Patent Application
20140008253
The present invention relates to a condensation sensor enclosure to house an electromechanical control system to limit the level of condensate within a drain pan of an air conditioner.
Air handling systems such as air conditioning systems typically have a condensate collector or drain pan to collect condensate. If left without a means of controlling the level or volume of condensate within the condensation collector or drain pan, there is often an overflow of condensate from the collection or drain pan causing damage to the house or building.
To mitigate this danger, condensate can be removed from the condensate collector or drain pan by the use of a pump. To accomplish this, a drain pan system including a sensor is placed in the drain pan to sense the level of the condensation therein. When the condensate level reaches a predetermined level, the sensor generates a signal sent to a sensor switching circuit to activate the pump to prevent the condensate from overflowing the drain pan. In addition, the air handling system may be shut down to prevent the creation or generation of more condensate.
Although a seemingly limitless number of such systems exist, there remains a need for a reliable condensate sensor system adequately isolated from the operating environs by a protective enclosure or housing.
The present invention relates to a condensation sensor enclosure to house an electromechanical control system to limit the level of condensate within a drain pan of an air conditioning system. The condensate sensor enclosure comprises a control system compartment to receive an electromechanical control system therein, a cover to close the upper portion or open end of the control system compartment and a pair of hollow probe housings or protrusions each extending downwardly from the bottom of the control system compartment is operatively receive and house a corresponding electrically conductive sensor probe.
A pair of probe apertures is formed, through the lower portion of the control system compartment to receive a portion of the corresponding electrically conductive sensor probe extending upwardly through the corresponding hollow probe housing or protrusion.
A retainer engages and secures the electromechanical control system within the control system compartment.
Each electrically conductive sensor probe is secured in watertight relationship to the interior of the control system cabinet within a corresponding probe channel.
The electromechanical control system comprises state of the art circuitry and switching control to control the operation of a pump or similar device to limit the level of condensate with the drain pan of an air conditioning system. In addition, the electromechanical control system may also control operation of the air conditioning system.
When assembled, the control system compartment and the cover are secured to each other by a coupling assembly to enclose the electromechanical control system within a compartment cavity.
When installed, the condensation sensor enclosure is clamped or mounted to the side of the drain pan.
In operation, an impedance created by condensate is sensed between or across the electrically conductive sensor probes indicates a predetermined level of condensate within the drain pan. A microprocessor or similar control that includes logic or circuitry generates a condensate level control signal to either activate a pump or shut down the air conditioning system or both.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
As shown in
The control system compartment 12 comprises a front and a rear compartment wall indicated as 22 and 24 respectively, a first and second compartment side wall indicated as 26 and 28 respectively, and a bottom compartment wall 30 to cooperatively form a compartment cavity 32 of the control system compartment 12 to house the electromechanical control system 14 therein.
A first lower coupling member generally as 34 extends outwardly from the upper portion of the first compartment side wall 26 and a second lower coupling member generally indicated as 36 extends outwardly from the upper portion of the second compartment side wall 28.
As best shown in
The upper substantially flat surfaces 46 and 52 are substantially coplanar with the substantially flat upper surfaces 54, 56, 58 and 60 of the front compartment wall 22, rear compartment wall 24, first compartment side wall 26 and second compartment side wall 28 respectively. A substantially vertical substantially flat compression nut seal engaging surface 62 is formed at the base of externally threaded semi cylindrical protrusion 38 adjacent the external threads thereof and the externally threaded semi cylindrical protrusion 48 adjacent the external threads thereof on the first compartment side wall 26 and the second compartment wall 28 respectively to engage a compression nut seal 64.
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The cover 16 comprises a front and rear cover wall indicated as 72 and 74 respectively, a first and second cover side wall indicated as 76 and 78 respectively and a top cover wall 80 to cooperatively form the cover 14 including a cover cavity 82.
A first upper coupling member generally indicated as 84 extends outwardly from the lower portion of the first cover side wall 76 and a second upper coupling member generally indicated as 86 extends outwardly from the lower portion of the second cover side wall 78.
As best shown in
The lower substantially flat surface 94 and 100 are substantially coplanar with the substantially flat surfaces 102, 104, 106 and 108 of the front cover wall 72, rear cover wall 74, first cover side wall 76, and second cover side wall 78 respectively. A substantially vertical substantially flat compression nut seal engaging surface 110 is formed at the base of the externally threaded substantially semi cylindrical protrusion 88 adjacent the external threads thereof and the externally threaded substantially semi cylindrical protrusion 96 on the first cover side wall 76 and the second cover side wall 78 respectively to engage the compression nut seal 64 as described hereinafter.
An upper electromechanical control system retainer generally indicated as 112 to engage and secure the electromechanical control system 14 within the compartment cavity 32 of the control system compartment 12 as described hereinafter.
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Alternatively, the lower end of each hollow probe housing or protrusion 18 may comprise a diagonal surface 139 so that neither electrically conductive sensor probe 20 is entirely disposed therein so long as the lowest extent of each hollow probe housing or protrusion 18 is below or lower than the lowest extent of the corresponding electrically conductive sensor probe 20 to prevent either electrically conductive sensor probe 20 from engaging the bottom of the drain pan (not shown).
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The electromechanical control system 14 is coupled to a power source (not shown) and the pump (not shown) by a plurality of conductors 146 within an outer protective sheath 147.
As best shown in
When assembled, the substantially flat surfaces 46, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 of the control system compartment 12 and the corresponding substantially flat surfaces 94, 100, 102, 104, 106 and 108 of the cover 16 engage each other to enclose the electromechanical control system 14 within the compartment cavity 32. An upper peripheral apron or lip 164 is formed on the edge portion of the substantially flat surfaces 102 and 104 of the front cover wall 72 and rear cover wall 74 of the cover 16.
So configured, the control system compartment 12 and the cover 14 are coupled or secured together by a coupling assembly. Specifically, the first lower coupling member 34 of the control system compartment 12 and the first upper coupling member 84 of the cover 16 cooperatively form a first coupler comprising a substantially cylindrical first coupler to receive a corresponding compression nut or fastener 166 to compress the corresponding compressor nut seal 64 against the corresponding substantially vertical substantially flat seal engaging surface 62. Similarly, the second lower coupling member 36 of the control system compartment 12 and the second upper coupling member 86 of the electromechanical control system 14 cooperatively form a second coupler comprising a substantially cylindrical second coupler to receive the corresponding compression nut or fastener 166 to compress the corresponding compression nut seal 64 against the corresponding substantially vertical substantially flat seal engaging surface 62. In other words, the first coupler and the second coupler form a coupling assembly to secure the control system compartment 12 and the cover 16 operatively together.
The conductors 146 and outer protective sheath 147 extend through the center opening of the compressor nut or fastener 166 on the first side of the condensation sensor enclosure 10 such that the outer protective sheath 142 and each of the conductors 146 are sandwiched or press-fitted by corresponding conductor or wire engaging ridges 42 and 91.
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Also shown in
When installed on a drain pan (not shown), the condensation sensor enclosure 10 is clamped or mounted to the side of the drain pan (not shown) by a mounting member 168 disposed in spaced relationship relative to the rear compartment wall 24 to cooperatively form a mounting channel or groove 170 therebetween. A fastener or thumbscrew 172 extends through the mounting member 168 to secure the condensation sensor enclosure 10 in place on the drain pan (not shown). Of course, any number of fastening means will suffice.
Since the apron or lips 164 is formed above the uppermost extent or apex of the mounting groove or channel 170 and overhangs the upper surfaces of the control system compartment 12 so that condensate will not enter the compartment cavity 32.
In operation, the condensate sensing element or probes 20 detects when the condensate level within the condensate collector or drain pan (not shown) reaches the predetermined condensate level. The impedance between the condensate sensing element or probes 20 may be sampled multiple times during a sampling period. If the condensate in the condensate collector or drain pan (not shown) has reached the predetermined condensate level the impedance across the electrically conductive sensor probes 20 completes the circuit to generate a condensate sensor signal fed to the electromechanical control system 14 or similar control that includes logic or circuitry to generate the condensate level control signal fed to a pump (not shown) and/or the air handler control system (not shown).
After the air conditioning system has shut down or pump activated, the electrically conductive sensor probes 20 continue to monitor the condensate level in the condensate collector or drain pan (not shown). When condensate in the condensate collector or drain pan (not shown) is no longer detected by the electrically conductive sensor probes 20, a second or no-condensate signal may be sent to the electromechanical control system 14 to deactivate the pump (not shown) and/or turn on the air conditioning system.
Of course, upon detection of condensate, the electromechanical control system 14 may operate an external alarm, external monitoring system, digital control system or other peripheral equipment or device.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
