WO2008077210A1

WO2008077210A1 - Window air conditioning unit with cam design to prevent air leakage

Info

Publication number: WO2008077210A1
Application number: PCT/BR2006/000293
Authority: WO
Inventors: Regis Silva; Rafael Schabbach; Carlos Afonso Tesche
Original assignee: Springer Carrier Ltda
Priority date: 2006-12-22
Filing date: 2006-12-22
Publication date: 2008-07-03
Also published as: CN101606025B; CN101606025A; BRPI0622212A2

Abstract

A window air conditioning unit is provided with a cam, or a member for causing adjustment of the position of a louver in the discharge conduit. This cam sits on a housing. A bead is formed on one of a surface of the base portion of the cam and of the housing, with the bead extending upwardly into a groove in the other of the base portion of the cam and of the housing. This structure limits the leakage flow of air between the cam and the housing.

Description

WINDOW AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WITH CAME DESIGN TO PREVENT AIR LEAKAGE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application relates to a sealing structure on a came. A came is the device which actuates a louver in a window air conditioning unit. The came is provided with a relatively fluid tight seal relative to an underlying control housing.

Air conditioning units typically include a compressor compressing refrigerant and delivering it downstream to a condenser. The condenser is an outdoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant is cooled at the condenser. From the condenser the refrigerant passes through an expansion device, and then to an evaporator. The evaporator is an indoor heat exchanger. From the evaporator the refrigerant returns to the compressor.

It is known to provide a window air conditioning unit, wherein the above components are mounted within a single housing. This housing can be mounted in a window of a building. Controls are provided for controlling the amount of conditioned air which is delivered into the environment to be conditioned, as well as the temperature of the environment to be conditioned.

One typical control controls the position of vertical louvers which are mounted within an outlet nozzle. By changing the position of the vertical louvers, the direction of air being delivered into an environment to be conditioned can be controlled as desired. The movement of the louver is controlled by a structure which is rotated, and which includes an eccentric pin. This structure is known as a came. The came and its eccentric pin change the orientation of the vertical louver as the came is rotated.

The came is typically positioned in a discharge conduit. The air passing through the conduit is relatively cool. In the past, a surface between the came and its underlying housing has been subject to the cool air leaking into gaps, and into an internal motor housing. This is undesirable, as the cool air will lower the temperature of these housings, and cause condensation from hotter air which comes in contact with the cooled surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the disclosed embodiment of this invention, a seal is provided between an under surface of the came and an outer surface of the housing for the motor driving the came. A bead is formed on one of the two surfaces and extends into a groove in the other.

In the disclosed embodiment, the groove is formed on an under surface of the came, and the bead is formed on the housing.

The present invention provides a relatively fluid tight seal, and limits the flow of leakage air along an interface between the came and the housing, to prevent cool air from leaking into the motor housing.

These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a view of a window air conditioning unit.

Figure 2 shows the detail of the louver structure and its drive.

Figure 3 A shows a first side of a came and housing.

Figure 3B shows an opposed view of the came and housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A window air conditioning unit 20 is illustrated in Figure 1 having a compressor 22 compressing a refrigerant and delivering it downstream to a condenser 24. A fan 26 blows air over the condenser 24. A motor 28 drives the fan 26. The motor 28 also drives a blower 30. The blower 30 pulls air through a grill 34 over an evaporator 32. Refrigerant moving from the condenser 24 passes through an expansion device (not shown), and then to the evaporator 32. A first portion 38 of the grill 34 allows the air to pass over the evaporator 32.

After the air has passed over the evaporator 32 it is cooled and has been dehumidified. Once the air reaches the blower 30 it is driven into a discharge channel 100, and then through an outlet nozzle 42, and through a portion 36 of the front grill 34. Louvers 44 are positioned within the outlet nozzle 42. While the invention is disclosed as an air conditioning unit, it should be understood that the present invention would also extend to a heat pump. For purposes of this application, the term "air conditioning unit" should be interpreted to extend to heat pumps, which can operate in an air conditioning mode, or in a heating mode. Further, fluid connections are generally not shown in this figure, however, a worker or ordinary skill in the art would recognize how to fluidly connect the various components for delivering refrigerant through the air conditioning unit 20.

As shown in Figure 2, a motor 58, shown schematically, has a rotary shaft 60 which drives a came 62. Rotation of the came 62 causes eccentric movement of its eccentric pin 64. As eccentric pin 64 moves it changes the orientation of the louver 44, which pivots on a pivot point 70. Of course, the came 62 is positioned in the path of cool air in the discharge nozzle 42. Thus, cool air may leak through any gaps between the came 62 and the housing 66. As known, the came causes adjustment of the louver by turning the portion 166 of the louver assembly 44. This portion of the present invention is as known in the art. User inputs 59 and others not shown, allow a user to select various features, including the louver position. The motor 58 then drives the came.

As shown, the underlying housing 66 is provided with a bead 68 extending upwardly into a groove 170 in an under surface of a planar ring 172 on the came. This groove 170 can be best seen in Figure 3 A.

The bead 68 is best shown in Figure 3B. Now, when the came sits with bead 68 extending into groove 170, the flow of leakage air between the housing 66 and the came 62 is limited. Thus, less cool air will reach the motor housing 60, and condensation will be greatly limited when compared to the prior art.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.

Claims

1. A window air conditioning unit comprising: a compressor, said compressor for delivering refrigerant to a condenser, said condenser delivering refrigerant to an evaporator; an air moving device for moving air over said evaporator and into a discharge conduit; and a louver positioned to control the flow of air through said discharge conduit, a position of said louver being changed, a control being provided for allowing a user to control the position of the louver, said louver having an actuation member caused to move by a came, said came including a base portion, and an eccentric pin on said came extending into said actuation structure, said base portion having a surface facing a housing, and there being a bead on one of said surface and said housing, and a groove on the other, with said bead fitting into said groove.

2. The window air conditioning unit as set forth in Claim 1, wherein a motor for causing said base portion to rotate is positioned within said housing and a user input switch allowing control of actuation of said motor to cause said came to rotate, and in turn to adjust the position of said louver.

3. The window air conditioning unit as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said groove is formed in said surface, and said bead is formed on said housing.

4. The window air conditioning unit as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said came and said housing are at a vertically lower portion of the discharge conduit.