Patent Application
20230213214
Air conditioning units are typically classified into split type air conditioning units and integral type air conditioning units. The split type air conditioning unit usually includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit is installed indoors, and draws indoor air into the unit to allow the drawn air to exchange heat with refrigerant, and discharges the heat-exchanged air to the conditioned indoor space. The outdoor unit allows the refrigerant introduced from the indoor unit to exchange heat with outdoor air such that the refrigerant is in a state available for heat exchange with indoor air, and then provides the refrigerant to the indoor unit. The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are usually connected to each other by a refrigerant pipe through which refrigerant flows. By contrast, the integral type of air conditioning unit (e.g., a window air conditioning unit) usually includes all the unit components, such as electrical panels, heat exchangers (e.g., evaporators, condensers), compressors, and fans, encased in a housing as a single packaged unit.
One of the advantages of the integral type air conditioning unit is that it's easy to install and thus allows consumers to install the unit themselves if they prefer. However, the integral type air conditioning unit, such as a window-mounted air conditioning unit, is often of relatively low efficiency because of the size limitations of the window-mounted packaged housing. In addition, the integral type air conditioning units generally do not come with heat pumps and therefore are suitable only for summer use. Also, as most integral type air conditioning units are mounted in a window, sunlight is blocked, the window view cannot be enjoyed, and the window cannot be opened or closed freely. Moreover, the traditional integral type air conditioning units tend to be very noisy in operation, as the noise generated by the compressor and the condenser of the air conditioning unit easily travels into the room.
The split type air conditioning unit may overcome the disadvantages of the integral type air conditioning unit as described above, with the outdoor unit being installed outside of the room. However, one of the disadvantages of the split type air conditioning unit is that it is usually more expensive for installation compared with the integral type air conditioning unit. As a result, in places where labor cost is high, the popularity of the split type air conditioning unit is low.
Accordingly, a need continues to exist in the art for a high efficiency hybrid window air conditioning unit, which has the advantages of both integral type and the split type air conditioning units, while eliminating have the aforementioned drawbacks.
The herein-described embodiments address these and other problems associated with the art by providing a new hybrid window air conditioning unit design with the advantages of the integral type air conditioning unit (e.g., a window air conditioner) and the split type air conditioning unit (e.g., a mini-split), allowing traditional integral type air conditioning unit users to have the features and performance benefits of the split type air conditioning unit, but with the easier installation and enhanced window usability of the integral type air conditioning unit. The present disclosure provides a hybrid window air conditioning unit with unique features allowing high efficiency and noise reduction in an air-conditioned space. The hybrid window air conditioning unit may include an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected by a connection unit to form a complete air conditioning system.
Another related object of the disclosure is to provide such a hybrid window air conditioning unit that permits the window to be fully open/closed. Yet another object is to provide such a hybrid window air conditioning unit that is relatively inexpensive and practicable for self-installation, and well-suited for heat pump operations. Other objects and advantages of the disclosed apparatus will become apparent from the specification and appended claims and from the accompanying drawing illustrative of the invention.
In some embodiments, a hybrid window air conditioning unit may comprise an indoor unit configured for installation on an interior wall of an air-conditioned space, an outdoor unit configured for installation exteriorly of the air-conditioned space, and a connection unit coupled between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. The indoor unit may have an indoor housing with a front panel and a back panel, and an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan housed within the indoor housing. The outdoor unit may have an outdoor housing, and an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and an outdoor fan housed within said outdoor housing. The connection unit may have an interior channel containing refrigerant piping and electrical wiring connecting between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, such that the indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit is operatively connected with the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger of the outdoor unit through the connection unit.
In some embodiments, a hybrid window air conditioning unit may comprise a first unit, a second unit, and a connection unit operatively connecting the first unit and the second unit. The first unit may be disposed inside a room, and the second unit may be disposed outside a building and substantially flush with or below a window of the room. The connection unit may extend through the window and has an interior channel containing refrigerant piping, electrical wiring, and condensate drain piping connecting between the first unit and the second unit, such that the first unit is operatively connected with the second unit through the connection unit.
In some embodiments, a method of installing a hybrid window air conditioning unit is disclosed. The hybrid window air conditioning unit may include an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, a connection unit, an indoor unit installation plate, and an outdoor unit mounting assembly. The method may include installing the outdoor unit mounting assembly at a window; positioning the outdoor unit on the outdoor unit mounting assembly at the window; installing the indoor unit installation plate on an interior wall; mounting the indoor unit on the indoor unit installation plate; and connecting the connection unit between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit through the window.
These and other advantages and features, which characterize the invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto. For a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages and objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the Drawings, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described example embodiments of the invention. This summary is merely provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description, and is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The embodiments discussed hereinafter are directed in part to a hybrid window air conditioning unit, and a method therefor of installing the hybrid window air conditioning unit. The functionality of the disclosed apparatus is a significant improvement over known designs. The apparatus described herein not only provides an easy solution for noise reduction, heat pump operation, and efficiency improvement, but also enables a potentially easy manner of installation of unit. The embodiments shown and described include a hybrid window air conditioning unit having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected by a connection unit containing the piping and wiring between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. As will be shown and described below, the hybrid window air conditioning unit, is preferably, but not necessarily, equipped with a height-adjustable outdoor unit mounting assembly. In general, the disclosed apparatus is low-priced, high-efficiency, convenient to install, and provides noise reduction and potentially a full adjustable window with a full window view.
Turning now to the drawings, wherein like numbers denote like parts throughout the several views, the overall configuration of a hybrid window air conditioning unit/apparatus 100 will now be described with reference to
As shown in
Similar to the traditional split type air conditioning unit, the outdoor unit 104 of the hybrid window air conditioning unit 100 may include an outdoor unit housing 103 that contains a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor fan. The outdoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator during a heating operation and as a condenser/radiator during a cooling operation, and the outdoor fan may be configured to direct outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger for better heat exchanging performance. In some embodiments, the outdoor unit housing 103 may include a plurality of panels (e.g., a back panel 103a, a top panel 103b. etc.). In some embodiments, an air inhalation opening/hole 103c, through which external air may be introduced or discharged, may be formed on one or more the panels of the outdoor unit housing 103. For example, the side or front panels the outdoor unit housing 103 may have the opening 103c facing outwardly to allow outside air to pass therethrough. In some embodiments, a fan guard that is formed of wires may be attached on the opening. During cooling operation, the compressor compresses the refrigerant, and the compressed refrigerant is introduced into the condenser and condensed. In such embodiments, the outdoor fan may draw the external air through back panel 103a to cool the condenser. In some embodiments, the outdoor unit 104 may be equipped with a variable speed inverter to configure a variable rotation speed type compressor for improved efficiency and capacity as well as low temperature heat pump operation, while the traditional integral type air conditioning units are constrained from many of these features by space limitations. The indoor unit 102 and/or the outdoor unit 104 may also include a flow rate control device, like a pressure reducing device such as an expansion valve, that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant, so the air may be conditioned by the refrigeration cycle.
Different from the traditional integral type air conditioning unit, such as with the entire unit being mounted through the window, the outdoor unit 104 of the hybrid window air conditioning unit 100 is separate from the indoor unit 102 and may be installed exteriorly of the air-conditioned space. As the outdoor heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 104 emits hot air while cooling and cold air while heating to supply cooling energy or heating energy to the indoor unit 102, respectively, the outdoor unit 104 may be installed at, for example, a position where an air passage is reserved for thermal exchange with the outdoor environment and that is not very far from the indoor unit 102, for example, on the ground, on the window balcony, on the roof, in the garage, in the yard, and the like. In some embodiments, the hybrid window air conditioning unit 100 may further include an outdoor unit mounting assembly 108 for holding the outdoor unit 104 at a window. The outdoor unit mounting assembly 108 can be of the type disclosed in copending application U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed on even date herewith, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, for example, as shown in
As shown in
It should be understood that the fastener for mounting the indoor unit 102 to the indoor unit installation plate 105 and/or mounting the outdoor unit 104 to the outdoor unit mounting assembly 108 may be any other suitable configurations/mechanisms, such as, a nut combined with a screw/shaft, geometric coupling (e.g., pin and slots, French cleats, etc.), and fasteners of many types (e.g., screws, rivets, pins, ball detents, etc.). It should be also understood that various fastening features (e.g., snaps or spring clips, swaged/flared pins, bendable tabs, etc.) may be additionally provided to permit the indoor unit 102 and/or the outdoor unit 104 to be firmly secured to the indoor unit installation plate 105 and the outdoor unit mounting assembly 108, respectively, without risk of loosening or displacement, while further easing the installation process.
With reference to
In some embodiments, the connection unit 106, including the high pressure refrigerant pipe 6 and the low pressure refrigerant pipe 7, which is connected to the indoor unit 102 and the outdoor unit 104, may include additional components, such as a condensation drain pipe 8 and/or a power/electrical/communication cable 9, as shown in
In some embodiments, the connection unit 106 may be made from any material (e.g., plastic, fabric, metal, etc.) that provides the properties of flexibility and weather resistance for routing the assembly through various structures, such as windows, holes in walls, ceilings, floors, and/or through long passageways, to connect the indoor unit 102 and the outdoor unit 104 together during installation. For example, in some embodiments, in order to prevent piping and cables inside from being damaged, the connection unit 106 may be manufactured from hard materials such as hard plastic or metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.). When the connection unit 106 is formed from a hard material, the connection unit 106 may not bend or extend significantly during installation. Thus, for the hybrid window air conditioning unit 100 according to the present disclosure, various configurations of the connection unit 106 (e.g., elongated shaped, elbow shaped, right angle shaped, curved, etc.) may be provided for combinations and connections to meet different room and window configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the connection unit 106 may include a window sealing member 107 in a horizontal orientation for a vertical sliding window 2 as shown in
In some embodiments, the interior channel of the connection unit 106 may also include a prefabricated interior sleeve 106a as shown in
In some embodiments, to protect the exposed refrigeration connection port 109 and the condensate drain connection port 110 on the top panel 103b of the outdoor unit housing 103 and also to provide a better overall appearance, an outdoor unit cover 112 may be provided as shown in
It should also be understood that the disclosed hybrid window air conditioning unit 100 may be a variety of constructions, shapes, sizes, quantities, and positions but still accomplish the same intent. The elements depicted in the figures may not be drawn to scale and thus, the elements may have different sizes and/or configurations other than as shown in the figures.
While several embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.
In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.
It is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” “in communication with,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The foregoing description of several embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
