Patent Application
20200096209
The present disclosure relates generally to air conditioner units, and more particularly to improved apparatus for accessing connectors associated with bulkheads of air conditioner units.
Air conditioner units are conventionally utilized to adjust the temperature within structures such as dwellings and office buildings. In particular, one-unit type room air conditioner units may be utilized to adjust the temperature in, for example, a single room or group of rooms of a structure. A typical such air conditioner unit includes an indoor portion and an outdoor portion. The indoor portion is generally located indoors, and the outdoor portion is generally located outdoors. Accordingly, the air conditioner unit generally extends through a wall, window, etc. of the structure.
In the outdoor portion of a conventional air conditioner unit, a compressor that operates a refrigerating cycle is provided. At the back of the outdoor portion, an outdoor heat exchanger connected to the compressor is disposed, and facing the outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan for cooling the outdoor heat exchanger is provided. At the front of the indoor portion of a conventional air conditioner unit, an air inlet is provided, and above the air inlet, an air outlet is provided. A blower fan and a heating unit are additionally provided in the indoor portion. Between the blower fan and heating unit and the air inlet, an indoor heat exchanger connected to the compressor is provided.
When cooling operation starts, the compressor is driven to operate the refrigerating cycle, with the indoor heat exchanger serving as a cold-side evaporator of the refrigerating cycle, and the outdoor heat exchanger as a hot-side condenser. The outdoor heat exchanger is cooled by the outdoor fan to dissipate heat. As the blower fan is driven, the air inside the room flows through the air inlet into the air passage, and the air has its temperature lowered by heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger, and is then blown into the room through the air outlet. In this way, the room is cooled.
When heating operation starts, the heating unit is operated to raise the temperature of air in the air passage. The air, having had its temperature raised, is blown out through the air outlet into the room to heat the room.
Further, conventional air conditioner units include a bulkhead which is positioned between the indoor portion and outdoor portion, and thus generally separates the components within the indoor portion from the components in the outdoor portion. Various components may additionally be connected to the bulkhead, such as the blower fan and heating unit. Components which may be connected to the bulkhead include components located in both the indoor portion and the outdoor portion of the air conditioner unit.
One issue with many presently known bulkheads and air conditioner units is the difficulty in accessing connectors positioned on only one side of the bulkhead.
Accordingly, improved apparatus for accessing connectors associated with bulkheads in air conditioner units is desired in the art. In particular, apparatus which facilitate such access during manufacture and/or maintenance of air conditioner units and thus reducing the associated time and labor would be advantageous.
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In accordance with one embodiment, an air conditioner unit is provided. The air conditioner unit defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The vertical direction, the lateral direction, and the transverse directions are mutually perpendicular. The air conditioner unit includes at least one outdoor component disposed in an outdoor portion of the air conditioner unit and at least one indoor component disposed in an indoor portion of the air conditioner unit. A bulkhead is disposed between the outdoor portion and the indoor portion along the transverse direction. The bulkhead includes an indoor surface facing the indoor portion of the air conditioner unit and an outdoor surface facing the outdoor portion of the air conditioner unit. At least one indoor connector is disposed on the bulkhead and faces the indoor portion of the air conditioner unit. At least one outdoor connector is disposed on the bulkhead and faces the outdoor portion of the air conditioner unit.
In accordance with another embodiment, a bulkhead assembly of an air conditioner unit is provided. The bulkhead assembly is disposed between an indoor portion of an air conditioner unit and an outdoor portion of the air conditioner unit. The bulkhead assembly includes a bulkhead which includes a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface facing a second direction. The second surface is opposite the first surface. A first connector is disposed on the bulkhead facing the first direction. A second connector is disposed on the bulkhead facing the second direction.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, terms of approximation, such as “generally,” or “about” include values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value. When used in the context of an angle or direction, such terms include within ten degrees greater or less than the stated angle or direction. For example, “generally vertical” includes directions within ten degrees of vertical in any direction, e.g., clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Referring now to
Air conditioner unit 100 is operable to generate chilled and/or heated air in order to regulate the temperature of an associated room or building. As may be seen in
Casing 110 defines a mechanical compartment 116. Sealed system 120 is disposed or positioned within mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110. The sealed system 120 may be attached to the casing 110, e.g., with mechanical fasteners such as screws. A front panel 118 is attached to the sealed system 120, e.g., with a snap fit or interference fit, and a rear grill or screen 119 is mounted to casing 110. The front panel 118 and the rear grill 119 hinder or limit access to mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110. Front panel 118 is mounted to sealed system 120 such that the front panel 118 is positioned at interior side portion 112 of casing 110, and rear screen 119 is mounted to casing 110 at exterior side portion 114 of casing 110. Front panel 118 and rear screen 119 each define a plurality of holes that permit air to flow through front panel 118 and rear screen 119, with the holes sized for preventing foreign objects from passing through front panel 118 and rear screen 119 into mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110.
Air conditioner unit 100 also includes a drain pan or bottom tray 138 and a bulkhead assembly 140 positioned within mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110. Sealed system 120 is positioned on bottom tray 138. Thus, liquid runoff from sealed system 120 may flow into and collect within bottom tray 138. Bulkhead assembly 140 may be mounted to bottom tray 138 and extend upwardly from bottom tray 138 to a top wall of casing 110. Bulkhead assembly 140 limits or prevents air flow between interior side portion 112 of casing 110 and exterior side portion 114 of casing 110 within mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110. Thus, bulkhead assembly 140 may divide mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110.
Air conditioner unit 100 further includes a controller 146 with user inputs, such as buttons, switches and/or dials. Controller 146 regulates operation of the air conditioner unit 100. Thus, controller 146 is in operative communication with various components of air conditioner unit 100, such as components of sealed system 120 and/or a temperature sensor, such as a thermistor or thermocouple, for measuring the temperature of the interior atmosphere. In particular, controller 146 may selectively activate sealed system 120 in order to chill or heat air within sealed system 120, e.g., in response to temperature measurements from the temperature sensor.
Controller 146 includes memory and one or more processing devices such as microprocessors, CPUs or the like, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of air conditioner unit 100. The memory can represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. The processor executes programming instructions stored in the memory. The memory can be a separate component from the processor or can be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, controller 146 may be constructed without using a microprocessor, e.g., using a combination of discrete analog and/or digital logic circuitry (such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software.
Referring now to
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The air conditioner unit of the present disclosure provides several advantages. For example, providing the outdoor connectors on an outdoor-facing surface reduces the time and expense needed to assemble and/or disassemble the unit, such as during manufacture or maintenance, etc. Also by way of example, the opening in the outdoor surface of the bulkhead advantageously provides access to the outdoor connectors from the outdoor portion of the air conditioner unit, promoting ease of assembly and reducing the amount of materials, e.g., length of copper wires, needed to make up the connections during assembly and/or maintenance of the air conditioner unit.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
