US3831321A

US3831321A - Air conditioner covers

Info

Publication number: US3831321A
Application number: US00338077A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Johnson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-03-05
Filing date: 1973-03-05
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27

Abstract

A novel and practical means of providing air conditioner units with a protective cover device, is disclosed herein. The air conditioner covers, which can be furnished in a wide variety of sizes to accomodate units of varying dimensions, are easily and quickly installed, and serve to provide the respective unit with a weather-tight protective cover, during winter months or when the unit is out of service for extended periods.

Description

United States Patent [191 Johnson 5] Aug. 27, 1974 AIR CONDITIONER COVERS 3,388,520 6/1968 Perry .I 49/465 x [76] Inventor: Tage George Johnson, 2442 Meadowbrook Dr., Denver, Colo. Emminer'l Karl Ben [22] Filed: Mar. 5, 1973 Appl. N0.: 338,077

[52] U.S. Cl. 49/465 [51] Int. Cl E06b 3/32 [58] Field of Search 49/463-466, 49/50, 57; 160/368 R, 368 S, 369; 62/265, 262, DlG. 3; 52/511, 507, 202; 98/82, 114

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,276.512 lO/l966 Gallagher 160/368 R ABSTRACT A novel and practical means of providing air conditioner units with a protective cover device, is disclosed herein.

The air conditioner covers, which can be furnished in a wide variety of sizes to accomodate units of varying dimensions, are easily and quickly installed, and serve to provide the respective unit with a weather-tight protective cover, during winter months or when the unit is out of service for extended periods.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures AIR CONDITlONER COVERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In view of the fact that there is no protective cover of this type which is currently available to the public, the need for such a device, of a type which can be conveniently installed and removed, can be readily appre-' ciated, as air conditioners of all types can be made to give extended service by the expedient of adequate protection of the interior components such as motors, condensers, evaporator pads, etc., especially from dust, moisture and severe weather situations.

OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The primary object of the present invention is to provide the means of effectively sealing the apertures or air intake louvers on all types of air conditioning units, including large industrial types, the roof-mounted (refrigeration or evaporative types), and the ordinary window-mounted units intended for home use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional drawing showing the application of the covers on a typical air conditioner unit;

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional detail view of a comer of the cover unit; and

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional detail view showing the assembly procedure of the fastening strap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to the drawing; as is illustrated in FIG. 1, each cover assembly may be obtained in a quantity and in a variety of sizes to fulfill varying situations, and is composed of the following:

The backing board (reference numeral 2) may be formed from a composition or plastic material, and should be of a thickness sufficient to prevent buckling or warping, or otherwise adversely affected by weather conditions.

As is shown in FIG. 2, a layer of soft, resilient material such as foam rubber (reference numeral 4), is bonded to the inner surface of the backing board, and by the nature of the material (conforming its shape to irregular surfaces such as louvers) serves to effectively seal out air, dust and moisture.

F IG. 3 illustrates the fastening device (reference numeral 6), which consists of a length of rubber strap (reference numeral 8) which is affixed to the outer face of the backing board 2 by a metal guard (reference numeral 10) which is secured with the rubber strap 8 to the backing board by a small screw 12.

Attached to'the opposite end of the rubber strap 8 is a small permanent type magnet (reference numeral 14) by which the cover is secured in place to the outer metallic surfaces of the air conditioner housing.

What is claimed for the present invention is:

l. A cover assembly intended for attachment to the outside of an air conditioner housing having ventilating louvres therein with the cover adapted to effectively seal such louvres to seal out air, dust, moisture and the like from penetrating into the mechanism of the air 2 conditioner through the housing during periods of nonuse of the air conditioner, the cover being conveniently installed and removed from the air conditioner housing, the cover comprising:

a substantially flat rectangularly shaped rigid backing board, said board having a face surface, a back surface, and peripheral side and end edges;

a layer of substantially flat relatively soft resilient material having a face surface and a back surface, said material affixed to said backing board with said material back surface in juxtaposition with said backing board face surface;

means securing said resilient material to said backing board; and

a plurality of flexible fastening means adapted for detachably attaching said backing board to said air conditioner housing with said resilient material in conforming engagement with said ventilating louvres in a manner to completely block and seal the same, at least one of said fastening members affixed to said backing board adjacent each side edge and end edge thereof, each of said fastening members projecting outwardly from said backing board in a manner to project outwardly over said associated end edge and associated side edge thereof, and each of said fastening members having affixed to the free end thereof a permanent magnet adapted to magnetically grip the housing of said air conditioner to retain said backing board and resilient material in a desired position thereon.

2. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient material is of a flat rectangular configuration having side edges and end edges, said side edges being spaced inwardly of adjacent side edges of said backing board with said end edgesbeing spaced inwardly from adjacent end edges of said backing board.

3. The cover as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fastening member comprises an elongated flexible strap member having an aperture extending through one end thereof and having said permanent magnet affixed to said opposite end thereof, a metal guard member conformed to fit over said apertured end of said strap member and having side walls adapted to overlie the side edges and top edges of said apertured end in a manner to engage and rest on said backing board back surface, an aperture extending through said metal guard member and adapted to be in axial alignment with said aperture of said strap member when said guard member overlies said strap member, and a screw adapted to pass through said aligned apertures and be threadedly received in said backing board through said back surface thereof to retain said guard member and said end of said strap member affixed to said backing board top surface whereby said fastening means may be readily repaired and replaced in the event of wear, breakage, and the like as a result of deterioration from the weather, mishandling, vandalism, and the like.

4. The cover as set forth in claim 3 wherein said resilient material is of a substantially uniform thickness throughout, and wherein said rigid backing board is of a substantially uniform thickness throughout.

Claims

1. A cover assembly intended for attachment to the outside of an air conditioner housing having ventilating louvres therein with the cover adapted to effectively seal such louvres to seal out air, dust, moisture and the like from penetrating into the mechanism of the air conditioner through the housing during periods of nonuse of the air conditioner, the cover being conveniently installed and removed from the air conditioner housing, the cover comprising: A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RECTANGULARLY SHAPED RIGID BACKING BOARD, SAID BOARD HAVING A FACE SURFACE, A BACK SURFACE, AND PERIPHERAL SIDE AND END EDGES; A LAYER OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RELATIVELY SOFT RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING A FACE SURFACE AND A BACK SURFACE, SAID MATERIAL AFFIXED TO SAID BACKING BOARD WITH SAID MATERIAL BACK SURFACE IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH SAID BACKING BOARD FACE SURFACE; MEANS SECURING SAID RESILIENT MATERIAL TO SAID BACKING BOARD; AND A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE FASTENING MEANS ADAPTED FOR DETACHABLY ATTACHING SAID BACKING BOARD TO SAID AIR CONDITIONER HOUSING WITH SAID RESILIENT MATERIAL IN CONFORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VENTILATING LOUVRES IN A MANNER TO COMPLETELY BLOCK AND SEAL THE SAME, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FASTENING MEMBERS AFFIXED TO SAID BACKING BOARD ADJACENT EACH SIDE EDGE AND END EDGE THEREOF, EACH OF SAID FASTENING MEMBERS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BACKING BOARD IN A MANNER TO PROJECT OUTWARDLY OVER SAID ASSOCIATED END EDGE AND ASSOCIATED SIDE EDGE THEREOF, AND EACH OF SAID FASTENING MEMBERS HAVING AFFIXED TO THE FREE END THEREOF A PERMANENT MAGNET ADAPTED TO MAGNETICALLY GRIP THE HOUSING OF SAID AIR CONDITIONER TO RETAIN SAID BACKING BOARD AND RESILIENT MATERIAL IN A DESIRED POSITION THEREON.

2. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient material is of a flat rectangular configuration having side edges and end edges, said side edges being spaced inwardly of adjacent side edges of said backing board with said end edges being spaced inwardly from adjacent end edges of said backing board.