The present subject matter relates generally to packaged terminal air conditioner units.
Air conditioner units are conventionally utilized to adjust the temperature within structures such as dwellings and office buildings. In particular, one-unit type room air conditioner units may be utilized to adjust the temperature in, for example, a single room or group of rooms of a structure. Generally, one-unit type air conditioner units include an indoor portion and an outdoor portion. The indoor portion is generally located indoors, and the outdoor portion is generally located outdoors. Accordingly, the air conditioner unit generally extends through a wall, window, etc. of the structure.
Within certain one-unit type air conditioner units, a rotary compressor is coupled to a suction conduit and a discharge conduit. In particular,
The present subject matter provides a packaged terminal air conditioner unit that includes an inlet conduit coupled to a compressor at an accumulator of the compressor. An outlet conduit is coupled to the compressor at a discharge of the compressor. The discharge of the compressor is positioned at a top portion of the compressor. The outlet conduit extends upwardly along a vertical direction from the discharge of the compressor between a pair of angled segments of the inlet conduit. The pair of angled segments of the inlet conduit is positioned above the compressor along the vertical direction. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In a first example embodiment, a packaged terminal air conditioner unit includes a compressor positionable within a casing. The compressor is operable to increase a pressure of a refrigerant. An inlet conduit is coupled to the compressor at an accumulator of the compressor. An outlet conduit is coupled to the compressor at a discharge of the compressor. The discharge of the compressor is positioned at a top portion of the compressor. The outlet conduit extends upwardly along a vertical direction from the discharge of the compressor between a pair of angled segments of the inlet conduit. The pair of angled segments of the inlet conduit is positioned above the compressor along the vertical direction.
In a second example embodiment, a packaged terminal air conditioner unit includes a reversing valve and a rotary compressor that are positionable within a casing. The rotary compressor is operable to increase a pressure of a refrigerant. An inlet conduit is coupled to the rotary compressor at an accumulator of the rotary compressor. An outlet conduit is coupled to the rotary compressor at a discharge of the rotary compressor. The discharge of the rotary compressor is positioned at a top portion of the rotary compressor. The outlet conduit extends upwardly along a vertical direction from the discharge of the rotary compressor between a pair of angled segments of the inlet conduit. The pair of angled segments of the inlet conduit is positioned above the rotary compressor along the vertical direction. The accumulator of the rotary compressor is positioned between the reversing valve and the discharge of the rotary compressor along a horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction.
In a third example embodiment, a packaged terminal air conditioner unit includes a reversing valve and a rotary compressor that are positionable within a casing. The rotary compressor is operable to increase a pressure of a refrigerant. An inlet conduit is coupled to the rotary compressor at an accumulator of the rotary compressor. An outlet conduit is coupled to the rotary compressor at a discharge of the rotary compressor. The discharge of the rotary compressor is positioned at a top portion of the rotary compressor. The outlet conduit extends upwardly along a vertical direction from the discharge of the rotary compressor. A pair of angled segments of the inlet conduit is positioned above the rotary compressor along the vertical direction. The accumulator of the rotary compressor is positioned between the reversing valve and the discharge of the rotary compressor along a horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, the term “packaged terminal air conditioner unit” is used broadly. For example, packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100 may include a supplementary electric heater (not shown) for assisting with heating air within the associated room or building without operating the sealed system 120. However, as discussed in greater detail below, packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100 may also include a heat pump heating mode that utilizes sealed system 120, e.g., in combination with an electric resistance heater, to heat air within the associated room or building. Thus, it should be understood that “packaged terminal air conditioner unit” as used herein is intended to cover both units with and without heat pump heating modes.
As may be seen in
Casing 110 defines a mechanical compartment 116. Sealed system 120 is disposed or positioned within mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110. A front panel 118 and a rear grill or screen 119 hinder or limit access to mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110. Front panel 118 is positioned at or adjacent interior side portion 112 of casing 110, and rear screen 119 is mounted to casing 110 at exterior side portion 114 of casing 110. Front panel 118 and rear screen 119 each define a plurality of holes that permit air to flow through front panel 118 and rear screen 119, with the holes sized for preventing foreign objects from passing through front panel 118 and rear screen 119 into mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110.
Packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100 also includes a drain pan or bottom tray 138 and an inner wall or bulkhead 140 positioned within mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110. Sealed system 120 is positioned on bottom tray 138. Thus, liquid runoff from sealed system 120 may flow into and collect within bottom tray 138. Bulkhead 140 may be mounted to bottom tray 138 and extend upwardly from bottom tray 138 to a top wall of casing 110. Bulkhead 140 limits or prevents air flow between interior side portion 112 of casing 110 and exterior side portion 114 of casing 110 within mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110. Thus, bulkhead 140 may divide mechanical compartment 116 of casing 110.
Packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100 further includes a controller 146 with user inputs, such as buttons, switches and/or dials. Controller 146 regulates operation of packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100. Thus, controller 146 is in operative communication with various components of packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100, such as components of sealed system 120 and/or a temperature sensor, such as a thermistor or thermocouple, for measuring the temperature of the interior atmosphere. In particular, controller 146 may selectively activate sealed system 120 in order to chill or heat air within sealed system 120, e.g., in response to temperature measurements from the temperature sensor.
Controller 146 includes memory and one or more processing devices such as microprocessors, CPUs or the like, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100. The memory can represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. The processor executes programming instructions stored in the memory. The memory can be a separate component from the processor or can be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, controller 146 may be constructed without using a microprocessor, e.g., using a combination of discrete analog and/or digital logic circuitry (such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software.
As may be seen in
During operation of sealed system 120 in the cooling mode, refrigerant flows from interior coil 124 flows through compressor 122. For example, refrigerant may exit interior coil 124 as a fluid in the form of a superheated vapor. Upon exiting interior coil 124, the refrigerant may enter compressor 122. Compressor 122 is operable to compress the refrigerant. Accordingly, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant may be increased in compressor 122 such that the refrigerant becomes a more superheated vapor.
Exterior coil 126 is disposed downstream of compressor 122 in the cooling mode and acts as a condenser. Thus, exterior coil 126 is operable to reject heat into the exterior atmosphere at exterior side portion 114 of casing 110 when sealed system 120 is operating in the cooling mode. For example, the superheated vapor from compressor 122 may enter exterior coil 126 via a first distribution conduit 134 that extends between and fluidly connects reversing valve 132 and exterior coil 126. Within exterior coil 126, the refrigerant from compressor 122 transfers energy to the exterior atmosphere and condenses into a saturated liquid and/or liquid vapor mixture. An exterior air handler or fan 148 is positioned adjacent exterior coil 126 may facilitate or urge a flow of air from the exterior atmosphere across exterior coil 126 in order to facilitate heat transfer.
Sealed system 120 also includes a capillary tube 128 disposed between interior coil 124 and exterior coil 126, e.g., such that capillary tube 128 extends between and fluidly couples interior coil 124 and exterior coil 126. Refrigerant, which may be in the form of high liquid quality/saturated liquid vapor mixture, may exit exterior coil 126 and travel through capillary tube 128 before flowing through interior coil 124. Capillary tube 128 may generally expand the refrigerant, lowering the pressure and temperature thereof. The refrigerant may then be flowed through interior coil 124.
Interior coil 124 is disposed downstream of capillary tube 128 in the cooling mode and acts as an evaporator. Thus, interior coil 124 is operable to heat refrigerant within interior coil 124 with energy from the interior atmosphere at interior side portion 112 of casing 110 when sealed system 120 is operating in the cooling mode. For example, the liquid or liquid vapor mixture refrigerant from capillary tube 128 may enter interior coil 124 via a second distribution conduit 136 that extends between and fluidly connects interior coil 124 and reversing valve 132. Within interior coil 124, the refrigerant from capillary tube 128 receives energy from the interior atmosphere and vaporizes into superheated vapor and/or high quality vapor mixture. An interior air handler or fan 150 is positioned adjacent interior coil 124 may facilitate or urge a flow of air from the interior atmosphere across interior coil 124 in order to facilitate heat transfer.
During operation of sealed system 120 in the heating mode, reversing valve 132 reverses the direction of refrigerant flow through sealed system 120. Thus, in the heating mode, interior coil 124 is disposed downstream of compressor 122 and acts as a condenser, e.g., such that interior coil 124 is operable to reject heat into the interior atmosphere at interior side portion 112 of casing 110. In addition, exterior coil 126 is disposed downstream of capillary tube 128 in the heating mode and acts as an evaporator, e.g., such that exterior coil 126 is operable to heat refrigerant within exterior coil 126 with energy from the exterior atmosphere at exterior side portion 114 of casing 110.
It should be understood that sealed system 120 described above is provided by way of example only. In alternative example embodiments, sealed system 120 may include any suitable components for heating and/or cooling air with a refrigerant. Sealed system 120 may also have any suitable arrangement or configuration of components for heating and/or cooling air with a refrigerant in alternative example embodiments.
Compressor 122 may be a rotary compressor, such as a rotary vane compressor or a rolling piston compressor. Thus, e.g., compressor 122, inlet conduit 160 and outlet conduit 170 may collectively form a rotational vibration system, and the lengths and orientations of inlet conduit 160 and outlet conduit 170 may be selected such that inlet conduit 160 and/or outlet conduit 170 are less stiff compared to the suction conduit 60 and discharge conduit 70 in known one-unit type air conditioner unit 10. In particular, the lengths and orientations of inlet conduit 160 and outlet conduit 170 may be selected such that the rotational vibration system formed by compressor 122, inlet conduit 160 and outlet conduit 170 may resonate when compressor 122 operates at about fifteen hundred rotations per minute (˜1500 RPM). As used herein, the term “about” means within ten percent of the stated frequency or speed when used in the context of compressor frequencies or speeds. Thus, packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100 may have a significantly reduced frequency at which the rotational vibration system formed by compressor 122, inlet conduit 160 and outlet conduit 170 resonates compared to known one-unit type air conditioner unit 10. The lengths and orientations of inlet conduit 160 and outlet conduit 170 shown in
As may be seen in
Outlet conduit 170 extends upwardly along the vertical direction V from discharge 182 of compressor 122. In particular, outlet conduit 170 may extend, e.g., rectilinearly, upward along the vertical direction V from discharge 182 of compressor 122 between a pair of angled segments 162 of inlet conduit 160. The angled segments 162 of inlet conduit 160 are positioned above compressor 122, e.g., discharge 182 of compressor 122, along the vertical direction V. Accordingly, inlet conduit 160 may be hooked or looped around outlet conduit 170 above compressor 122. For example, outlet conduit 170 may be positioned between angled segments 162 of inlet conduit 160 in a plane that is perpendicular to the vertical direction V.
In certain example embodiments, inlet conduit 160 extends from reversing valve 132 to accumulator 180 of compressor 122. Thus, refrigerant may flow from reversing valve 132 to accumulator 180 through inlet conduit 160. Outlet conduit 170 may extend from discharge 182 of compressor 122 to reversing valve 132. Thus, refrigerant may flow from discharge 182 to reversing valve 132 through outlet conduit 170. In such a manner, inlet conduit 160 and outlet conduit 170 may flow refrigerant between compressor 122 and reversing valve 132. In certain example embodiments, inlet conduit 160 is bent into a serpentine pattern between reversing valve 132 and angled segments 162 of inlet conduit 160, e.g., in the manner shown in
Outlet conduit 170 may also have a pair of angled segments 172. Thus, outlet conduit 170 may have an increased length between discharge 182 and reversing valve 132 relative to a rectilinear or straight conduit. The increased length of outlet conduit 170 between discharge 182 and reversing valve 132 and the shaping of angled segments 172 of outlet conduit 170 may advantageously decrease the stiffness of outlet conduit 170 relative to a straight conduit. Angled segments 172 of outlet conduit 170 may be positioned above angled segments 162 of inlet conduit 160 along the vertical direction V. Thus, angled segments 172 of outlet conduit 170 may also be positioned above compressor 122 along the vertical direction V.
Inlet and outlet conduits 160, 170 may be metal tubing, such as copper or aluminum tubing. Thus, inlet and outlet conduits 160, 170 may be bent into the shapes and orientations shown in
Outlet conduit 170 may also be bent such that outlet conduit 170 is V-shaped at angled segments 172 of outlet conduit 170, and angled segments 162 of inlet conduit 160 may be positioned coplanar with each other in a plane that is perpendicular to the vertical direction V (a different plane than the angled segments 162 of inlet conduit 160). As an example, outlet conduit 170 may be bent such that angled segments 172 of outlet conduit 170 define an angle no less than twenty degrees (20°) and no greater than eighty degrees (80°) between angled segments 172. In addition, the open end of the V-shaped angled segments 172 of outlet conduit 170 may be oriented and open towards reversing valve 132 and/or accumulator 180, as shown in
By hooking or looping the inlet and outlet conduits 160, 170 over the top portion 184 of compressor 122, the angle at which inlet and outlet conduits 160, 170 leave compressor 122 radially may be adjusted relative to the known one-unit type air conditioner unit 10. Also, hooking or looping the inlet and outlet conduits 160, 170 over the top portion 184 of compressor 122 adds length to inlet and outlet conduits 160, 170 and reduces the stiffness of the inlet and outlet conduits 160, 170 relative to the known one-unit type air conditioner unit 10. In such a manner, packaged terminal air conditioner unit 100 may operate more quietly than the known one-unit type air conditioner unit 10.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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7000421 | Lee et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7124599 | Jung | Oct 2006 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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203375571 | Jan 2014 | CN |
59167641 | Sep 1984 | JP |
06117729 | Apr 1994 | JP |
WO-2013040670 | Mar 2013 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190271476 A1 | Sep 2019 | US |