WO2019204855A1

WO2019204855A1 - Air conditioning condensation water collecting system

Info

Publication number: WO2019204855A1
Application number: PCT/AU2019/000049
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew John Kerr
Original assignee: RKH Investments Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2018-04-27
Filing date: 2019-04-27
Publication date: 2019-10-31
Also published as: AU2019257930A1; AU2019100445A4

Abstract

An air conditioning condensation water collecting system (10) is provided for collecting condensed water from a blower unit (102) of an air conditioning system. The collecting system has a removable watering container (12) for collecting condensed water (14). The container has an overflow water diverting passageway (18, 28) for diverting any overflow (16) of condensed water collected in the container before it spills out of the container to a desired location remote of the container. The overflow water diverting passageway is a tube (18) having an inlet (20) located below an upper rim (22) of the container. The inlet receives the overflow and the overflow is diverted down the tube to an outlet (24) located at the bottom (26) of the container. The outlet of the tube directs the overflow to the desired location. Preferably, the tube is formed as a hollow handle (28) of the container, and the inlet of the tube is an opening through a wall of the container into the top of the hollow handle, and the outlet of the tube is at the bottom of the hollow handle which is at the bottom of the container.

Description

AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSATION WATER COLLECTING SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to improvements in air conditioning systems and, in particular, to a system for collecting condensed water from a blower unit of a split system air conditioning system ln a particularly preferred form, the invention relates to a condensed water collection can used in such a system and which can be removable and hand held to, say, water a garden.

Although the background, objects and preferred embodiments of the invention will be hereinafter described with reference to collecting condensed water from a blower unit of a split system air conditioning system, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but has wider application. For example, the condensed water collecting system may be used for collecting condensed water from refrigeration units or any other thermal control devices which cause water vapour to be condensed from air.

It is to be understood that the terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. For instance, the terms “comprising" or "comprises" are to be understood as meaning "including", unless otherwise stated. Also, the term "water" is to be understood as including any liquid that can be formed by condensation from a vapour.

BACKGROUND ART

It is common in split system air conditioning systems for the blower unit to be mounted on a building remotely of, and above, a chiller unit. Operation of the blower unit causes water vapour in the air to condense on the unit, and the condensed water overflow normally passes via a through-wall conduit into a nearby gutter of the building for disposal directly into the storm water system. The condensed water is thereby not available for use by the owner of the air conditioning system. In view of the current restrictions and pressures on water users to limit their use of water from the main supply, it would be beneficial to use the condensed water for domestic and other purposes, thus relieving the burden on the conventional water supply.

It has been found by the present inventor that these problems can be overcome by providing a system for collecting condensed water from a blower unit of a split system air conditioning system that uses a removable watering container or condensed water collection can to collect the condensed water and divert any possible overflow of condensed water from the container or can to a desired location, such as to a water storage or dispensing device.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

lt is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the disadvantages and problems of the aforementioned prior art, or at least provide a useful alternative. lt has been found by the present inventor that these and other objects of the invention may be achieved in general by providing a system for collecting condensed water from a blower unit of an air conditioning system, comprising:

(a) a conduit adapted to convey condensed water from the blower unit to an outlet from which condensed water exits the conduit, and

(b) a removable watering container for collecting condensed water which exits the conduit, the container having an overflow water diverting passageway with an inlet located below an upper rim of the container, the inlet being adapted to receive any potential overflow of condensed water collected in the container before it spills over the upper rim, the passageway having an outlet located at the bottom of the container for diverting the overflow to a desired location remote of the container.

The overflow water diverting passageway may comprise a tube in which the inlet is an opening through a wall of the container.

In a preferred form, the tube is formed as a hollow handle of the container, and the opening through the wall of the container allows overflow water to enter into the top of the hollow handle, and the outlet of the tube is an opening at the bottom of the hollow handle.

The bottom of the hollow handle is preferably located at the bottom of the container.

Alternatively, the overflow water diverting passageway may comprise a tube which is located inside the container, and the inlet of the tube is spaced inwardly of an internal wall of the container, and the outlet of the tube is an opening through a floor at the bottom of the container.

The bottom of the container may be removably supported by a funnel located below the container, the funnel being adapted to receive the overflow of condensed water from the overflow water diverting passageway and direct the overflow of condensed water via a pipe to the desired location.

The system may further comprise an overflow water storage tank adapted to collect and store the overflow of condensed water from the container.

The overflow water storage tank preferably has a tap that can be controlled to release water stored in the tank. It is preferred that the overflow water storage tank has a tube with an inlet located below an upper rim of the tank, the inlet being adapted to receive any overflow of condensed water collected in the tank, the tube having an outlet located at the bottom of the tank for directing the overflow to a storm water system.

The watering container may include a water level observation window.

There has been thus outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and put into practical effect, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

There are additional features of the invention that will be described

hereinafter. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept, upon which the disclosure is based, may be readily utilized as the basis for designing other assemblies and processes for carrying out the objects of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the broad outline of the invention described above be regarded as including such equivalent constructions in so far as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front isometric view of a removable watering container, a funnel, and a pipe of an air conditioning condensation water collecting system according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a rear isometric view of the air conditioning condensation water collecting system shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an exploded side view of the air conditioning condensation water collecting system shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional side view of the air conditioning condensation water collecting system shown in Figures 1 to 3 in which the watering container is being filled with condensed water,

Figure 5 is a sectional side view of the air conditioning condensation water collecting system of Figure 4 in which condensed water collected in the watering container is overflowing through the hollow handle of the watering container,

Figure 6 is a front view of the air conditioning condensation water collecting system shown in Figures 1 to 5 mounted to an exterior wall of a building,

Figure 7 is an isometric view of an air conditioning condensation water collecting system incorporating the removable watering container, the funnel, and the diverting pipe according to another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 8 is a side view of an air conditioning condensation water collecting system according to yet another embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 9 is a top view of a removable watering container used in the air conditioning condensation water collecting system shown in Figure 8. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With initial reference now to the above summarized drawings of Figures 1 to 9, various air conditioning condensation water collecting systems embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention will now be described.

The collecting system 10 shown in Figures 1 to 6 is preferably part of a larger system 100 (shown in Figure 7) for collecting condensed water from a blower unit 102 of an air conditioning system.

The collecting system 10 has a removable watering container 12 (also referred to as a watering can) for collecting condensed water 14, and the container 12 has an overflow water diverting passageway for diverting any overflow 16 of condensed water 14 collected in the container before it spills out of the

container to a desired location remote of the container.

The overflow water diverting passageway, in this embodiment, is a tube 18 having an inlet 20 located below an upper rim 22 of the container 12, the inlet 20 being adapted to receive the overflow 16 of condensed water 14 collected in the container. The tube 18 has an outlet 24 located at the bottom 26 of the container 12 for diverting the overflow 16 to the desired location. In this embodiment, the tube 18 is formed as a hollow handle 28 of the container 12, and the inlet 20 of the tube 18 is an opening through a wall of the container into the top of the hollow handle 28. The outlet 24 of the tube 18 is at the bottom of the hollow handle 26 which is at the bottom 26 of the container.

The bottom of the container 12 is removably supported by a funnel 30 located below the container. The funnel 30 is adapted to receive the overflow 16 of condensed water from the tube 18 and direct the overflow of condensed water to a desired location. In this embodiment, and as specifically shown in Figure 6, the funnel 30 is mounted to an exterior wall 32 of a building by a bracket 34, which is integrally formed with the funnel 30, and by screws 36. There is also a pipe 38 which is removably connected to a bottom 39 of the funnel 30 and carries away the overflow 16.

The container 12 has a spout 40 and a rose head 42 which is removably connected to the end of the spout 40. The bottom of the container 12, which includes a base 44 of the container and the bottom of the handle 28, is slightly angularly shaped so as to snugly fit into an upper collar-like portion 46 of the funnel 30.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, condensed water 14 fills the container 12 until it reaches the inlet 20 and is then diverted by overflowing into the top of the hollow handle 28. The overflow 16 falls through to the outlet 24 of the hollow handle 28, from where it falls into the funnel 30 and is then directed into the pipe 38 where it is carried away.

The larger air conditioning condensation water collecting system 100 shown in Figure 7 has an air conditioning blower unit 102 or evaporative cooler mounted to an interior wall 104 of a building, and there is a conduit 106 that collects condensed water from the blower unit 102 and conveys it through the wall 104 and via an S-bend to an outlet 108 where the water exits the conduit 106 and falls into the watering container 12. The conduit may alternatively be any external drainage pipe, tube or gutter. The watering container 12, which is removable and may be hand held, collects the condensed water 14 and, when it is nearly full, the condensed water overflows into the top of the hollow handle 28, and the overflow water 16 spills down through the handle 28 and into the funnel 30.

As mentioned earlier, the funnel 30 can also serve as a support or stand for the container 12 by being mounted to an exterior wall 32 by a bracket 34. The funnel 30 is generally half conical in shape (as best shown in Figure 6) so that the bottom 39 of the funnel 30 and the interconnected pipe 38 are located alongside the wall 32 to provide compactness and stability. Similarly, the container 12 is located alongside the wall 32. The funnel 30 directs the captured overflow water 16 into the pipe 38 from where the overflow water may be distributed as required.

When suitable, a person may lift the watering container 12 from the funnel 30 and use the condensed water it has collected for domestic and other purposes, such as watering a garden on a hot day when the air conditioning system has been operating.

The pipe 38 has an extension 110 down to an overflow water storage tank 112 so that the overflow water 16 can be collected and stored in the storage tank 112. The tank 112 has an internal overflow tube 114 to direct any tank overflow water into a drainage pipe 1 16 that may be connected to existing storm water drains. The tank 112 has an on-off tap 118 that may be used when suitable.

The collecting system 150 shown in Figures 8 and 9 has an air conditioning condensation water drainage conduit 152 which is mounted by bracket 154 against a wall, and releases condensed water into the mouth of a watering can 156 that is removably supported on a funnel-like stand 158. Water collected in the can 156 is visible through a water level observation window 160 which has volume markings. There is an internally located overflow tube 162 having an inlet 164 located below an upper rim of the can 156, and adapted to receive any overflow of condensed water collected in the can before it spills out of the can. The tube 162 has an outlet 166 through the floor of the can 156 for directing the water to the funnel-like stand 158. The tube 162 is secured against and

alongside an internal wall of the can 156. The overflow water is then directed through conduit 168 to existing drainage or may be used as required.

It will be readily apparent from the above that there are various advantages of the present invention. One advantage is that, by using the air conditioning condensation water collecting system of the present invention, users are able to readily utilize their air conditioning system as a source of condensed water for many domestic and other purposes, although the condensed water should not be used as drinking water, and so alleviate some of the pressure on them to limit their use of water, and relieve the burden on the conventional water supply.

It will also be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art that various

modifications may be made in details of design and construction of the embodiments of the air conditioning condensation water collecting system, and in the steps of using the collecting system described above, without departing from the scope or ambit of the present invention.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates before the filing date of this patent application.

Claims

1. A system for collecting condensed water from a blower unit of an air

conditioning system, comprising:

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the overflow water diverting passageway comprises a tube in which the inlet is an opening through a wall of the container.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the tube is formed as a hollow handle of the container, and the opening through the wall of the container allows overflow water to enter into the top of the hollow handle, and the outlet of the tube is an opening at the bottom of the hollow handle.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the bottom of the hollow handle is located at the bottom of the container.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the overflow water diverting passageway comprises a tube which is located inside the container, and the inlet of the tube is spaced inwardly of an internal wall of the container, and the outlet of the tube is an opening through a floor at the bottom of the container.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the bottom of the container is removably supported by a funnel located below the container, the funnel being adapted to receive the overflow of condensed water from the overflow water diverting passageway and direct the overflow of condensed water via a pipe to the desired location.

7. The system of claim 1 and further comprising an overflow water storage tank adapted to collect and store the overflow of condensed water from the container.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the overflow water storage tank has a tap that can be controlled to release water stored in the tank.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the overflow water storage tank has a tube with an inlet located below an upper rim of the tank, the inlet being adapted to receive any overflow of condensed water collected in the tank, the tube having an outlet located at the bottom of the tank for directing the overflow to a storm water system.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the watering container has a water level observation window.