This application is directed, in general, to a drain pan for use in a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
HVAC plenums and their concomitant drain pans are well known and have been used for decades in the HVAC industry. In some applications, the direction of the output airflow is in a vertical, downward direction. This airflow direction can often lead to problems, such as water condensate leakage, that are not typically associated with horizontal units. Such leakage, of course, is highly undesirable because it can lead to water damage in the structure in which the HVAC unit is placed.
One aspect provides a drain pan, comprising a base pan section having a central air flow opening located therethough and at least one anchoring rim section located along the air flow opening. At least one condensate deflector is located at the air flow opening and at an end of the anchoring rim section. The condensate deflector is oriented at an angle with respect to the base pan section such that the condensate deflector partially extends into the air flow opening. The condensate deflector and anchoring rim section form a corner, wherein an upper portion of the corner extends along a same side of the opening as the anchoring rim section. The drain pan further comprises at least one condensate channel located between an outer perimeter of the base pan section and the condensate deflector.
In another embodiment an integrally formed drain pan unit for a heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) system is provided. In this embodiment, the drain pan comprises a base pan section having a central air flow opening located therethough. The central air flow opening is defined by opposing first and second anchoring rim sections and opposing first and second condensate deflectors integrally formed with the base pan section. The first and second anchoring rim sections and condensate deflectors form corners, wherein an upper portion of each of the corners extends along a same side of the opening as the first and second anchoring rim sections, respectively. The first and scone opposing condensate deflectors are oriented at an angle with respect to the base pan section such that the opposing condensate deflectors partially extend into the air flow opening. Condensate channels integrally formed with the base pan section are located between an outer perimeter of the base pan section and each of the opposing condensate deflectors.
In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a drain pan for a heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) system is disclosed. In this embodiment, the method comprises forming a base pan section having a central air flow opening located therethough from a composite material, wherein the central air flow opening is defined by: opposing first and second anchoring rim sections and opposing first and second condensate deflectors integrally formed with the base pan section. The first and second anchoring rim sections and first and second condensate deflectors form corners, wherein an upper portion of each of the corners extends along a same side of the opening as the first and second anchoring rim sections, respectively. The opposing first and second condensate deflectors are oriented at an angle with respect to the base pan section such that the opposing condensate deflectors partially extend into the air flow opening. The method further comprises forming condensate channels in the base pan section that are located between an outer perimeter of the base pan section and the opposing first and second condensate deflectors, respectively.
Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Manufactured homes or modular homes have been a part of the housing industry for decades. In times past, these residence structures were often cooled by individual window units. However, as HVAC technology has improved, central HVAC cooling units are now extensively used in these mobile or residential units. Given the limitations of these structures, the central HVACE cooling units are often configured for a downward directed air flow. As a result, condensate that is formed on the condensing coils is often pulled by the air flow into the opening, which can cause water damage to the support structure and ceiling. This, of course, is undesirable, and the HVAC manufacturing industry has tried various solutions to prevent this leakage from occurring. Though condensate deflectors have previously been employed in these units, these designs have failed to completely stop the leakage. The present disclosure, however, addresses this concern by providing embodiments of an improved drain pan as disclosed herein. The results obtained from this improved drain pan were quite unexpected, as many different configurations were attempted before arriving at the embodiments disclosed herein.
Located at the air flowing opening 110 and at opposing ends each of the anchoring rim sections 115a, 115b are opposing condensate deflectors 120a, 120b. The anchoring rim sections 115a, 115b and condensate deflectors 120a, 120b meet to form corners 125a, 125b, 125c, and 125d, respectively. Though two condensate deflectors 120a, 120b are shown, it should be understood that in certain embodiments, the drain pan 100 may have one or more than the two that are shown.
The drain pan 100 further comprises condensate channels 130a, 130b located between an outer perimeter of the base pan section 100 and the condensate deflectors 120a, 120b. The condensate channels 130a, 130b extend in a lateral direction parallel with the condensate deflectors 120a, 120b from one side of the base pan section 105 toward the other side and ends adjacent the opposing side of the base pan section 105 in which the drain openings 113 are located, as shown in the illustrated embodiment. The condensate channels 130a, 130b may be formed to tilt toward the condensate deflectors 120a, 120b, respectively. These respective tilts direct the condensate to the base of the condensate channels 130a, 130b, which then directs the condensate to the drain openings 113. However, in another aspect, the condensate channels 130a, 130b may be titled downwardly toward the drain openings 113. As such, the end of the condensate channels 130a, 130b located most distal from the drain openings 113 is raised with respect to the end closest the drain openings 113. This front to back tilt provides additional drainage inertia toward the drain openings 113. In certain embodiments, the two above-described tilts of the condensate channels 130a, 130b may be present together or signally.
Several different configurations having deflectors ranging from 14 inches tall to 22 inches tall in a 3 row configuration showed no condensate blow-off in situations where the cubit feet/minute (CFM) ranged from about 449 CFM to 1210 CFM for the 14 inch configuration, 537 CFM to 1344 CFM for the 18 inch configuration and 605 CFM to 1471 CFM for the 22 inch configuration. Further, configurations having deflectors ranging from 18 inches tall to 22 inches tall in a 4 row configuration showed no condensate blow-off in situations where the CFM ranged from about 611 CFM to 1419 CFM for the 18 inch configuration and 534 CFM to 1552 for the 22 inch configuration.
Those skilled in the art to which this application relates will appreciate that other and further additions, deletions, substitutions and modifications may be made to the described embodiments.