Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6568201
-
Patent Number
6,568,201
-
Date Filed
Thursday, November 29, 200122 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 27, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Rice; Robert O.
- Krefman; Stephen
- Roth; Thomas J.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 062 262
- 062 263
- 062 285
- 062 298
- 062 419
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
The invention includes a saddle air conditioner. The saddle air conditioner includes a remote unit having a first channel extending from a back of the remote unit. The saddle air conditioner also includes a local unit having a second channel extending from a back of the local unit. The first channel and the second channel overlap to form a bridge disposed between the remote unit and the local unit.
Description
The invention includes arrangements to substantially improve customer benefits in window air conditioning and at the same time to reduce assembly and installation requirements and operating noise for a cooling and/or ventilating air treatment appliance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To cool a certain location such as the room of a home, an air cooling unit of an air conditioning system (or “air conditioner”) may draw heat from the room into a coolant working fluid. To expel the heat absorbed into the fluid, the air conditioner may route that heated coolant to a location that is remote from the room. There, a heat discharging unit may expel the heat from the coolant into the remote location, typically outdoors.
Conventional room air conditioners may be categorized into window or split air conditioners. A unitary air conditioner may be a unit in which the air cooling unit and the heat discharging outdoor unit are fixed relative to one another to form a single housing. A split air conditioner may be a unit in which the position of the air cooling unit relative to the heat discharging outdoor unit may be varied.
In the area of split air conditioners, assembly, installation, and operating noise are major concerns for customers who purchase air conditioners. One type of split air conditioner is a saddle mount air conditioner. A saddle mount air conditioner may include a low profile service channel disposed between an indoor, air cooling unit and an outdoor, heat discharging unit to permit air, condensate water, coolant, and electricity to pass between each unit. The service channel may be placed on the sill of a window so that the indoor unit and the outdoor unit straddle the sill at locations that are significantly below the horizontal level of the sill.
A problem with conventional window as well as split air conditioners, is they are difficult to assemble and install. For example, service channels of conventional split air conditioners are banded tubes that are pre-charged with working fluid, expensive and limited in their ability to adjust to fit a variety of home constructions. Moreover, heavy, bulky, heat discharging outdoor units of split air conditioners increase the cost of installation. It is desirable that the connecting tube between the heat transfer coils of a split air conditioner be charged with coolant at the factory and that the various auxiliary service tubing be connected at the factory rather than the home of the consumer. However, due to the design of conventional service channels, professional on-site installation is necessary to connect the air, water, coolant, and electrical service lines between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.
In operation, conventional split air conditioners produce a great amount of noise that finds its way into the inside of a consumer's home. For example, noise from air drawn into the top of the heat discharging unit is propagated through the window glass to the inside of a consumer's home. Also, for window air conditioners in general, an ongoing problem is the noise generated by the components of the air cooling unit located within the consumer's home. Air cooling unit components such as the evaporator fan motor, the speed of the evaporator fan, the arrangement of the evaporator fan, and the condensate removal system each generate noise which is propagated into the room.
It is desirable to have a hybrid room air conditioner that can be configured either as a saddle mount air conditioner which gives customers full access to the window without obstruction or can be assembled as a conventional split or portable air conditioner. It is also desirable to have a unique mechanism that makes the saddle window air conditioner installation simple and easy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention includes a local unit that may be utilized to provide local cooling and/or air purifying. The local unit may function as the cooling function for a split air conditioner, or a window unit such as a portable air conditioner or a saddle air conditioner. The local unit functions to draw air in a frontal portion and to exit the air out a peripheral portion, thus allowing the unit to be utilized in the same vertical orientation regardless of the configuration of the overall units.
In a preferred embodiment, the local unit is configured with two vertically disposed cross flow fans to draw air from the room, over the evaporator and exhaust the cooled air out through the periphery of the local unit. A similarly configured local unit includes an axial flow or centrifugal fan (herein after “fan”) that may be driven directly or indirectly by an electric motor.
In a saddle mount air conditioner configuration, an installation bracket is provided with the saddle air conditioner disposed over the installation bracket, the saddle air conditioner having a remote unit coupled to a local unit with a bridge, and wherein the remote unit includes a back having at least one grill that is adapted to permit air to pass through the back of the remote unit into the remote unit of the saddle air conditioner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
illustrates split air conditioner incorporating principles of the invention;
FIG. 2
illustrates an air conditioner system;
FIG. 2A
is a sectional view of a supply cable taken generally along line
2
A—
2
A of
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 3
illustrates a perspective view of a portable air conditioner;
FIG. 4
illustrates a perspective view of a saddle air conditioner;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of a beam taken generally along line
5
A—
5
A of
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 6
illustrates a perspective view of the saddle air conditioner with a cover removed;
FIG. 7
illustrates flexible tubing disposed within the bridge;
FIG. 8
illustrates helical tubing;
FIG. 9
illustrates serpentine tubing;
FIG. 10
illustrates roll tubing;
FIG. 11
illustrates an installation of the saddle air conditioner;
FIG. 12
illustrates a gap filler having one cutout;
FIG. 13
illustrates the gap filler having two cutouts;
FIG. 14
illustrates the saddle air conditioner with an exterior tray and the majority of the remote unit removed to reveal a Z-bracket;
FIG. 15
is an exploded view of the local unit of
FIG. 14
;
FIG. 16
is a front view of the local unit;
FIG. 16A
is a sectional view of the local unit taken generally along line
16
A—
16
A of
FIG. 16
;
FIG. 16B
is a sectional view of the local unit taken generally along line
16
B—
16
B of
FIG. 16
;
FIG. 17
is a top view of the local unit;
FIG. 18
illustrates an exploded, perspective view of a fan motor system;
FIG. 19
illustrates a first blower wheel and a second blower wheel disposed in unit of a split air conditioner;
FIG. 20
illustrates the first blower wheel and the second blower wheel disposed behind an evaporator coil;
FIG. 21
is a perspective view of the local unit with the first blower wheel and the second blower wheel removed to reveal a shroud;
FIG. 22
is a perspective view of the local unit with the shroud removed to reveal a first motor and a second motor;
FIG. 22A
schematically illustrates a blower wheel motor system;
FIG. 23
is a perspective view of the saddle air conditioner with parts removed to reveal details of a remote unit;
FIG. 24
is a detailed view of the remote unit with condenser tubes removed;
FIG. 25
illustrates an installation bracket of the invention;
FIG. 26
illustrates an installation bracket disposed over a bottom rail of a window sill (FIG.
11
);
FIG. 27
illustrates the saddle air conditioner disposed over the installation frame; and
FIG. 28
illustrates an air path with respect to the remote unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
illustrates a split air conditioner embodying principles of the present invention. Included with the air conditioner
10
may be a local unit
12
and a remote unit
14
. The local unit
12
may include an evaporator system that both absorbs heat from the surrounding environment into a working fluid and passes that heated fluid to the remote unit
14
. The remote unit
14
may include a condenser system that may expel heat from the fluid to aid in cooling the fluid, whereupon the fluid may be recirculated to the local unit
12
.
Coupled between the local unit
12
and the remote unit
14
may be a supply system
16
. The supply system
16
may include an adjustable structure that aids in routing tubing, such as air, condensate water, coolant, and electricity tubing, between the local unit
12
and the remote unit
14
. Under this arrangement, the air conditioner
10
may be viewed as a split air conditioner. Here, the adjustibility of the supply system
16
may permit a user to position the local unit
12
in any one of a number of orientations with respect to the remote unit
14
. As schematically illustrated in
FIG. 1
, the air conditioner
10
may include a mini-split air conditioner
26
of
FIG. 2
, a portable air conditioner
80
of
FIG. 3
, a saddle air conditioner
100
of FIG.
4
and
FIG. 5
, or the local unit may be utilized as an air purifier as exemplified in FIG.
15
.
FIG. 2
illustrates an air conditioner system
20
. Included with the air conditioner system
20
may be a wall or walls
22
, a surface
24
, and the mini-split air conditioner
26
. The walls
22
may meet with a ceiling (not shown) and the surface
24
so as to define an area (here, an indoors area
28
) that may be distinguished from an outdoor area
30
. The indoor area
28
may be an area within a building enclosed by the walls
22
and the surface and a ceiling. The walls
22
may include a window
32
so that the indoor area
28
need not be completely isolated from the outdoor area
30
area. Moreover, the outdoor area
30
may include any location that is remote from the indoor area
28
, even where a structure does not exist to physically separate the two areas.
The mini-split air conditioner
26
may include a local unit
34
, a remote unit
36
, and a supply cable
38
. In the view shown in
FIG. 2
, the local unit
34
may include a front grill
39
, a first louver
40
, and a second louver
92
(FIG.
15
), each disposed within or as part of a housing
42
. The front grill
39
may be any network of fixed or movable slats that define a mesh of openings to pass air. The first louver
40
may be any framed opening fitted with fixed or movable slats to pass air.
In the view shown in
FIG. 2
, the remote unit
36
may include a front grill
43
, a first louver
41
(FIG.
6
), and a second louver
44
(FIG.
28
), each disposed within or as part of a housing
46
. The front grill
43
and the second louver
44
may be similar to the front grill
39
and first louver
40
, respectively. Moreover, the slats of the front grill
43
and the second louver
44
may be arranged to shed rain so that the housing
46
works to repel water without allowing rain to penetrate within the housing
46
.
FIG. 2A
is a sectional view of a supply cable
38
taken generally along line
2
A—
2
A of FIG.
2
. The supply cable
38
may be viewed as an umbilical cord that works towards providing auxiliary services between the local unit
34
and the remote unit
36
. The supply cable
38
may include a sleeve
48
. The sleeve
48
may be any tubular construction designed to cover other parts. Alternatively, the sleeve
48
may be a series of ties that bundle other parts together. Moreover, the sleeve
48
may include insulation disposed about its interior or exterior surface.
The sleeve
48
may be flexible or rigid through structural design, selection of material, or a combination of the two. For example, the sleeve
48
may be made from corrugated tubing surrounded by a polyethylene non-chlorinated jacket. The material of the sleeve
48
may include at least one of plastic, rubber, cloth, metal, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and wood. When made of a rigid material, the sleeve
48
may include joints, mating pieces, and elongated pieces of varying lengths to permit a user to position the local unit
34
in any one of a number of orientations with respect to the remote unit
36
. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 2A
, the sleeve
48
is made of copper.
The supply cable
38
may also include power lines
50
, a suction line
52
, and an expansion line
54
. The power lines
50
, the suction line
52
, and the expansion line
54
may be disposed within the sleeve
48
. The power lines
50
may include any cable used to distribute electricity
56
. The suction line
52
and the expansion line
54
may be a system of elongated tubes that may be used to pass a coolant
58
between the local unit
34
and the remote unit
36
. The coolant
58
may be any agent that produces cooling, especially a working fluid (liquid or gas) that relays heat through circulation. Examples of the coolant
58
of
FIG. 2A
include air, ammonia, water, carbon dioxide, the fluorinated hydrocarbon Freon®, and the high-pressure coolant chlorodifluoromethane R-22.
When disposed within the suction line
52
, the coolant
58
may be referred to as a chilled coolant
60
since the suction line
52
may transmit a relatively low temperature coolant
58
from the local unit
34
to the remote unit
36
. When disposed within the expansion line
54
, the coolant
58
may be referred to as a heated coolant
62
since the expansion line
54
may transmit a relatively high temperature coolant
58
from the remote unit
36
to the local unit
34
. To maintain the temperature of the chilled coolant
60
, the suction line
52
further may include insulation
64
disposed about an exterior of suction line
52
.
In operation, the chilled coolant
60
may pass through evaporator coils
220
(
FIG. 15
) within the local unit
34
as air is passed over the evaporator coils
220
. A side effect of the chilled coolant
60
passing through the local unit
34
as air is passed over the evaporator coils
220
is that atmospheric moisture from the passing air may condense on evaporator coils
220
as a condensate
66
. The condensate
66
may collect in a pan
221
(
FIG. 15
) at a base
218
of the local unit
34
. It is desirable to remove the condensate
66
from the pan
221
so that the condensate
66
does not spill out of the local unit
34
.
To aid in removing the condensate
66
, the supply cable
38
of
FIG. 2A
may further include a condensate line
68
. The condensate
66
may be moved through the condensate line
68
by a condensate removal pump
299
(FIG.
24
). When the condensate removal pump
299
is located in the remote unit
36
and is an air pump that pumps air
70
, the supply cable
38
may also include an air tube
72
. The air tube
72
may include a filter to purify the air
70
prior to the air
70
entering the indoor area
28
.
An advantage of the mini-split air conditioner
26
is that the local unit
34
may be installed at a location that is remote from the window
32
. Moreover, the remote unit
36
may be installed at a location that is remote from the window
32
so as to minimize or completely eliminate the introduction of noise into the indoor area
28
from the remote unit
36
. Further, the mini-split air conditioner
26
may include two or more of the local units
34
where each local unit
34
may be distributed within the indoor area
28
as well as coupled to the remote unit
36
.
The mini-split air conditioner
26
of
FIG. 2
may be installed as follows. The remote unit
36
may be placed on a surface
74
in the outdoor area
30
. The supply cable
38
may be coupled to the remote unit
36
and routed through the wall
22
to a location within the indoor area
28
. Part of the supply cable
38
is shown in phantom in
FIG. 2
to indicate that the supply cable
38
is routed on the outdoor area
30
side of the wall
22
. The supply cable
38
may also be routed on the indoor area
28
side of wall
22
. The supply cable
38
may be coupled to the local unit
34
. The local unit
34
may then be fixed to a position within the indoor area
28
, such as on the wall
22
.
FIG. 3
illustrates a perspective view of the portable air conditioner
80
.
Included with the portable air conditioner
80
may be the supply cable
38
disposed between a local unit
82
and a remote unit
84
.
The local unit
82
may include the front grill
39
, the housing
42
, a platform
86
, casters
88
, a plate
90
, the first louver
40
(FIG.
2
), a second louver
92
(FIG.
15
), and a fan
94
. While an axial fan is illustrated at
94
, those skilled in the art recognize that many other type fans could be utilized, and that reference in this description to an axial fan is for illustrative purposes only. As in the split air conditioner
26
of
FIG. 2
, the front grill
39
may be disposed in or as part of the housing
42
. The front grill
39
may include finger handles
95
to aid in removing the front grill
39
from and installing the front grill
39
into the housing
42
.
The housing
42
may be disposed on the platform
86
. Alternatively, the platform
86
may be part of the housing
42
. In general, the platform
86
may include any horizontal surface raised above the level of an adjacent area. In the embodiment shown, the platform
86
may be raised above the level of an adjacent area by the casters
88
. Each caster
88
may include a small wheel on a swivel. The swivel may be attached under a platform to make it easier to move a platform and to transport a unit of the portable air conditioner
80
. The plate
90
may be used to display a company logo.
In the view shown in
FIG. 3
, the second louver
92
has been removed to reveal the fan
94
. The fan
94
may define an axis of rotation that is parallel to a horizontal flow of air drawn by the fan
94
. The fan
94
may aid in circulating air into the local unit
82
through the front grill
39
and out of the local unit
38
through the first set of louvers
40
and the second set of louvers
92
(FIG.
15
).
The remote unit
84
of
FIG. 3
may include a first set of louvers
41
(FIG.
28
), a second set of louvers
44
, the housing
46
, a first back grill
96
, a second back grill
98
, a platform
99
, and the casters
88
. The second louver
44
may be coupled to the housing
46
as shown. Moreover, each of the first back grill
96
and the second back grill
98
may be disposed in the housing
46
on the supply cable
38
side of the remote unit
84
to receive air that is external to the remote unit
84
(as discussed in connection with FIG.
27
and FIG.
28
). The housing
46
may be disposed on the platform
99
. Alternatively, the platform
99
may be part of the housing
46
. In general, the platform
99
may include any horizontal surface raised above the level of an adjacent area. In the embodiment shown, the platform
99
may be raised above the level of an adjacent area by the casters
88
.
FIG. 4
illustrates a perspective view of the saddle air conditioner
100
. The saddle air conditioner
100
may include a local unit
102
, a remote unit
104
, and a bridge
106
. The local unit
102
and the remote unit
104
may be similar to the local unit
34
and the remote unit
36
of
FIG. 2
, respectively, or to the local unit
82
and the remote unit
84
of
FIG. 3
, respectively.
The bridge
106
may include a low-profile, rectangular shaped channel. Moreover, the bridge
106
may be coupled between the local unit
102
and the remote unit
104
to provide a structure from which the local unit
102
and the remote unit
104
may hang. The bridge
106
may also serve to channel between the local unit
102
and the remote unit
104
at least one of the following: the power lines
50
(FIG.
2
A), the suction line
52
, the expansion line
54
, the condensate line
68
, and the air tube
72
.
The bridge
106
of
FIG. 4
may include a plurality of telescoping beams, such as two telescoping beams. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 4
, the bridge
106
includes a first beam
108
and a second beam
110
. The first beam
108
and the second beam
110
each may be a telescoping beam.
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of the first beam
108
taken along of line
5
A—
5
A of FIG.
4
. The first beam
108
may include a first or interior channel
111
and a second or exterior channel
112
. The interior channel
111
may include a base
114
coupled between a first side
116
and a second side
118
. The exterior channel
112
may include a base
120
coupled between first side
122
and second side
124
. The first side
122
of the exterior channel
112
may be coupled to a first L-shaped bracket
126
whereas the second side
124
may be coupled to a second L-shaped bracket
128
, such that the second L-shaped bracket
128
may oppose the first L-shaped bracket
126
.
The interior channel
111
and the exterior channel
112
each may be made from galvanized steel. In one embodiment, the material thickness of at least one of the interior channel
111
and the exterior channel
112
is less than or equal to one eighth of an inch thick. In another embodiment, the exterior channel
112
is a 1-⅝ inch wide metal framing channel P-
4100
.
In assembly, a first end of the interior channel
111
may be fixed to the remote unit
104
, such as by welding or bolting, such as with bolts
109
(FIG.
4
). A first end of the exterior channel
112
may be fixed to the local unit
102
in a similar manner. A second end of the exterior channel
112
may be disposed to abut the remote unit
104
when the remote and local units are disposed in the closest disposition end (not shown).
Included with the bridge
106
may be a cover
130
. The cover
130
may include two overlapping sections that may be adapted to move relative to one another over a predetermined distance without separating from one another.
FIG. 6
illustrates a perspective view of the saddle air conditioner
100
with the cover
130
removed. As shown, the bridge
106
may further include an interior tray
132
and an exterior tray
134
. The interior tray
132
and the exterior tray
134
each may be viewed as a channel.
The interior tray
132
may be coupled to the housing
46
of the remote unit
104
. For example, the interior tray
132
may be coupled to the back and base of the housing
46
to form a Z-shaped structure
133
similar to remote Z-bracket
200
of FIG.
14
.
The exterior tray
134
of the local unit
102
similarly may form a part of a Z-shaped structure with respect to the housing
42
.
The interior tray
132
and the exterior tray
134
may have a structure that permits the interior tray
132
to be disposed within the exterior tray
134
. In the embodiment shown, the interior tray
132
may include a base
136
disposed between a first lip
138
and a second lip
140
. The exterior tray
134
may include a base
146
disposed between the exterior channel of beam
108
and
110
. The base
146
may define a length that may equal a length of the housing
42
.
In one embodiment, the remote unit
104
may be about eighty pounds (thirty six kilograms) and the local unit
102
may be about thirty pounds (14 kilograms).
To assemble the local unit
102
to the remote unit
104
, the interior channels
111
are inserted into channels
112
and secured by hand screw fasteners
148
in slots
152
in channels
112
. The power lines
50
and line
52
,
54
maybe connected and the cover
130
placed on the local unit
102
and remote unit
104
to form the saddle conditioner
100
. Thus the units
102
and
104
may be disposed a predetermined distance from each other, the predetermined distance may be the width of a windowsill.
FIG. 7
illustrates flexible tubing disposed within the bridge
106
. Flexible tubing (or pipeline) may include tubing that can be installed in single long runs without the necessity of regular joints either to extend the length of the tubing or to change directions. In one embodiment, flexible tubing may be disposed between the local unit
102
and the remote unit
104
to provide passageways for electricity
56
(FIG.
2
A), the chilled coolant
60
, the heated coolant
62
, the condensate
66
, and the air
70
. For example, disposed within the bridge
106
may be at least one of the power lines
50
, the suction line
52
, the expansion line
54
, and the condensate line
68
. Each may employ flexible tubing which may be accessible by removing the cover
130
(
FIG. 5
) from the interior tray
132
and exterior tray
134
as shown in FIG.
7
.
FIG. 8
illustrates a helical tubing
158
.
FIG. 9
illustrates a serpentine tubing
168
.
FIG. 10
illustrates a roll tubing
180
. The helical tubing
158
, the serpentine tubing
168
, and the roll tubing
180
each may be viewed as a type of flexible tubing. Here, each of the helical tubing
158
, the serpentine tubing
168
, and the roll tubing
180
may be flexible through structural design or a combination of structural design and selection of material. The material of one of the helical tubing
158
, the serpentine tubing
168
, and the roll tubing
180
may include plastic, rubber, cloth, metal, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or wood.
The helical tubing
158
of
FIG. 8
may be defined by a three-dimensional curve disposed about an axis
160
so that an angle of the curve to a plane disposed perpendicular to the axis
160
is constant. The distance between the axis
160
and the center
162
of the helical tubing
158
may define a radius
164
. The radius
164
may be constant or may vary over a length of the helical tubing
158
. In one embodiment, the radius
164
ranges from 0.1 to 0.4 inches. In another embodiment, the radius
164
equals 0.25 inches. The helical tubing
158
may extend in the directions of arrows
166
and may include connectors (not shown) at each end.
The serpentine tubing
168
of
FIG. 9
may be defined by a two-dimensional curve that follows a sinuous path. The serpentine tubing
168
may include curved pieces
170
, straight sections
172
, a first coupler curve
174
, and a second coupler curve
176
. The curved pieces
170
may be hollow tubes bent towards a C-Shape or U-Shape. The straight sections
172
, the first coupler curve
174
, and the second coupler curve
176
each may be hollow tubes. Moreover, the first coupler curve
174
and the second coupler curve
176
may be bent at an angle of greater than ninety degrees.
The straight sections
172
may couple the curved pieces
170
, the first coupler curve
174
, and the second coupler curve
176
to one another. The serpentine tubing
168
may extend in the direction of arrows
178
. Moreover, the serpentine tubing
168
may include connectors (not shown) at each end and may be made of rigid material.
Based on the various standard window constructions around the world, it is important that the distance between the first coupler curve
174
and the second coupler curve
176
be adapted to expand or contract over a length of about ten inches (twenty five centimeters). However, the distance between each curved piece
170
is limited to the length of the window
32
. To provide the desired flexibility over the width of the bridge
106
(
FIG. 7
) when serpentine tubing
168
is made from rigid material and used in the bridge
106
, the serpentine tubing
168
includes at least two curved pieces
170
as shown in
FIG. 9. A
construction of the serpentine tubing
168
having a single curved piece
170
would be insufficient to permit expansion and contraction over a ten-inch length.
The roll tubing
180
of
FIG. 10
may be defined by windings
182
. Each winding
182
may define a perpendicular axis that is parallel to the axes of the other windings
182
. Each of the windings
182
may overlap an adjacent winding
182
or be overlapped by an adjacent winding
182
. In one embodiment, an overlap of adjacent windings
188
may define a height that extends perpendicularly from the view of
FIG. 10
to a range of 0.25 to 0.80 inches. The roll tubing
180
may extend in the direction of arrows
184
. Moreover, the roll tubing
180
may include connectors (not shown) at each end and may be made of rigid material. To provide the desired flexibility over the width of the bridge
106
when the roll tubing
180
is made from rigid material, the roll tubing
180
includes at least two windings
182
as shown in FIG.
9
.
The helical tubing
158
provides good flexing action whereas the serpentine tubing
168
and the roll tubing
180
provide low profile advantages. At least one of the helical tubing
158
, the serpentine tubing
168
, and the roll tubing
180
may be used for at least one of the power lines
50
(FIG.
2
A), the suction line
52
, the expansion line
54
, the condensate line
68
, and the air tube
72
. In one embodiment, the serpentine tubing
168
may be made from copper and used for the suction line
52
. This may be seen in FIG.
7
. Moreover, the roll tubing
180
may be used for the expansion line
54
, where the expansion line
54
may be long and slender with a very small internal diameter, much like a capillary vessel. The helical tubing
158
may be used for the air tube
72
. Further, a meandering line may be used for the power lines
50
and the condensate line
68
as seen in FIG.
7
.
FIG. 11
illustrates an installation of the saddle air conditioner
100
. The saddle air conditioner
100
may be installed into the wall
22
having the window
32
to give a consumer full access to the window
32
. Giving a consumer full access to the window
32
eliminates the need to remove the saddle air conditioner
100
from the window
32
during winter. This also permits a consumer to place decorations such as flowerpots and pictures on the top of the local unit
102
without concern that the decorations will need to be relocated during winter.
The window
32
may include an upper sash
186
and a lower sash
188
. The lower sash
188
may include a sash frame
190
and a glass
192
disposed within the sash frame
190
. The window
32
further may include a windowsill
194
having a bottom rail
196
.
To install the saddle air conditioner
100
into the window
32
, the lower sash
188
may be raised towards the position of the upper sash
186
. From a position within the indoor area
28
, the saddle air conditioner
100
may be raised and extended so that the remote unit
104
may be positioned within the outdoor area
30
and the local unit may be positioned within the indoor area
28
. The saddle air conditioner
100
may then be lowered so that the bridge
106
contacts the bottom rail
196
of the windowsill
194
.
To provide a seal between the indoor area
28
and the outdoor area
30
, the saddle air conditioner
100
may further include a gap filler
198
. The gap filler
198
may be a preformed foam or insulating material. Moreover, the gap filler
198
may include one or more cutouts
199
and may be made of an insulating material, such as urethane foam.
FIG. 12
illustrates the gap filler
198
having one cutout
199
. The arrangement of the gap filler
198
in
FIG. 12
may be used for the saddle air conditioner
100
as seen in FIG.
5
.
FIG. 13
illustrates the gap filler
198
having two cutouts
199
. The arrangement of the gap filler
198
of
FIG. 13
may be used for the saddle air conditioner
100
of FIG.
4
. The gap filler
198
may be disposed over the bridge
106
and the bottom rail
196
. With the gap filler
198
in position, the sash frame
190
of the lower sash
188
may be closed onto the gap filler
198
.
Alternatively, the sash frame
190
may be designed with two notches that fit around the exterior of the beam
106
and the first beam
108
of FIG.
4
. This may maximize the direct contact between the lower sash
188
and the bottom rail
196
and further provide access to the window
32
to a consumer.
As noted above, the interior tray
132
may be coupled to a back and base of the housing
46
to form a Z-shaped structure.
FIG. 14
illustrates the saddle air conditioner
100
with the exterior tray
134
and the majority of the remote unit
104
removed to reveal a Z-bracket
200
. The Z-bracket
200
may include a back
202
coupled between the interior tray
132
and a base
204
to form a Z-shaped structure. A single sheet of metal may define the interior tray
132
, the back
202
, and the base
204
.
The back
202
may form a punch out
208
. The interior tray
132
may include indents
210
. The base
204
may include a support hole
212
and a sump
213
. The tab
206
and the support hole
212
may aid in supporting parts disposed on the base
204
(such as a brace
297
of FIG.
24
). The indents
210
may provide a raised portion into which an installation bracket
300
(
FIG. 25
) may be disposed. The sump
213
may serve as a repository for the waste condensate
66
as discussed more fully in connection with FIG.
24
.
As seen in
FIG. 14
, the housing
42
of the local unit
102
may include a center housing
214
disposed between a top housing
216
and a base
218
. The front grill
39
may be located within the center housing
214
by employing the finger handles
95
.
FIG. 15
is an exploded view of the local unit
102
of FIG.
14
. As seen in
FIG. 15
, residing behind the front grill
39
may be the evaporator coils
220
. As noted above, atmospheric moisture from air passing over the evaporator coils
220
may condense on the evaporator coils
220
as the condensate
66
(FIG.
2
A). To collect the condensate
66
, the local unit
102
of
FIG. 15
may further include a trough or pan
221
. The pan
221
may be fixed to the base
218
at a location that is below the evaporator coils
220
. The pan
221
may include an angled bottom that meets at a midpoint of the pan
221
. The local unit
102
may further include a back plate
223
to complete the housing
42
.
The evaporator coils
220
may be connected to the expansion line
54
(
FIG. 2A
) through an expansion device or valve (not shown). In the process of the high pressure coolant
62
passing though the expansion device, the high pressure coolant
62
may go through a pressure drop to become the cold, low-pressure chilled coolant
60
in a vapor/liquid phase. In this regard, the evaporator coils
220
of the local unit
102
may be a set of coils that allow the chilled coolant
60
to absorb heat and cool down the air inside the indoor area
28
. Thus, the local unit
102
may be referred to as an evaporator unit where the evaporator coils
220
may serve as part of an evaporator heat exchanger system. In one embodiment, the evaporator coils
220
are flat coils.
Behind the evaporator coils
220
may be an orifice
222
. Behind the orifice
222
may be a fan deflector
224
. Circumscribed by the fan deflector
224
may be a fan ring
226
disposed against the fan blades
227
of the fan
94
. Air inside the indoor area
28
may be drawn through the evaporator coils
220
by the fan
94
so as to be cooled. The bearings
228
may permit a shaft
229
to rotate the fan
94
without the shaft
229
rotating the fan deflector
224
. The orifice
222
may aid in directing this now cooled air into the fan
94
. The fan
94
may centrifugally expel the cooled air into the fan deflector
224
as directed by the fan blades
227
. The fan deflector
224
may then direct the cooled air through the first louver
40
and the second louver
92
of the center housing
214
into the indoor area
28
.
A motor may drive the fan
94
. Conventionally, a motor is located directly behind a fan in a saddle air conditioner to provide a direct drive of a fan. Moreover, conventional high-speed operations may occur at 1100 revolutions per minute (RPM). To reduce the level of noise introduced into the indoor area
28
from the operations of fan
94
, the fan
94
may be driven at low speeds, such as 500 to 700 RPM. Although it is possible to accomplish this with a low speed, direct drive motor, low speed motors are relatively more expensive when high efficiency is needed.
To drive the fan
94
at low speeds, the local unit
103
of the saddle air conditioner
100
may further include a fan motor system
230
. The fan motor system
230
may be simply an efficient low speed motor. Also, system
230
may be, as illustrated as an indirect drive, pulley operated, fan speed reduction system. The fan motor system
230
may include a motor
232
, a first pulley wheel
234
, a second pulley wheel
236
, and a pulley belt
238
. The motor
232
may be coupled to the base
218
through a motor bracket
240
. Between the motor bracket
240
and the motor
232
may be a cushion ring
242
. The cushion ring
242
may work to absorb vibrations of the motor
232
and to prevent these vibrations from transmitting to the base
218
of housing
42
.
FIG. 16
is a front view of the local unit
102
.
FIG. 16A
is a sectional view of the local unit
102
taken along line
16
A—
16
A of FIG.
16
.
FIG. 16B
is a sectional view of the local unit
102
taken along line
16
B—
16
B of FIG.
16
.
FIG. 17
is a top view of the local unit
102
. FIG.
16
A and
FIG. 16B
each illustrate aspects of the fan motor system
230
.
As seen in
FIG. 16A
, the shaft
229
may be disposed in the center of the first pulley wheel
234
. From
FIG. 16B
, it may be seen that a shaft
244
of the motor
232
may be disposed in the center of the second pulley wheel
236
. The shaft
229
may define an axis that is parallel to, but remote from, an axis of the shaft
244
. The independence of the motor
232
from the remote unit
104
works to allow the motor
232
to handle a greater pressure drop, such as may be caused by the use of a filter. In this embodiment, the local unit
102
may include a filter
250
disposed between the front grill
39
and the evaporator coils
220
to aid in purifying the air from the indoor area
28
. The filter
250
may be a high performance air filter that adds an air-purifying feature to the cooling capabilities of the saddle air conditioner
100
.
FIG. 18
illustrates an exploded perspective view of the fan motor system
230
. As seen, the first pulley wheel
234
may be coupled to the shaft
229
and the second pulley wheel
236
may be coupled to the shaft
244
of the motor
232
. The pulley belt
238
may be coupled between the first pulley wheel
234
and the second pulley wheel
236
. The pulley belt
238
may be any power-transmitting device adapted to rotate over a path that leads back onto itself. The first pulley wheel
234
may define a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the second pulley wheel
236
.
The motor
232
may include a plurality of poles where the number of poles is less than six. For example, the motor
232
may be a four pole permanent split capacitor fan motor having an operating speed of around 1500 revolutions per minute (RPMs) at an efficiency of 50 to 90 percent. Moreover, the motor
232
may be a two-pole motor. The motor
232
may also be a C-frame motor having an operating speed in the range of 2400 to 3500 RPMs at a maximum efficiency of 20-30%. The first pulley wheel
234
and the second pulley wheel
236
may define a diameter relationship that reduces the operating speed of the motor
232
at shaft
229
to a range of 500 to 700 RPMs at an efficiency of higher than 85%. In one embodiment, the ratio of the diameter of the first pulley wheel
234
to the diameter of the second pulley wheel
236
may be in the range of about 3:2 to 7:1 with an efficiency of 95% to 98%.
A low power transmission loss between the shaft
244
and the shaft
229
may work to lower the cost of the local unit
102
while maintaining the desired fan output speed. Moreover, the separation of motor
232
from the shaft
229
allows for better spatial management of the motor and the fan. The separation of motor
232
from the shaft
229
also permits reduction in the weight of a unit of the saddle air conditioner
100
due to the reduction in the number of poles. Noise may also be reduced due to isolating the motor
232
from the motor bracket
240
by the cushion ring
242
.
The above embodiments are described in connection with the fan
94
. Recall that the fan
94
may define an axis of rotation that is parallel to a horizontal flow of air drawn by the fan
94
. In an alternate embodiment, the split air conditioner
10
may employ twin cross flow blower wheels.
FIG. 19
illustrates a first blower wheel
246
and a second blower wheel
248
disposed in one unit of the split air conditioner
10
. The unit illustrated in
FIG. 19
is the local unit
102
.
FIG. 20
illustrates the first blower wheel
246
and the second blower wheel
248
disposed behind the evaporator coil
220
. The first blower wheel
246
and the blower wheel
248
may work to draw air through the evaporator coil
220
.
The second blower wheel
248
may be of similar structure as the first blower wheel
246
. As seen in
FIG. 19
, the first blower wheel
246
may define the vertical axis
250
about which the first blower wheel
246
may rotate. Employing two vertically disposed blower wheels may permit the first blower wheel
246
and the second blower wheel
248
to define a length that is shorter than a single, horizontally disposed blower wheel, such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,721. A shorter blower wheel is less likely to vibrate and generate noise from this vibration.
Disposed around the vertical axis
250
may be the blade sets
252
. Each blade set
252
may include the blades
254
radially distributed about the vertical axis
250
and divided by the blade ring
256
. In one embodiment, the first blower wheel
246
includes four blade sets
252
. In another embodiment, the blades
254
are curved.
In this embodiment, the local unit
102
may further include the sleeve bearings
258
, the upper blower support
260
, the bearing supports
262
, the shroud
264
, the blower cutoffs
280
. The sleeve bearings
258
may be any device that permits a blower wheel to rotate freely about the vertical axis
250
. The sleeve bearing
258
may be coupled to a shaft (not shown) of the first blower wheel
246
. The upper blower support
260
may be an L-shaped bracket secured to the back plate
223
at a location above the first blower wheel
246
. The bearing supports
262
may be a disc having a ring extending inward to a raised dome, where the dome couples each sleeve bearing
258
to the upper blower support
260
through the ring. The dome may be adapted to permit a blower wheel to rotate below the raised dome.
The shroud
264
may be a continuous formed sheet that aids in channeling air from the front grill
39
to the first louver
40
and the second louver
92
.
FIG. 21
is a perspective view of the local unit
102
with the first blower wheel
246
and the second blower wheel
248
removed to reveal the shroud
264
. The shroud
264
may include the wall
270
, the first curved portion
272
, the first channel
274
, the second curved portion
276
, and the second channel
278
.
The wall
270
may extend as part of the shroud
264
from a point adjacent to the evaporator coils
220
towards the back plate
223
at a midpoint of the evaporator coils
220
. In this arrangement, the wall
270
may serve to evenly divide and channel an inlet measure of air between the first blower wheel
246
and the second blower wheel
248
. The first curved portion
272
may be coupled between the wall
270
and the first channel
274
. Moreover, the second curved portion
276
may be coupled between the wall
270
and the second channel
278
.
An inlet measure of air that is guided towards the first blower wheel
246
may encounter the first curved portion
272
. The shape of the first curved portion
272
may cause the measure of air to change directions towards the first blower wheel
246
. In one embodiment, the first curved portion
272
defines a perimeter that is one quarter of a circle.
The first channel
274
may be disposed about the first blower wheel
246
from the first curved portion
272
to a location that is adjacent to the first louver
40
(FIG.
2
). As the first blower wheel
246
rotates within the first channel
274
, air may be moved from the first curved portion
272
to the first louver
40
as guided by the first channel
274
. On reaching the first louver
40
, the air may encounter the blower cutoff
280
. The blower cutoff
280
may have a first edge that extends to a location that is adjacent to the first blower wheel
246
and a second edge that extends to a location that is adjacent to the first louver
40
. This arrangement of the blower cutoff
246
may strip air from the first blower wheel
246
and guide the air towards the first louver
40
. The second curved portion
276
, the second channel
278
, and the blower cutoff
282
may define a structure and arrangement that aids the second blower wheel
248
in moving a measure of air from the evaporator coil
220
to the second louver
92
. The structure and arrangement of the second curved portion
276
, the second channel
278
, and the blower cutoff
282
may be similar to that of the first curved portion
272
and the first channel
274
.
FIG. 22
is a perspective view of the local unit
102
with the shroud
264
removed to reveal the first motor
284
and the second motor
286
. Each first motor
284
and
286
may be coupled to the wheel motor shafts
288
of FIG.
21
. The first motor
284
and second motor
286
may be independently operated motors that work towards providing independent operations for each of the first blower wheel
246
and the second blower wheel
248
.
As an alternative to the first motor
284
and the second motor
286
, the first blower wheel
246
and the second blower wheel
248
may employ an indirect drive, pulley operated, fan speed reduction system similar to the fan motor system
230
of FIG.
18
.
FIG. 22A
illustrates a blower wheel motor system
289
. Each wheel motor shaft
288
may be coupled to a first pulley wheel
234
. The pulley belts
238
may extend from each of the first pulley wheel
234
to one of two the second pulley wheels
236
mounted to the shaft
244
of the motor
232
. The motor
232
may be disposed below the wall
270
(
FIG. 21
) of the shroud
264
to provide a balanced operation.
As has been shown in the embodiments of
FIGS. 15
,
18
, and
19
, the local unit is capable of being a stand alone unit. Thus, referring for example, to
FIG. 15
, a HEPA filter
222
may be substituted for the evaporator
220
, and the local unit may be utilized as a stand alone air purifier. Thus, the local unit configuration facilitates the unit functioning as the basis for a saddle mount air conditioner, a split air conditioner, and an air purifier. In each case, the local unit mounts in the same vertical orientation.
FIG. 23
is a perspective view of the saddle air conditioner
100
with the parts removed to reveal details of a remote unit
104
. As shown in the view of
FIG. 23
, the remote unit
104
may include a conventional condenser tubes
290
. The condenser
290
may include set of heat exchanging pipes coupled at a first end to the suction line
52
(
FIG. 2A
) through the compressor
292
and at a second end to the expansion line
54
(
FIG. 2A
) through an expansion valve (not shown). The condenser
290
may be disposed about two radii to present a U-shaped configuration.
FIG. 24
is a detailed view of the remote unit
104
with the condenser tubes
290
removed. The remote unit
104
further may include the fan orifice
294
disposed about the condenser fan
296
, the brace
297
, and the condensate sump
298
. In conventional split air conditioners, the condensate is discharged to the ground. However, this causes a major inconvenience and wastes a resource that may be used for other purposes. For example, by discharging the condensate
66
(
FIG. 2A
) from the condensate line
68
into the condensate sump
298
, the condenser fan
296
may draw the condensate
66
up with the aid of a slinger ring (not shown) and splash the condensate
66
onto the coils of the condenser tubes
290
. Here, the dispensed condensate
66
may draw heat away from the coils of the condenser tubes
290
through evaporation. This, in turn, increases the efficiency of the saddle air conditioner
100
by as much as seven percent and works to prevent blemishing of a building facade (e.g., wall
22
) by water stains.
The remote unit
104
may further include the condensate removal pump
299
disposed within the remote unit
104
. The condensate removal pump
299
may be used to remove the condensate
66
(
FIG. 2A
) from the pan
221
(FIG.
21
). In one embodiment, the condensate removal pump
299
is a water pump. In another embodiment, the condensate removal pump
299
is an air assisted condensate pumping system. Locating the condensate removal pump
299
in the remote unit
104
works towards reducing the amount of indoor noise produced by the split air conditioner
10
.
FIG. 25
illustrates an installation bracket
300
of the invention. The installation bracket
300
may simplify installation of the saddle air conditioner
100
into the window
32
(FIG.
11
). The installation of the saddle air conditioner
100
into the window
32
may be simplified by the installation bracket
300
in that the installation bracket
300
permits the saddle air conditioner
100
to be installed completely from the indoor area
28
. A consumer need not reach out of the window
32
for installation or adjustment. Additionally, the installation bracket
300
may keep the remote unit
104
away from the wall
22
. Keeping the remote unit
104
away from the wall
22
works to permit air to enter from the back of the remote unit
104
so as to minimize or eliminate the need to draw air into the remote unit
104
from the top of the remote unit
104
.
The installation bracket
300
may include the local frame
302
and the remote frame
304
. The local frame
302
may be coupled to the remote frame
304
as detailed below. Moreover, the local frame
302
may be used in relation to the local unit
102
and the remote frame
304
may be used in relation to the remote unit
104
. Each of the local frame
302
and the remote frame
304
may be made from a light weight sheet metal, plastic, or a combination thereof.
The local frame
302
may include a brace
306
, a first rib
308
, a first leg
310
, and a second leg
312
. The brace
306
may extend between the first leg
310
and the second leg
312
at a lower end of the first leg
310
and the second leg
312
. The first rib
308
may extend between the first leg
310
and the second leg
312
at a midpoint of the first leg
310
and the second leg
312
to retain the first leg
310
at a fixed distance from the second leg
312
.
A top surface of the local frame
302
may include the second rib
310
and the local crossbar
312
disposed between a first bar
314
and a second bar
316
. At a midpoint of the first bar
314
and the second bar
316
, the second rib
310
may retain the first bar
314
at a fixed distance from the second bar
316
. The first bar
314
may be coupled to the first leg
310
at an angle of ninety degrees and the second bar
316
may be coupled to the second leg
312
at an angle of ninety degrees. The local crossbar
312
may be disposed between the first bar
314
and the second bar
316
at a distal location from the first leg
310
and the second leg
312
.
The local frame
302
further may include a first spacer
318
and a second spacer
320
. Each of the first spacer
318
and the second spacer
320
may include a shaft
322
disposed between a knob
324
and a pad
326
. The shaft
322
may include the external threads. The knob
324
may be a turning handle. The pad
326
may include rubber. To aid in assembling the local frame
302
into the remote frame
304
, the first bar
314
may include a first slot
328
and the second bar
316
may include a second slot
330
.
The remote frame
304
may include a brace
332
, a first rib
334
, a first leg
336
, and a second leg
338
. The first leg
336
and the second leg
338
each may have a first foot
337
and a second foot
339
, respectively, extending ninety degrees from a lower portion towards the local frame
302
. The brace
332
may extend between and ninety degrees up from the first foot
337
and the second foot
339
. The first rib
334
may extend between the first leg
336
and the second leg
338
at a midpoint of the first leg
336
and the second leg
338
to retain the first leg
336
at a fixed distance from the second leg
338
.
A top surface of the remote frame
304
may include a second rib
340
, a remote crossbar
342
, and a third rib
343
disposed between a first bar
344
and a second bar
346
. At a midpoint of the first bar
344
and the second bar
346
, the second rib
340
may retain the first bar
344
at a fixed distance from the second bar
346
. The first bar
344
may be coupled to the first leg
336
. Moreover, the second bar
346
may be coupled to the second leg
338
. The remote crossbar
342
may be disposed between the first bar
344
and the second bar
346
at a distal location from the third rib
343
.
The arrangements of the brace
332
, the first rib
334
, and the third rib
343
with respect to the first leg
336
and the second leg
338
define openings
347
. The height of the brace
332
and the first rib
334
may be minimized to maximize the size of the openings
347
. In one embodiment, the collective height of the openings
348
accounts for at least 90% of the overall distance the first foot
337
to the third rib
343
.
The remote frame
304
further may include a first spacer
348
and a second spacer
350
. Each of the first spacer
348
and the second spacer
350
may include the shaft
322
disposed between the knob
324
and the pad
326
. To aid in assembling the remote frame
304
into the local frame
302
, the first bar
344
may include a first slot
352
(not shown) and the second bar
346
may include a second slot
354
(not shown). The installation bracket
300
may further include a connector such as the bolt and wing nut assembly
356
.
To assemble the local frame
302
and the remote frame
304
together, the first slot
328
may be aligned with the first slot
352
to form a first slot group and the second slot
330
may be aligned with the second slot
354
to form a second slot group. At least one bolt and wing nut assembly
356
may be loosely fit into each slot group. When assembled, an upper surface of the installation bracket
300
may define the platform
358
.
FIG. 26
illustrates the installation bracket
300
disposed over the bottom rail
196
(
FIG. 11
) of the wall
22
. In this arrangement, the platform
358
may span a width of the bottom rail
196
. With the installation bracket
300
disposed over the bottom rail
196
, the local frame
302
and the remote frame
304
may be pushed towards one another and each bolt and wing nut assembly
356
tightened. To maintain the remote frame
304
at distance
360
from the wall
22
, each knob
324
of first spacer
348
and second spacer
350
may be turned until each pad
326
engages an exterior surface of the wall
22
. The first spacer
318
and the second spacer
320
may similarly be tightened.
The extent of space between a plane formed by the first leg
336
and the second leg
338
and the wall
22
may define distance
360
. The extent of space between the brace
332
and the wall
22
may define distance
361
. The distance
361
is less than the distance
360
. In one embodiment, the distance between the brace
332
and the wall
22
(distance
361
) is at least fifty to seventy percent of the distance between the first leg
336
and the wall
22
(distance
360
).
As noted above, the structural arrangement of the remote frame
304
may include the first foot
337
and the second foot
339
, each extending at ninety degrees from an associated leg towards the local frame
302
. The first foot
337
and the second foot
339
may serve to bring the brace
332
to a position that is adjacent to the wall
22
at distance
361
.
Bringing the brace
332
to a position that is adjacent to the wall
22
provides a number of advantages. For example, bringing the brace
332
to a position that is adjacent to the wall
22
minimizes the number of times knob
324
must be turned for the pads
326
to engage the exterior surface of the wall
22
. This reduces the time it takes to position the installation bracket
300
. As another example, bringing the brace
332
to a position that is adjacent to the wall
22
moves the forces experienced at the pads
326
closer to the brace
332
. This permits using the smaller and cheaper shafts
322
while providing a desired stability.
FIG. 27
illustrates the saddle air conditioner
100
disposed over the installation frame
300
. The remote unit
104
of the saddle air conditioner
100
may be compact in width. For example, in one embodiment, the distance between the wall
22
and a distal part of front grill
43
is less than or equal to 9.75 inches.
FIG. 28
illustrates the air path
362
with respect to the remote unit
104
.
As seen in
FIG. 27
, the back
202
(
FIG. 14
) of the remote unit
104
may be retained at the distance
360
from the wall
22
by the installation bracket
300
. The retention of the remote unit
104
from the wall
22
at the distance
360
may permit air to travel along air path
362
(
FIG. 28
) to the back of the remote unit
104
and enter the first back grill
96
and the second back grill
98
. The entry of air into the first back grill
96
and the second back grill
98
may be in addition to air entering the first louver
41
and the second louver
44
. Drawing air into the remote unit
104
from the back
202
and the sides of the remote unit
104
works towards eliminating the need to draw air from the top of the remote unit
104
. In turn, not drawing air from the top of the remote unit
104
works towards preventing the noise from the condenser fan
296
from propagating to the indoor area
28
.
The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided merely to illustrate the principles of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the subject matter of the terms of the claimed invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Moreover, the principles of the invention may be applied to achieve the advantages described herein and to achieve other advantages or to satisfy other objectives, as well.
Claims
- 1. A local unit of an air treatment appliance comprising:an air moving device that can be configured as part of a window air conditioner, a split air conditioner, or an air purifier, having a first blower wheel and a second blower wheel, wherein each of the first blower wheel and the second blower wheel define a vertical axis of rotation.
- 2. An air treatment appliance having a local unit that can be configured as part of a window air conditioner, a split air conditioner, or an air purifier, and, when the air treatment appliance is configured as a split air conditioner comprising:a local unit having an air moving device including a first blower wheel and a second blower wheel, wherein each of the first blower wheel and the second blower wheel defines a vertical axis of rotation; a remote unit; and a supply system disposed between the local unit and the remote unit.
- 3. The split air conditioner of claim 2, further comprising:a shroud disposed about the first blower wheel and the second blower wheel.
- 4. The split air conditioner of claim 3, wherein the shroud is a continuous formed sheet having a wall that divides the first blower wheel from the second blower wheel.
- 5. The split air conditioner of claim 4, wherein the shroud further includes a first curved portion coupled between the wall and a first channel and includes a second curved portion coupled between the wall and a second channel.
- 6. A local unit of an air treatment appliance comprising:an air moving device for a window air conditioner configured as a saddle air conditioner, and having a fan motor system comprising: a fan having a shaft; a first pulley wheel coupled to the shaft of the fan; a motor having a shaft, wherein the motor includes a plurality of poles and wherein the number of poles is less than six; a second pulley wheel coupled to the shaft of the motor; and a pulley belt disposed between the first pulley wheel and the second pulley wheel.
- 7. The fan motor system of claim 6, wherein the ratio of a diameter of the first pulley wheel to a diameter of the second pulley wheel is in the range of about 3:1 to 3:2.
US Referenced Citations (19)