Patent Application
20210285682
This invention relates to air treatment systems; such systems for selectively providing both cooling and heating of air; heat exchange coils for such systems; methods for using such coils and for employing such system; a single coil with separate heated fluid pathway(s) and cooling fluid pathway(s); and, in some aspects, systems utilizing an existing heated water source for providing heated water to a coil for heating air.
There are a wide variety of known air handling systems; air treatment systems; air heating systems; air cooling systems; air conditioning system; air handling systems; parts, devices, coils, structures, housings, ducts, conduits, piping, controls, pans, and apparatuses for them; and methods of using them.
The present invention, in certain but not necessarily all embodiments, provides an air treatment system that selectively provides cooling air or heating air. In certain aspects, such a system has a coil through which fluid selectively flows in heat exchange relation with parts of the coil: to cool air passing through the coil, e.g. using cooling fluid such as refrigerant fluid; or to heat air passing through the coil, e.g. using heated water or some other suitable heated fluid. In some aspects, e.g., separate pathways are provided for each fluid.
In certain particular aspects, a pathway or pathways for the heating fluid are encompassed by a pathway or pathways through the coil for the cooling fluid, or are between pathways for the cooling fluid.
Any suitable heat exchange structure may be used including, for example, multi-finned, multi-vaned, or multi-plate heat exchanger structures or finned or vaned radiator type heat exchangers through which extend the pathways for fluids according to the present invention.
In certain particular aspects, hot water for heating air with a system according to the present invention is provided by an existing hot water heater or heaters present in a home, building, ship, boat, plane, submarine, apartment, condominium, vehicle, trailer, bus, facility or other structure. To facilitate flow of water through systems according to the present invention any suitable pump or pumps may be used and they may be positioned inside a coil housing of a system or outside of such a housing, or in or on a coil.
In certain aspects, a system according to the present invention with pump(s) is controlled by an existing thermostat system which has, e.g., a set, desired temperature and, when the system is activated to heat air, the thermostat system turns the pump(s) on so that heated water from a heated water source is provided to a coil according to the present invention to heat air. Optionally, or in addition to thermostat-system control, pump(s) may have an on/off switch to control flow of heated water through the coil.
Any system herein described as useful for treating air may also be used, where appropriate, to treat a gas that is to be cooled or heated; and the use of the word “air” is intended to include any suitable gas that can be treated by a system according to the present invention.
Where appropriate and where desired, any suitable system according to the present invention may be used to dehumidify air and/or to ventilate a space or an area. Such systems as described herein for heating and cooling are to be understood, implicitly, to include, where appropriate, use of such systems for dehumidifying and/or ventilation.
Accordingly, the present invention includes features and advantages which are believed to enable it to advance heat exchange technology, heat exchanger technology, air treatment technology, air handling technology, air heating technology, and coil technology. Characteristics and advantages of the present invention described above and additional features and benefits are disclosed in the following detailed description of some exemplary embodiments and in the accompanying drawings.
In addition to specific statements herein regarding summary descriptions of the present invention and of the drawings, and those about certain embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, there are other objects and purposes related to benefits of this invention's creative teachings and inventive disclosures.
Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from what is already known in their structures, functions, designs, and/or results achieved. Some features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described above and below and which may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent parts, elements, devices, combinations, processes, steps, or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present invention recognizes and addresses long-felt needs for effective and efficient air treatment systems methods, and provides a solution to problems and a satisfactory meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof.
The following description of certain embodiments is given for the purpose of disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thwart this patent's object to claim this invention no matter how others may later try to disguise it by superficial variations in form or insubstantial changes in an effort to avoid this patent's claims.
It will be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention may include one, some, or all of the disclosed, described, and/or enumerated improvements and/or technical advantages and/or elements in claims to this invention.
A more particular description of some embodiments of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by reference to the embodiments which are shown in the drawings which form a part of this specification. These drawings illustrate some, but not all, embodiments and are not to be used to improperly limit the scope of the invention which may have other equally effective, legally equivalent embodiments.
Certain embodiments of the invention are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. Any combination of aspects and/or features described below can be used except where such aspects and/or features are mutually exclusive. So long as they are not mutually exclusive or contradictory, any aspect, element, step, or feature or combination of aspects, etc., of any embodiment disclosed herein may be used in any other embodiment disclosed herein. For example, if an embodiment with features, elements, steps, or aspects A, B, C, and D is disclosed, and an embodiment with features, elements, steps, and/or aspects A, B, D is possible, then the embodiment with A, B, D is part of this disclosure as an embodiment of the present invention; and so forth for all possible combinations of features, elements, steps, and/or aspects.
It should be understood that the appended drawings and description herein are of certain embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, additions, embodiments, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In showing and describing these embodiments, like or identical reference numerals are used to identify common or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity, conciseness, and disclosure.
As used herein and throughout all the various portions (and headings) of this patent, the terms “invention”, “present invention” and variations thereof mean one or more embodiments, and are not intended to mean the claimed invention of any particular embodiment. Accordingly, the subject or topic of each such reference is not automatically or necessarily part of, or required by, any particular embodiment.
It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for simplicity and clarity, and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. Moreover, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed interposing the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact.
Throughout this specification, words and terms take at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context dictates otherwise. The meanings identified below do not necessarily limit the terms, but merely provide illustrative examples for the terms. The meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” may include plural references, and the meaning of “in” may include “in” and “on.” The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Terms such as “providing,” “processing,” “supplying,” “determining,” “calculating” or the like may refer at least to an action of a computer system, computer program, signal processor, logic or alternative analog or digital electronic device that may be transformative of signals represented as physical quantities, whether automatically or manually initiated.
Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting; whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
Values expressed in a range format should be interpreted in a flexible manner to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. For example, a range of “about 0.1% to about 5%” or “about 0.1% to 5%” should be interpreted to include not just about 0.1% to about 5%, but also the individual values (e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and the sub-ranges (e.g., 0.1% to 0.5%, 1.1% to 2.2%, 3.3% to 4.4%) within the indicated range. The statement “about X to Y” has the same meaning as “about X to about Y,” unless indicated otherwise. Likewise, the statement “about X, Y, or about Z” has the same meaning as “about X, about Y, or about Z,” unless indicated otherwise. The term “about” as used herein can allow for a degree of variability in a value or range, for example, within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of a stated value or of a stated limit of a range.
In this document, the terms “a,” “an,” or “the” are used to include one or more than one unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive “or” unless otherwise indicated. The statement “at least one of A and B” has the same meaning as “A, B, or A and B.” In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein, and not otherwise defined, is for the purpose of description only and not of limitation.
Any use of section headings is intended to aid reading of the document and is not to be interpreted as limiting; information that is relevant to a section heading may occur within or outside of that particular section. Furthermore, all publications, patents, and patent documents referred to in this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference should be considered supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls.
In any method herein, including but not limited to any methods of manufacturing described herein, the steps can be carried out in any order without departing from the principles of the invention, except when a temporal or operational sequence is explicitly recited. Furthermore, specified steps can be carried out concurrently unless explicit claim language recites that they be carried out separately. For example, a claimed step of doing X and a claimed step of doing Y can be conducted simultaneously within a single operation, and the resulting process will fall within the literal scope of the claimed process.
The term “substantially” as used herein refers to a majority of, or mostly, as in at least about 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, 99.9%, 99.99%, or at least about 99.999% or more.
As used herein, the term “fluid” refers to liquids, vapors, gas, slurries, and gels, and any mass or material that is pumpable, unless otherwise indicated. Any suitable fluid according to the present invention can be used as a “cooling fluid” or a “heating fluid.”
Referring now to
Heated heating fluid is provided to the coil C from a heated water source HW. Such fluid may flow by gravity to the coil C and/or it may be pumped to and through the coil C by a pump system J with any suitable pump or pumps. Any pump for the system A and for any system herein may be inside a housing, e.g., a housing like the housing L, or outside the housing, nearby or remote therefrom; and, depending on the shape of the coil, pump(s) may be in or on the coil. An optional source of hot water HWa is shown inside the plenum P. An optional pump system Ja is shown inside the plenum P. Such a source and/or such a pumps system may be within any part of the system shown in
In some embodiments of the coil C, cooling fluid flows through a fluid pathway or pathways through the coil C; and heated fluid flows through a pathway or pathways of the coil C, separate from the pathway(s) for the cooling fluid. As is true for any coil and any system herein, in other embodiments a coil may have a fluid pathway through which, as desired, heated fluid flows or cooling fluid flows.
The coil C may be any suitable coil disclosed herein according to the present invention, and, as shown, in one aspect the coil has generally rectangular front and rear face surfaces and generally rectangular side face surfaces.
As shown in
Air is moved by the blower 12 from the housing 14 and then through the coil 24. Treated air flows from the coil into the interior of the enclosure 20 and then into conduits 28 connected to openings 18 in the enclosure 20. A pan 30 is disposed beneath the coil 24 and liquid flowing from the coil drains from the pan out of drain nipples 32.
An air conditioning system 50 provides cooling fluid (e.g, but not limited to, cooled water or refrigerant) to cooling fluid pathways 52 within the coil 24; and a heated water system 60 provides heated water from a source 64, pumped by a pump or pumps 66, to heated fluid pathways 62 within the coil 24.
As is true for any system herein, any heated water source may be used to supply heated water to a coil according to the present invention for any system according to the present invention. Such sources include, but are not limited to, a hot water heater or heaters in a house, water heaters with a tank that stores heated water, solar water heaters, pipe or conduit arrays, exposed to the sun, ‘instant’ water heaters in-line with a heated water flow line which provide quick heating of water on demand, and existing heated water sources in an apartment, building, facility, hotel, motel, ship, plane, mobile office, mobile home, mobile building, or any other structure using hot water. Such sources include those with gas heated water, electrically heated water, wind power heated water, wave power heated water, or solar power heated water. In any system herein, with any coil herein, heated water provided from a heated water source may be returned to the original heated water source, may be recycled through the system, or may be exhausted or drained away. In certain particular aspects, a system according to the present invention provides, selectively, cool air and hot air, the air heated using water from an in-place home, facility, building, tent, or apartment water heater used also for heating water for bathing and washing dishes.
In the coil as shown in
As shown in
The coil 402 has a plurality of liquid flow tubes 445, 446 extending through the coil with accessible end portions outside the coil body, connected for fluid communication and passage with hairpins Hp, shown in
The system can, optionally, be used with air flowing in horizontally to the coil 402′ (arrow H), e.g. with the pan-coil combination fit tightly in an enclosure closing off both ends of the coil so air must flow out between the vanes, or a closure plate can be used on the top and/or the bottom to close off the end(s).
As shown in
Heated water is pumped by a pump or pumps 473 from a heated water source 474 to the system 450. Cooling fluid flows to the system 450 to and from an air conditioning system 475. Gravity flow can also be employed.
Without changing the horizontal orientation of
It is within the scope of the present invention for the hot water source and/or the pump system to be within a housing, etc. of a system, as illustrated by the source 474a and the pump system 473a (
Referring now to
Referring now to
The fluid pathways employed in cooling air of the four sub-coils may be interconnected so that they are intercommunicating with fluid flowing from an air conditioning system 261, through each subcoil, and back to the system 261. Similarly, The fluid pathways of the four sub-coils employed in heating air may be interconnected so that they are intercommunicating with heated water flowing from a system 262, through each subcoil, and back to the system 262. Water from the sub-coils flows down to the pan 260 and out through a nipple 276 (see
With a coil according to the present invention with multiple subcoils, e.g. but not limited to an M-coil, e.g. but not limited to as shown in
A coil 250a shown in
A coil 250b shown in
A coil 250c shown in
The present invention provides, inter alia, new, creative, nonobvious and inventive embodiments as compared to certain subject matter including some existing coils, existing systems using them, and methods of their use; including, but not limited to, old subject matter in. U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,066,843; 7,614,248, and 4,365,667—each of which is incorporated fully herein in its entirety for all purposes. Some such new, etc., coils, etc. of the preset invention are described below.
In certain embodiments, the present invention provides an air handling unit according to the present invention with a coil according to the present invention which has an air handling enclosure, a blower in or on the air handling enclosure, the coil in the air handling enclosure, the coil according to the present invention (any disclosed or described herein) for selectively heating air and cooling air; and, optionally, at least one heating element in the air handing enclosure, either upstream or downstream of the blower. Optionally, the coil has channels, pipes, tubes or conduits (“channels” or “tubes”) through one or some of which heated water flows or cooling fluid flows and, also optionally, there are fins, plates, or structures associated with the tubes, conduits, pipes, channels, etc. to facilitate heat exchange. Hot fluid, e.g. water or a similar fluid, is selectively provided to one, two, or more of the tubes, etc. from a hot water source; e.g., but not limited to, from a hot water heater system either directly with dedicated piping or tubing, or from an existing outlet for hot water in a home, apartment, building, or other facility. Such heated fluid can be returned back to the hot water source for re-use, or it can be drained or exhausted, e.g. but not limited to, down a sink drain, tub drain, or shower drain. The present invention includes methods for operating such an air handling unit to heat air or to cool air.
The present invention provides a method of operating a system according to the present invention, including a unit according to the present invention described in the previous paragraph and in some detail below, which system can be, selectively, used for heating air, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) to cool and/or dehumidify air. Such a method can include employing such a system, the method including: providing an enclosure comprising a plurality of sides and having an air supply opening in one of the plurality of sides and an air return opening in another of the plurality of sides; disposing a blower within the enclosure; disposing a heat exchanger within the enclosure upstream or downstream of the blower and in a discharge airflow path of the blower, wherein a heat exchanger has a coil according to the present invention, e.g. a coil with a first section and a second section, and wherein each of the first section and the second section comprises a plurality of fins or the like; optionally disposing at least one electrically-powered resistive heating element adjacent, near, or substantially co-located with the heat exchanger either upstream thereof or downstream of the heat exchanger in a discharge airflow path of the blower; providing an airflow through the enclosure with the blower, e.g. but not limited to via a discharge airflow path of the blower between the blower and the air supply upstream or opening in a downstream direction.
Referring to
In operation, ambient air is pulled into cabinet 100 through air return opening 102 and (optional) filter 106 (as illustrated by the dashed arrows 108). The incoming air is passed through a coil CIL according to the present invention for heating or cooling. The coil may be any coil (or coils) disclosed or described herein according to the present invention and may be used to heated, cool, and/or dehumidify air and/or to ventilate an area, space, or room. The treated air is forced out of cabinet 100 through air supply opening 104 (as illustrated by the dashed arrows 110).
As is true for any system or embodiment herein, hot water can be provided by a separate hot water system used with, and often associated with, the system; or an existing hot water system can be used, with hot water used in the system returned to a source for re-use or drained or exhausted. As shown, e.g. in
Referring now to
The blower 214 moves air through cabinet 100. Optionally, and not by way of limitation, the coil 216 is an “A-shaped” or “A-frame” coil (each half of which is labeled 216) to cool and/or heat the air flowing through cabinet 100. Optionally, the heating elements are disposed in a supply section 220 of the cabinet, the coil 216 is disposed in the return section 218 of the cabinet, and the blower is disposed in the region therebetween.
A hot water source HSa is like the source HS,
Referring now to
Cabinet 301 has an air supply opening 304 and a side air return opening 324 disposed in one side of cabinet 301 and approximately adjacent to air filter 322. The blower 314 is configured to take in air through a side opening of a housing of the blower 314. Any side opening may be used, and may be located as desired, e.g., and not by way of limitation, the side opening of the housing of the blower 314 is located approximately adjacent to air filter 322.
The elements 312a and 312b may be located as desired within the cabinet and as desired with respect to the coil 316; and are, optionally, substantially co-located with the heat exchanger 316. In some embodiments, “co-located” may mean that the heating elements 312a, 312b and the heat exchanger 316 are located within the same section of cabinet 301. In other embodiments, “co-located” may mean that the heating elements 312a, 312b and the heat exchanger 316 are located upstream or downstream of blower 314. In the embodiment shown in
Each heating element 312a, 312b may, optionally, comprise a respective plurality of electrically-powered heating elements that heat the surrounding air. As is true for any embodiment herein, although electrically-powered heating elements 312a, 312b are shown, in other embodiments, heating elements may be used that suitably heat the surrounding air but are not primarily electrically-powered (i.e., e.g. gas burners, solar powered, wind powered, wave powered). Although two heating elements 312a, 312b are shown, in other embodiments, more or fewer than two heating elements may be used. For example, the two heating elements 312a, 312b may comprise two sections or sub-units of a single heating element 312. In other embodiments, three or more heating elements or sub-units may be used.
A hot water source HSb is like the source HS,
As is true for any coil herein and parts thereof, the tubes, etc. through the coil and and/or fins 317 may be constructed of any suitable metal, e.g. copper, stainless steel, aluminum, or another suitable material that promotes heat transfer. In some embodiments, a heat exchanger may include a plurality of non-finned tubes containing a refrigerant, liquid, or other suitable cooling or heating material. For example, such a heat exchanger may include a plurality of generally smooth and/or corrugated tubes instead of or in addition to fins, etc.
Optionally, as shown in
Heated water can be supplied to the coil and to heating elements of the system 1004 by a hot water source Ht (any disclosed or described herein, including, e.g., but not limited to, any shown or described for
Optionally, as shown in
Heated water can be supplied to the coil and to heating elements of the system 1005 by a hot water source Ht, as in
Optionally, in the systems 1002-1005, an alternative embodiment of a coil according to the present invention may be configured as a single slab type coil that extends generally across an air supply section, e.g. but not limited to a section like the section 320.
In certain aspects and embodiments, the present invention provides an air treatment system that both cools (or conditions and/or dehumidifies) air and heats air, selectively as desired. Such a system may have one heat exchange coil according to the present invention or two heat exchange coils according to the present invention, or more; or such a system according to the present invention may have one coil according to the present invention and one coil that is solely for cooling air.
In certain particular aspects and embodiments, such an air treatment system according to the present invention includes a housing, cabinet or enclosure with a main drain pan therein and an inner space including upper and lower parts or, in one aspect, halves; an outdoor blower unit that is provided under the main drain pan to discharge air flowing through a first coil (heated air or cooled air) to an outdoor area or side, and a base pan adjacent the system's bottom. Above the main drain pan is, inter alia, a second coil and associated apparatus, with an optional associated fan. (Any fan in any embodiment herein is optional).
It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a system according to the present invention for heating air and cooling air which employs a coil according to the present invention that has channel(s) for use in flowing fluid for cooling air and for flowing fluid to heat air. In some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of such a system with such a coil, a channel for fluid to heat air is positioned in a coil among, between, or encompassed by channels used for flowing fluid for cooling air. Such channels can extend through a mass or arrangement of fins, etc. used to facilitate heat exchange between fluid in a channel and air outside the system. It is within the scope of this invention to so position such a channel for heating fluid that parts of the channels for cooling fluid serve to protect and/or segregate tubing used in the heating fluid channel, to facilitate heating of air, to provide structure between such channel(s) and the exterior of a system, or some combination of these functions. It is within the scope of the present invention to provide such a coil (any suitable coil herein) in which heated fluid, such as e.g. water, flows through a heated fluid pathway, tube, channel, etc. to heat a fluid pathway or pathways adjacent or nearby used periodically for the flow of a cooling fluid (which cooling fluid may or may not be present) and the heated fluid heats the cooling fluid pathway(s) and associated structures to enhance and/or facilitate the heating of air flowing through the system.
A tubing 4003 passes through a heating fluid channel that extends from the top of the bank 4005 to the bottom, and has an upper inlet 4003b into which heated fluid flows and lower outlet 4003c from which fluid exits the tubing 4003.
As shown in
The system 2000 has a lower coil 510 according to the present invention and an upper coil 870 according to the present invention. It is within the scope of this invention to delete either coil and its associated apparatuses, connections, and structures related thereto.
As shown in
The exhaust guide unit 400, which is optional, connected to the rear frame, exhausts heat exchanged air in the system to an outdoor side.
A lower base pan 500 is coupled to lower ends of the front and rear frames 100 and 300 and supports a plurality of parts. A plurality of optional wheels 502 are installed on a bottom of the base pan 500.
The first coil 510 is installed on a top-central part of the base pan 500. This coil may be any coil described or disclosed herein according to the present invention useful for, selectively, heating or cooling air.
A compressor 520 is installed at a side of the coil 510 at an end part of the base pan 500 and supported by a triangular shape compressor frame 522. The compressor frame 522 is installed on the base pan 500. An accumulator 530 is installed beside the compressor 520. The accumulator 530 filters a liquid refrigerant so that a gaseous refrigerant can be introduced into the compressor 520. An optional condensed water detection unit 540 is installed in front of the compressor 520. The condensed water detection unit 540 detects condensed water when it is collected on a top surface of the base pan 500 by a predetermined amount and displays the detected result.
An optional condensed water pump 550 is further installed on a right front end of the base pan 500. The condensed water pump 550 pumps out collected condensed water in the base pan 500 to a sub-drain pan 750. A condensed water pipe 560 is connected to the condensed pump 550. The condensed water pipe 560 functions as a passage for guiding the condensed water pumped by the condensed water pump 550 to the sub-drain pan 750. A lower end of the condensed water pipe 560 is connected to the condensed pump 550 and an upper end is connected to the sub-drain pan 750.
The base pan 500 is provided at a left-top surface with a unit seating part 503. A blower unit 600 is on the top surface of the base pan 500 at a side of the coil 510. The blower unit 600 generates suction at a side to suck the air passing through the first coil 510 and discharge the sucked air. The blower unit 600 includes a lower orifice 610 and a lower air guide 620 that define a housing groove 640, a lower fan 630 generating wind by rotating in the housing groove 640, and a lower motor 660 providing a rotational force to the lower fan 630. The lower orifice 610 supports a plurality of components including a lower blower unit 800 and guides the air passed through the first coil 510. A circular lower orifice hole 612 is formed at a central part of the lower orifice 610.
A lower air guide 620 is installed at a left side of the lower orifice 610. The lower air guide 620 guides the air flow together with the lower orifice 610. The flower fan 630 for forcedly generating the airflow is located between the lower orifice 610 and the lower air guide 620. Therefore, the housing groove 640 is defined by the lower orifice 610 and the lower air guide 620 to guide the air flowing by the lower pan 630.
Exhaust guides 650 corresponding to each other are further formed on the respective lower orifice and lower air guide 610 and 620. The exhaust guide 650 functions to guide the air from the housing groove 640 to the exhaust guide unit 400. An upper end of the exhaust guide 650 has a shape corresponding to that of a lower end of the exhaust guide unit 400.
The main drain pan 700 is installed on a part of the front frame 100. The main drain pan 700 is formed to collect condensed water generated from the second coil 870. The air system is generally divided into indoor and outdoor sides. The main drain pan 700 functions to divide the air conditioner into the indoor and outdoor sides. The sub-drain pan 750 is installed under the main drain pan 700. The sub-drain pan 750 is a part for collecting and dispensing condensed water fed by the condensed pump 550.
The indoor blower unit 800 is installed at an upper side of the main drain pan 700. The indoor blower unit 800 directs the indoor air introduced into the air system through the external air inlet. A front outer appearance of the indoor blower unit 810 is provided with an upper air guide 810 for guiding the air forced by an upper fan 850. The upper air guide 810 is installed across the upper side of the main drain pan 700. The upper fan housing 820 is installed to enclose the upper fan 850. The upper motor 830 provides a rotational force to the upper fan 850. The upper fan 850 is received in the upper fan housing 820. The upper fan 850 is provided to force external air into the air system through the intake grille 310.
The second coil 870 is installed at a rear side of the upper orifice 860. The second coil 870 is provided to allow air introduced through the intake grille 310 to heat exchange with the fluid in the coil, e.g. heated water or refrigerant, and is installed on the main drain pan 700.
Controls are, e.g. as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,615,248.
Optionally, the first coil can serve as part of a condenser apparatus and the second coil can serve as part of an evaporator apparatus. Appropriate conduits, pipes, and tubing are connected between the compressor 520, the first coil 510, and the second coil 870.
Any suitable heated water source may be provided for the system 2000 to provide heated fluid, e.g. water or any suitable heat exchange fluid, to either or both of the coils 510 and/or 870. Any pump or pumps for pumping such heated fluid may be provided in or on the housing 100, or spaced apart from it. As shown in
The heated water source HWS may be like any such source described or disclosed herein from which heated water is pumped and/or flows to the system 2000 and is then pumped back to the heated water source. The heated water HWR may be like any such source described or disclosed herein from which heated water is pumped to the system 2000 and is then flows (by gravity, pumping, or both) to a drain or to an exhaust or evacuation pipe, conduit, reservoir, tank, container, or sump. The heated water HWE may be like any such source described or disclosed herein from which heated water is flows or is pumped to the system 2000 and heat is provided to the source HWE with power generated by a solar power system, etc. (i.e. a system that is not electrically powered and not powered by burning natural gas or coal, or some other hydrocarbon or carbon).
The coil 5010 is shown as an “A” coil with two sides 5010a and 5010b (see
In certain aspects, a heated fluid pathway through a coil (e.g. a tubing, conduit, channel, or pipe extending from a top of coil to a bottom of a coil, or vice versa, or side-to-side) is located adjacent or between two, or more, cooling fluid pathways. This can, in these particular aspects, provide structural protection for heated fluid pathways, enhance heat exchange between heated fluid and air, and facilitate desired flow of any resulting condensate on a coil's exterior into a pan below a coil. With such location of a heated fluid pathway, adjacent or nearby cooling fluid pathway(s) (with or without cooling fluid therein) can be heated by heat from the heated fluid. Thereby enhancing or facilitating the heating of air flowing over the coil.
It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a pump or pumps for pumping heated fluid from a heated fluid source, locating the pump(s) on a coil or within or outside of a coil; or locating the pump(s) either within a housing or cabinet of a system, or located outside such a housing or cabinet. As shown in
A control system 5080 controls the blower motor, the heated water system, the air conditioning system, and/or a selector valve, if present, for controlling flow of heated fluid to and from the coil. In certain particular aspects, the control system includes a part, subsystem, or module which includes a typical thermostat device or apparatus, e.g. as is present in homes, apartments, and buildings and the pump or pumps of a system according to the present invention are controlled by the thermostat device or apparatus, so that when the ambient temperature falls below a desired level, the pump(s), e.g. pump 5020, is/are actuated to pump heated fluid from a heated fluid source to the coil and then the blower is activated to flow air over the coil to heat the air.
As is commonly true for known coils, exterior tubing connections or pipe connectors, or hollow “hairpins,” connect portions of the fluid pathways through the coil so that fluid flows from one portion of a tubing, etc. through a hairpin to another portion of the tubing etc. Hairpins 5029b are used with the tubing 5019b and hairpins 5029a are used with the tubing 5019a (one side shown, the opposite side having more of the same hairpins); and the pump 5020 pumps fluid from one tubing portion to another through the hairpins. Hairpins may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, metal (hardfaced or not, inside or outside), plastic, fiberglass, composite, and ceramic material; and, as indicated in
Optionally (not shown), the heated water can flow by gravity, with or without assistance from a pump or pumps. Optionally (not shown), the water can flow (or be pumped) to a drain, reservoir, or exhaust instead of back to a source.
As shown in
Cooling fluid supplied by the air conditioning system 5016 is provided to tubing in pathways 5049a-5049d through the coil 5010 from the air conditioning system 5016 in an “IN” line 5016a and then fluid is returned to the system 5016 from lines 5033a-5033c to an “OUT” line 5016b. Suitable hairpins HS are used for intercommunicating these pathways.
The present invention provides, by way of example and not by way of limitation, the subject matter, inter alia, disclosed in the Paragraphs A-T below.
In conclusion, therefore, it is seen that the present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein and those covered by the appended claims are well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each element or step recited herein is to be understood as referring to the step literally and/or to all equivalent elements or steps. It is intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible in whatever form it may be utilized. The invention described herein is new and novel in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 102 and satisfies conditions for patentability in § 102. The invention described herein is not obvious in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 103 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in § 103. The Doctrine of Equivalents may be relied on to determine and assess the scope of the invention. All patents and applications identified herein are incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
The word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded and the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.
The present application and this invention, under the U.S. Patent Laws, claim priority from the following U.S. patent application: U.S. Ser. No. 63/100,371 filed Mar. 9, 2020, all of said application in its entirety incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63100371 | Mar 2020 | US |
