US2190242A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 1.3, 1940. c. H. NEIMAN 2,190,242

l l AIR GONDITIONER Filed July, 1939 2 Shets-sheet 1 DISCHARGE. FOR., 54, REURCULATEZD AHL coNDENsLR, Anl..

OUTSIDE, AIL INLET CONDLNSBR., AIL n DISCHARGE. lNLET FOR, 3% 27 ou'rsma. A111 To CONDENSER.,

Feb. 13, 1940. C, H, NElMAN 2,190,242

AIRi CONDITIONER Filed July 8, 1939 2 Sheets-'Shet 2 INLET Fok ousmz Ana, TO CON SER.,

GONDENSBK Am DISCHARGLAHE' 28 IEHZ OUTSIDE, A12.,

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46 l oUTsxDE. A112J Bmw FILTE :inventor RECIRCULATED AIR, @LU/ZX siderable complication.

iatented Feb. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES AIR CONDITIONER Charles H. Neiman, York; Pa., assignor to York Ice Machinery Corporation, York, Pa, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationlJuly 8, 1939, Serial No. 283,492

6r Claims.

ports, one'aiording a supply connection and the other affording a discharge connection for the condenser air circuit. The air entering the supply connection flows to the lower portion of the conditioner unit, absorbs heat from the compressor and its driving motor and then enters a circulating fan which discharges it in heat exchanging relation with the condenser to the out-l let connection. Thus, the condenser air circuit draws air from out of doors, passes it through the lower portion of the conditioner housing and Areturns it out of doors. 'I'here is a wholly separate /air circuit which draws some or all of its yair from the room, passes it through a filter, then in heat exchanging relation with the evaporator of the refrigerating unit, and delivers the air to the room. It is desirable to deliver to this circuit a regulable amount of fresh air and one `of the features of the present invention is a construction such that this air is drawn from `out of doors through an independent port in thev window board and is caused to pass through the same inlet and through the same air filter as does air drawn from the room.

In installing devices of this sort, it is desirable to use a standardized window board. Since the height of the window sill above the floor is subject to considerable variation, according to the design of the building, some means must be provided to afford a vvertically adjustable connection between the window board and the casing of the unit. While this is a relatively simple matter, so far as the condenser air circuit is concerned, the need for providing for fresh air for the room circuit has heretofore introduced con- Recourse has usually been had to a damper arranged between the condenser air inlet and the room air. circuit. It is difficult to nd space for such a damper and there are incidental objections involving pres'- sure diierentials between the two air circuits which render this scheme undesirable.

The present invention provides a very simple arrangement in which the air connections are vertically adjustable. To produce the .desired result the window duct which connects with the window board is vertically adjustable relatively to the conditioner and so arranged as to deliver fresh'air to the same inlet port and to the same air filter which receive re-circulated air from the room.

The construction provides vertical adjustment through a 'considerable range. In all of its adjusted positions, the window duct exposes the same total area of the room circuit inletfilter to re-circulated air and to fresh air supplied through a portion of the window duct unit.

Because no part of the adjustable inlet con* nection may project above the top of the unit, recourse is had to small ller pieces of insulating board which are cut to size at the time of installation. These are so dimensioned as to close the interval between the duct and the top of the unit on each side of the room circuit inlet. The intervals between the window duct and the casing on each side of the room air inlet below the window duct are closed by pendant portions of the adjustable window duct member. Consequently, all that is necessary in installing the unit is to set the window duct to the proper height, insert filler pieces of the proper dimension and connect the unit with the Window board.

This provides an ideal arrangement as to air circulation, permits the fresh air damper to be mounted in the fresh air passage in the window duct and so -directs this air that a single filter is used for both the fresh and the re-circulated air. i p

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in conection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a view in elevation of the upper portion of the rear of the unit showing the window duct in an intermediate position a few inches above the lowest position to which it is adjustable.

Figure 2 is a plan view partly broken away to showlthe interior construction of the window duct.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the window duct and the rear of the unit as they would appear if the window duct were swung away from its normal position and the filter partly withdrawn from its guides.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective of the window duct showing the fresh air damper about half-way open.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the duct in the lowermost position to which it may be adjusted.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the window duct adjusted to an intermediate position such as that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a similar view showing the window duct adjusted to the highest position it may assume.

' In all the views, the external ornamental casing .which covers the front, top and sides of the unit, but not the back, is. omitted. This casing merelyencloses the insulated metal housing of the unit proper and since it has no function in connection with the present invention, there is no occasion to illustrate it. Similarly, the window board, which might assume any one of a number of known forms, is omitted from the drawings. Such window boards have long been well-known in the art and any window board which could connect with the Window duct here described may be used. All that the window board does is to provide a ported closure beneath the lower sash of the window, and its particular form is immaterial so long as it provides a port or slot whose height and width conform to the corresponding dimensions of the end of the window duct.

Referring first to Figure 3, II represents the sheet metal housing of the unit roper and I2 is a removable back plate which ives access to the compressor, the motor which drives the samel the condenser, a condenser fan, and other standf ard components of units of this general type. Since the form `and arrangement of these parts is subject to wide variation, no attemp-t at illustration is made.

Mounted vertically above the back plate I2 and extending to the top of -the unit are two vertical channel guides I3 which terminate in a slot formed in the upper wall of the housing I I. Into these guides is inserted a rectangular filter element I4 which may be o-f the oil-coated screen type. The space between the guides I3, i. e., the entire area. of the lter I4, is the inlet tothe room air circuit. 'I'his inlet leads to the interior of avconical housing I5 (see Fig; 2) terminatingr in a shroud ring I6 xed in the center of a crosspartition II.

Forward of the partition I1 is the evaporator I8 of the refrigerating circuit. A fan I9 driven by an electric motor 2| is centered within the shroud ring I6 and operates to draw air through the filter I4, force it into contact with the nned -evaporator coil I8 and thence into a plenum chamber 22. From the `plenum chamber 22, the air which has been cooled an`d dehumidified by passage over coil I8 is discharged into the room. In the particular machine illustrated in the drawings, the discharge is through the top of the housing II. So far as the present invention is concerned, the location of the discharge opening is wholly immaterial provided it delivers air to the room.

The condenser cooling air enters through the opening 23 outside the conical housing I5, ows downward over the compressor, thence enters the condenser cooling fan which forces it in heat exchange relation with the condenser, and then flows upward to and discharges through the condenser air'discharge opening 24.

Vertically adjustable in guides 25 Iand 26 is the multiple ported window duct element 2'I. The guides 25 and 26 are clamped to the housing II by screws' 28. The guides are so dimensioned that when the screws are set up the guides' serve also as clamps land fix the window duct element 21 in its vertically adjusted position. The Window duct element 21 has a. flat .face which seats against the rear of the conditioner unit and has two pendant portions 29 which overlap the plate I2 and which are sealed thereto by any suitable gasket material such as sponge rubber. To avoid confusion in the drawings, no attempt is made to illustrate the sponge rubber as a separate element but it is to be understood that it is cemented over the rear faces of the members 29 and over rear faces of the marginal frames 3| of the window duct element 21. Thus, when the duct is clamped in position, a reasonably airtight seal is provided between the window duct element 2I and the conditioner unit housing II.

The window duct element 2'I provides three passages, namely, the condenser air inlet passage 32 which leads to the opening 23; a condenser air discharge passage 33 which leads from the opening 24; and a fresh air inlet passage 34 which, at its inner end, is coextensive in width with the guides I3 and seals therewith.

Because the fresh air inlet need not be large, an oiset indicated at 35 is provided in the partition between the ducts 32 and 34. This gives a.

large entrance aperture for outside condenser air and affords a relatively narrow inlet for fresh air to be supplied to the room circuit. This inlet is controlled by a damper 36 which is hinged at its upper edge to a portion of the window duct by means of a spring hinge 3l which urges the damper 36 in a closing direction. The outer end of the duct member 21 is provided with an offset at 38 designed to mate with the aperture in the window board. This oiset serves as a flange or jamb against which the lower edge of the damper 36 seats when fully closed.

The damper may be drawn ope'n and latched in any desired open or partially open position by means of a bead chain 39 which passes through a key hole slot 4I in the top of the Window duct and may be engaged with the narrow portion of the slot by moving the chain laterally after it has been drawn upward. v

Assuming a window having a. very low sill, the window duct might be set in its lowermost position as shown in Figure 5. In this position the lower margin of the duct registers approximately with the lower margin of the air ports in the back of the unit. This would leave openings from the room leading above the window duct unit to the condenser inlet opening 23 and the condenser discharge opening 24. 'Ihese openings are closed by inserts 45 which are engaged at the lower v edges behind the flange 46 on the top of the win'- dow'duct element. l

At their tops the inserts enter behind a ang 4'I provided with a rubber gasket 48. The gasket is U-shaped in cross section as shown in Figures 5 to 7 inclusive. engaged by a guide 26 and the other overlaps the guideway I3 and seals therewith. These inserts are made of brittle insulating board which may be scored to the desired dimensions and which, when scored, may be bro-ken readily onthe score lines. 1

In the average case, the proper position of the window duct will be an intermediate one as indicated in Figures 1 and 6, in which event the inserts 45 are of somewhat different dimensions but otherwise identical with similar inserts shown in Figure 5.

In Figure 7, the highest position of the window duct is illustrated. In such case, the inserts 45 are not required because the top of the duct seats against the gasket 48.

It will be observed that In all adjusted posi- One side edge of each insert tions of the window duct element the pendant portions 29 are effective to close the condenser inlet opening 23 and the condenser discharge opening 24 below the window duct element.

In all positions, the fresh air inlet passage 34 delivers to a portion of the filter I4, the area of which portion is fixed. In the adjustment of Figure 5, all the recirculated air enters the unit above the window duct, whereas in the position of Figure 7 it'all enters below the windowduct. In the usual case of intermediate adjustment illustrated in Figure 6, a part of the recirculated air enters above and a part below the window duct.

The invention affords a very simple adjustment which will adapt a given unit to windows having different heights of sill. In all of these, the fresh air duct leads directly from out of doors to the iilter I4 and the total inlet area to the room air circuit is constant except to the extent that it may be varied by adjusting the fresh air damper 36.

It follows that the unit operates in the same way regardless of the vertical adjustment of the window duct. Since the fresh air is taken directly from out of doors and not from the condenser air circuit, the adjustment of the fresh air damper has no effect on the condenser cooling air fiow and possible pressure differentials are not disturbing.

After the window board is in place and the window duct has been adjusted to proper height, the whole conditioner unit may be rolled away from its normal operating position for the purpose of window washing or the like. The unit is customarily mounted on casters for this purpose. The conditioner may be readily reconnected with the window board by rolling the unit. back to place.

The filter `I4 is accessible for removal and replacement after removing the ornamental housing (not shown) and withdrawing the filter from its guides as indicated in Figure 3.

An important incidental advantage of locating the recirculated air inlet in the rear wall of the unit arises from the fact that heating radiators are usually located under windows. Room coolers in which the present invention is embodied are commonly mounted in front of such radiators, and include means for running the room circuit fan I9 alone. In the winter the unit can be used as a circulating ventilator, drawing room air from a point immediately in front of the heating radiator, together with a regulable percentage of outdoor air, mixing the two and delivering the mixture to the room.

While it is preferable to locate the fresh air inlet opening between the other two openings, because this makes it conveniently possible to locate the room discharge opening at the top or front of the cabinet, other arrangements are possible, and in some instances, it will be found desirable to locate the fresh air inlet opening otherwise. For exampleythe fresh air opening might be at one end, the condenser discharge atthe other, and the condenser inlet between. Such an arrangement would have the advantage of separating the fresh air inlet as widely as possible from the condenser discharge. An important reason for using separate fresh air ductsfor the condenser air circuit and the room air circuit is to assure that the large condenser Ifan. cannot draw all the entering fresh air. duct also offers a convenient location for the fresh air damper.

Thus, while one embodiment of the invention The separate has been described in considerable detail, it should be understood that the particular construction of the window duct is affected to some degree by details of the design of the unit with which it is to be used. Consequently, the de scription here given should be taken as illustrative and not limiting. The scope of the invention will be defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a conditioner having an enclosing wall provided with a room circuit air inlet opening and separate inlet and discharge openings for condenser air; a duct element whose vertical dimension is less than that of said openings, said element being vertically adjustable re1- ati-vely to said walland having ducts adapted to afford distinct communications fromk said discharge opening and to said inlet openings; means for fixing said duct element in adjusted position; and means for closing portions of said condenser air openings both above and below said duct element.

2. The combination of a conditioner having an enclosing wall provided with a room circuit air ,inlet opening and separate inlet and discharge openings for condenser air; a duct element whose vertical dimension is less than that of said openings, said element being vertically adjustable relatively to said wall and having ducts adapted to afford distinct communications from said discharge opening and to said inlet openings; means for fixing said duct element in adjusted positions; means carried by said duct element for closing such portions of said condenser air openings as are below the lower margin. of the duct element proper; and inserts arranged to close portions of the condenser air openings above the upper margin of the duct element.

3. The combination of a conditioner having an enclosing wallprovided with a ro'om circuit air inlet opening and separate inlet and discharge openings for condenser air; a duct element whose vertical dimension is less than that of said openings, said element being vertically adjustable relatively to said wall and having three distinct ducts each positioned to aline horizontally with a corresponding opening; an adjustable damper in the duct which leads to the room air inlet opening; means for fixing said duct element in adjusted positions; and means for closingthe portions of said condenser air openings above and below said duct element.

4. The combination of a conditioner having I an enclosing wall provided with three horizontally alined openings of substantially equal j height, one of said openings being an inlet opening for the room air circuit and the other two being respectively inlet and discharge openings ,Y

means for closing the exposed portions of the l condenser air circuit openings.'v

5.' The combination defined in claim 4 in which at least a portion of the means for closing the exposed kportions of the condenser air openings 2,190,22 is carried by and adjustable with said duct eleelement whose vertical dimension is less than that of said openings, said duct element being vertically adjustable relatively to said wall and having three ducts adapted to communicate with said openings; an adjustable damperin the duct which communicates with the room circuit air inlet opening; means for xing said duct element in adjusted positions; and means for closing those portions of the condenser'air circuit openings which are exposed by said duct element. 10

CHARLES H. NEIMAN.

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