment 21 through the opening of this compartment corresponding with the open end 42 of casing 16, fan 30 drawing this atmospheric air through heat exchanger unit 34 and forcing it through metal duct 31 back into the atmosphere. Since heat exchanger unit 34 in compartment 21 is an evaporator unit for cooling the air circulated through this compartment, cooling of the atmospheric air results, and the evaporator unit thus performs its normal function, as is conventional with air conditioners.

Thus, the heat exchanging apparatus herein described may be used for either cooling or heating the air contained Within spaces such as rooms and stores and warehouses, the modes of operation being shifted from heating to cooling or vice-versa merely by shifting the closure means at one or the other end of the apparatus such that the openings of the dual compartments are alternatively closed in such a manner that when the opening of either compartment at one end closes, the opening of the other compartment at the opposite end opens.

While the method of operation of the heat exchanging apparatus herein described has in general referred to the closure means as slidable panels 36 and 3S, these being depicted in FIGS. l through 8, other means for opening and closing the openings of

compartments

19 and 21 may be utilized and fall within the teachings of this disclosure. Still other forms of closure means, not shown, may be utilized such as, for example, panels, hinged or pivoted at the center of or at the sides of each of the openings in the casing, these being interconnected in various ways to similarly accomplish the results described in the illustrated embodiments.

The heat exchanging apparatus herein described may be effectively used to exchange room air with atmospheric air by positioning the closure means at opposite ends of the casing 16 such that both

compartments

19 and 21 are connected with both the interior spaces and the outside atmosphere. As shown more particularly in FIG. 8, the closure means, slidable panel 36, is centrally positioned within the opening 40 for this purpose. When slidable panel 36 is so positioned, the means interconnecting slidable panel 36 with slidable panel 38, i.e. the continuous cable 54, causes slidable panel 38 to be similarly centrally positioned in opening 42, whereby the openings at opposite ends of each of the compartments are partially opened. Activation of the fan motor 26 results in the exchange of room air for atmospheric air through both compartments. In such cases the

heat exchanging means

32 and 34 including the compressor 60, are inactivated by switch means (not shown).

Similarly, when other types of closure means are used, room air and atmospheric air may be interchanged, the closure means being positioned such that the openings of both

compartments

19 and 21 are partially opened to both room spaces and the outside atmosphere.

Reference has been made to the manner of which closing the opening of either compartment at one end of the casing closes the opening of the other compartment at the opposite end of the casing, specific mention being made of the use of a continuous cable 54 to connect the

slidable panels

36 and 38. As previously indicated, electrical means such as the motor 50 may be used to drive the continuous cable 54 as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, or to rotate the shaft 718 (not shown). Such a motor can be switch actuated and may be further controlled by stop switches attached to the closure means for positioning these means properly over the compartment openings as may be desired.

Reference has been made to the mounting plate 22 for the compartmentalized structure 18 as shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 5. This mounting plate may be constructed in the nature of a drip pan which is effective in retaining moisture extracted from the atmosphere passing through the compartments in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. Moisture so collected may thus be introduced into dryer air flowing into the cornpartments and thus provide a degree of humidication often found desirable in air conditioning processes.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the heat exchanging apparatus herein described will be found to be particularly advantageous in View of its simple construction. A particular advantage of the heat exchanging apparatus herein described is its ease of maintenance and repair, resulting from the fact that the closure means may be easily removed at both ends of the casing thus giving ready access to the mechanical structures contained within the casing such as the fan motor 26, the

fans

28 and 30, the

heat exchanging units

32 and 34 and the compressor '60. Additionally the apparatus herein described may of course be installed with either the open ends 40 and 42 facing the atmosphere, the unit being identically constructed at opposite ends, and there is thus provied additional advantages in connection with the installation of such a unit, particularly where conned areas are encountered for such installations.

Additionally, heat exchanging apparatus of the type herein described, is readily adaptable to large installations where ducting is utilized to convey the conditioned air, whether heated or cooled, to the interior areas. Further the apparatus herein described may be constructed in very large sizes, eg. for roof mountings, or in miniature sizes, e.g., for automobile air conditions.

While squirrel cage type fans have been shown in the embodiment described and illustrated herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various types of fans and fan structures may be utilized without departing from the teachings of this invention disclosed herein. Similarly various types of heat exchangers other than those described herein may be utilized in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. Various interconnecting means for operating the compartment closures may, of course, be utilized, such as levers, parallelogram devices etc. Thermostatic controls may also be utilized for the closures, all within the teachings of this disclosure. It will thus be seen that, while only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications that fall within a true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An air conditioning apparatus of the type for conditioning the air in a given area, said air conditioning apparatus comprising: a casing having oppositely positioned open ends; means for dividing said casing into two sections to dene dual compartments in said casing each having openings corresponding to the open ends of said casing; means in said compartments for circulating air to and from said compartments; nonreverse cycle heat exchange means mounted in said casing in communicating relation to said compartments; a compressor interconnected to said heat exchange means; a closure assembly mounted adjacent the open ends of said casing in such a manner as to close either of said openings of each com- 7 partment, said closure assembly including temperature control means comprising closure elements arranged on said casing in such a manner as to he operative independent of said nonreverse cycle heat exchange means to selectively regulate the temperature in the given area to be conditioned.

2. An air conditioning apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said temperature control means includes interconnecting means attached to said closure assembly in such a man-V ner as to enable the simultaneous closing of one opening of each of said dual compartments arranged in correspondingly opposite relation to each other; whereby operation of said closure assembly can selectively regulate the temperature with the given area independent of a change in cycle of said heat exchange means.

3. An air conditioning apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said nonreverse cycle heat exchange means includes a condenser unit for heating air circulated through a first of said dual compartments and an evaporator unit for cooling air circulating through a second of said dual compartments; said closure assembly mounted on said casing in cooperation with said interconnecting means such that operation of said interconnecting means serves to regulate the temperature within said given area by positioning said closure assembly so as to direct air fiow from one of said dual compartments to said given area.

4. An air conditioning apparatus as in claim 3 where said condenser unit and said evaporator unit are mounted relative to said first and second compartments such that air flow associated with said condenser unit and evaporator unit is restricted to flow through said first and second compartments respectively.

5. An air conditioning apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said closure assembly is arranged adjacent to said dual compartment openings such that operation of said interconnecting means to expose the air flow of one of said compartments to said area serves to direct the air ow of the other of said compartments to the exterior of saidl given area; whereby the temperature of said area is dependent upon exposure to one of said compartments and exclusive from the other, independent of a change in cycle of said nonreverse cycle heat exchange means.

6. An air conditioning apparatus of the type for conditioning the air within the given area, said air conditioning apparatus comprising: a casing having oppositely positioned open ends; a nonreverse cycle heat exchange means connected to said casing; means for dividing said casing into two sections to deline dual compartments in 8 said casing each having openings corresponding with the open ends of said casing; an air circulating assembly mounted in communicating relation with each of said compartments, said air circulating assembly comprising duct means communicating with each of said compartments; said duct means including oppositely arranged openings positioned in corresponding relation adjacent to the open ends of said casing; fan means arranged relative to said duct means such that air may be directed through any of the oppositely arranged openings of said duct means; a closure assembly comprising closure elements mounted adjacent said open ends of said casing, means to effect movement of said Closure elements in such a manner as to enable simultaneous closure of one opening of each of said dual compartments arranged in correspondingly opposite relation to one another; where.

by positioning of said closure elements determines the direction of air ow in the duct means.

7. An air conditioning apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said duct means comprises an individual duct mounted in cooperation with each of said dual compartments, each of said ducts having oppositely arranged openings positioned adjacent to corresponding open ends of said casing, said fan means mounted on said casing relative to each of said ducts so as to direct air flow out of any oppositely arranged openings of each of said ducts.

8. An air conditioning apparatus as in claim 7 where said fan means comprises an individual fan mounted on each of said ducts intermediate the opposite openings thereof such that air How may be directed out to either of said duct openings depending on the position of said closure means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 121,942 12/1871 Hayden 98-41 X 2,401,560 6/1946 Graham et al 62-262 X 2,899,802 8/ 1959 McMillan 62-262 X 2,941,381 6/1960 Eberhart 62-262 X 2,899,984 6/1961 Argentieri et al. 251-294 X 3,084,522 4/1963 Hames et al. 62-262 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner T. W. STREULE, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.