Patent Grant
9671127
The presently disclosed embodiments generally relate to appliances for heating and cooling air, and more particularly, to a multi-poise condensate drain pan.
In a conventional refrigerant cycle, a compressor compresses a refrigerant and delivers the compressed refrigerant to a downstream condenser. From the condenser, the refrigerant passes through an expansion device, and subsequently, to an evaporator. The refrigerant from the evaporator is returned to the compressor. In a split system heating and/or cooling system, the condenser may be known as an outdoor heat exchanger and the evaporator as an indoor heat exchanger, when the system operates in a cooling mode. In a heating mode, their functions are reversed.
In the split system, the evaporator may be part of a fan coil assembly. A typical fan coil assembly includes an evaporator coil (e.g., a coil shaped like a “V”, which is referred to as an “V-coil”) and a condensate drain pan disposed within a casing. A V-coil may be referred to as a “multi-poise” coil because it may be oriented either horizontally or vertically in the casing of the fan coil assembly.
During a cooling mode operation, a blower circulates air through the casing of the fan coil assembly, where the air cools as it passes over the evaporator coil. The blower then circulates the air to a space to be cooled.
Typically, a refrigerant is enclosed in piping that is used to form the evaporator coil. If the temperature of the evaporator coil surface is lower than the dew point of air passing over it, the evaporator coil removes moisture from the air. Specifically, as air passes over the evaporator coil, water vapor condenses on the evaporator coil. The condensate drain pan of the evaporator assembly collects the condensed water as it drips off of the evaporator coil. The collected condensation then typically drains out of the condensate drain pan through at least one of two drain holes in the condensate drain pan. Typically, the refrigerant connections to the evaporator coil penetrate the casing of the fan coil assembly requiring additional assemblies, for instance a door, to be removed in order to gain access to the evaporator coil when service is required. These additional assemblies are an inconvenience to maintenance personnel and add cost to the fan coil assembly. There is, therefore, a need to enable access to the evaporator coil without the need for additional assemblies.
In one aspect, a condensate drain pan is provided. The condensate drain pan includes an inner front wall, an inner back wall, and opposing inner side walls defining an inner perimeter. In one embodiment, the condensate drain pan further includes at least one outer front wall, an outer back wall, and opposing outer side walls defining an outer perimeter. In at least one embodiment, each opposing outer side wall includes a channel portion extending from the channel portion. In one embodiment, the condensate drain pan further includes at least one drain pan panel, including a panel interior side and a panel exterior side, extending between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter to form at least one condensate channel. In at least one embodiment, a front drain pan panel may extend between the inner front wall and the outer front wall to form a front condensate channel. In at least one embodiment, a back drain pan panel may extend between the inner back wall and the outer back wall to form a back condensate channel. In at least one embodiment, a first side drain pan panel may extend between one of the opposing inner side walls and one of the opposing outer side walls to form a first side condensate channel. In at least one embodiment a second side drain pan panel may extend between the other opposing inner side wall and the other opposing outer side wall to form a second side condensate channel. In at least one embodiment, the at least one drain panel extends from a portion of the channel portion to form a lip. In at least one embodiment, at least one tab may extend the lip to the first side drain panel exterior side.
In one embodiment, the at least one outer front wall includes at least one coil conduit aperture disposed therein. In one embodiment, the condensate drain pan further includes at least one drain opening disposed in the at least one outer front wall. In one embodiment, the at least one drain opening includes at least one drain aperture substantially aligned with the first side condensate channel. In one embodiment, the at least one drain opening includes at least one drain aperture substantially aligned with the second side condensate channel. In one embodiment, the at least one drain opening includes at least one drain aperture substantially aligned with the front condensate channel.
In one aspect, a fan coil assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the fan coil assembly includes a coil disposed within a casing. In one embodiment, the coil includes at least one coil slab and at least one coil conduit disposed within and protruding from the at least one coil slab. In one embodiment, the fan coil assembly further includes the condensate drain pan positioned to receive at least a portion of condensate from the coil. In one embodiment, the fan coil assembly further includes a fan disposed within the casing. In one embodiment, the fan coil assembly further includes an auxiliary heating assembly operably coupled to the casing.
In one aspect, a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system is provided. In one embodiment, the HVAC system includes a fan coil assembly operably coupled to a heat pump, wherein the fan coil assembly includes a condensate drain pan positioned to receive at least a portion of condensate from a coil
The embodiments and other features, advantages and disclosures contained herein, and the manner of attaining them, will become apparent and the present disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following description of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of this disclosure is thereby intended.
In at least one embodiment, as shown in
In at least one embodiment, as shown in
The condensate drain pan 10 further includes at least one drain opening 48 disposed in the at least one outer front wall 20, the at least one drain opening 48 being operable to drain water from the condensate channels 38A-D into a drain line (not shown) coupled to the at least one drain opening 48. The at least one drain openings 48 may be configured to drain condensate from a coil whether the coil is positioned in a downflow, horizontal left or horizontal right configuration without the need for a separate drain pan. For example, the condensate drain pan 10 may include three drain openings 48A-C. It will be appreciated that any number of drain openings 48 may be used. In one embodiment, the at least one drain opening 48 includes at least one drain aperture 50 substantially aligned with the first side condensate channel 38C. For example, drain opening 48A may be substantially aligned with the first side condensate channel 38C to allow water to drain therefrom when a fan coil assembly 60, later described herein, may be in a horizontal right configuration. In one embodiment, the at least one drain opening 48 includes at least one drain aperture 50 substantially aligned with the second side condensate channel 38D. For example, drain opening 48B may be substantially aligned with the second side condensate channel 38D to allow water to drain therefrom when the fan coil assembly 60 may be in a horizontal left configuration. In one embodiment, the at least one drain opening 48 includes at least one drain aperture 50 substantially aligned with the front condensate channel 38A. For example, drain opening 48C may be substantially aligned with the front condensate channel 38A to allow water to drain therefrom when the fan coil assembly 60 may be in downflow configuration.
In one embodiment, the fan coil assembly 60 further includes a fan 68, configured to circulate air across the coil 44 disposed within the casing 62. Fan 68 may be a brushless direct-current powered axial fan, to name just one non-limiting example. In one embodiment, the fan coil assembly 60 further includes an auxiliary heating assembly 70 operably coupled to the casing 62. It will be appreciated that the auxiliary heating assembly 70 may be disposed within the casing 62. The auxiliary heating assembly 70 may be configured to provide supplemental heat to an interior space. For example, the auxiliary heating assembly 70 may be a nickel chromium conductive wire or a secondary heating coil configured to allow heater water to flow therethrough to name a couple of non-limiting examples.
It will be appreciated that the condensate drain pan 10 includes at least one coil conduit aperture 46 disposed in the outer front wall 20 to allow at the least one coil conduit 66 to be inserted therethrough; thus, eliminating the need for an additional access point and easier access to the coil 44. It will also be appreciated that the condensate drain pan 10 includes channel portions 28A-B to enable ease of installation of the coil 42. It will also be appreciated that the condensate drain pan 10 includes at least one drain opening 48 disposed in the outer front wall 20 to allow condensate to drain from the coil 44 when the fan coil assembly 60 is in either a horizontal or downflow orientation.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only certain embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.
The present application is related to, and claims the priority benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/911,913 filed Dec. 4, 2013, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety into the present disclosure.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5697227 | Bruce et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
| 6168248 | Timmons et al. | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6978909 | Goetzinger et al. | Dec 2005 | B2 |
| 7003972 | Eom et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 7185513 | Bush et al. | Mar 2007 | B2 |
| 7669641 | Rembold et al. | Mar 2010 | B2 |
| 7878019 | Cantolino | Feb 2011 | B2 |
| 20050109053 | Eom | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050109055 | Goetzinger | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20070169501 | Rios | Jul 2007 | A1 |
| 20110265508 | Piccione | Nov 2011 | A1 |
| 20130008526 | Rowland | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150153064 A1 | Jun 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61911913 | Dec 2013 | US |
