FIELD
This disclosure relates generally to air conditioning units and more particularly to packaged terminal air conditioning (PTAC) units.
BACKGROUND
PTAC units are a type of self-contained heating and air conditioning system commonly found in hotels, motels, apartment buildings, etc. Many are designed to go through a wall, having vents and heat sinks both inside and outside of a conditioned space.
In many cases, local regulations require a specified amount of outside fresh air to be introduced into the interior air. Typically, the outside fresh air is filtered to remove outside particulates, including pollen and insects. Accordingly, conventional PTAC units include a filter disposed in the exterior portion of the PTAC unit. Such filters, however, are consumables, and need to be periodically replaced. In some instances, replacement requires a user to remove the PTAC unit from a wall sleeve in the wall in order to access and remove the old filter and insert a new filter. Such work can be labor and time intensive to replace a relatively inexpensive consumable item in the PTAC unit. Further, in the setting of a hotel, motel, or apartment building, this labor and time increases linearly with the increase in PTAC units.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. In some instances, the use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Throughout this disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.
FIG. 1A illustrates a front perspective oblique view of a PTAC unit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 1B illustrates a front perspective oblique view of the PTAC unit of FIG. 1A with a moveable cover removed in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 1C illustrates a rear perspective oblique view of the PTAC unit of FIG. 1A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2A illustrates a front perspective oblique view of a moveable cover of the PTAC unit of FIG. 1A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2B illustrates a front perspective oblique view of the moveable cover of FIG. 2A with a removable front filter removed in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2C illustrates a front perspective oblique bottom view of the moveable cover of FIG. 2A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2D illustrates a top view of the moveable cover of FIG. 2A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2E illustrates a front view of the moveable cover of FIG. 2A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2F illustrates a side view of the moveable cover of FIG. 2A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2G illustrates a bottom view of the moveable cover of FIG. 2A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the PTAC unit of FIG. 1A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the PTAC unit of FIG. 3 along line B-B in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4B illustrates a detailed view of a portion of the PTAC unit of FIG. 4A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5A illustrates a cross sectional view of the PTAC unit of FIG. 3 along line C-C in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5B illustrates a detailed view of a portion of the PTAC unit of FIG. 5A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 illustrates a top perspective oblique view of the PTAC unit of FIG. 1A with the moveable cover being separated in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom perspective oblique view of the PTAC unit of FIG. 1A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 illustrates a side perspective oblique view of the PTAC unit of FIG. 1A with the moveable cover being separated in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9A illustrates a cross sectional view of the working body of FIG. 1A and the airflow therein in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9B illustrates a cross sectional view of the working body of FIG. 1A, wherein a filter access panel is opened to remove a removable filter through a filter access port in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 illustrates an oblique cross-sectional view of the working body of FIG. 9A in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This disclosure relates generally to air conditioning units and more particularly to PTAC units. In some instances, the air conditioning unit of the present disclosure includes one or more filters that are accessible from an internal area of the unit without having to remove the air conditioning unit from a wall sleeve within a wall. For example, in some instances, the air conditioning unit does not need to be removed from the wall sleeve to replace the filter for the outside fresh air. In other instances, the air conditioning unit is configured to enable filtered exterior air to be mixed with filtered internal air prior to being conditioned by a heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit. In yet other instances, the air conditioning unit includes a handle configured to be grasped to enable a person to pull the air conditioning unit from a wall sleeve within a wall.
In certain embodiments, the air conditioning unit may be placed in a wall sleeve in a wall. An interior portion of the air conditioning unit may include a moveable front cover that is configured to be pulled up to provide access to a filter access panel. The filter access panel may enable a user to replace a removable filter that is positioned to filter exterior air that is mixed with the internal air. In addition, the moveable front cover may include a removable top panel that is configured to be removed to enable a user to replace a front filter that filters the internal air being sucked into the front (e.g., room-facing side) of the air conditioning unit. In some instances, the removable top panel may be flush with an outer surface of the air conditioning unit to provide an aesthetically pleasing ornamental look.
Turning now to the drawings, example air conditioning units in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 1A-10.
FIG. 1A illustrates a front oblique view of a PTAC unit 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted in FIG. 1A, the PTAC unit 100 may include a working body 104 and a moveable cover 102. The working body 104 and moveable cover 102 may be any suitable size, shape, or configuration. In some instances, the total height and width of the PTAC unit 100 may be about 12-24 inches in height and about 36-48 inches in width, with some of these being 16 inches in height and about 42 inches in width.
FIG. 1B illustrates a front oblique view of the working body 104 of the PTAC unit 100. As depicted in FIG. 1B, the working body 104 may include an external portion 106, an internal portion 108, a central flange 110 arranged to separate the external portion 106 and the internal portion 108, and a base pan 118. The working body 104 may be configured to be disposed in a wall sleeve (not shown) within a wall (not shown). In this manner, at least a portion of the working body 104 may be located in an internal area (e.g., a room in a structure, such as a building or an apartment) in which the air therein is to be conditioned. Similarly, at least a portion of the working body 104 may be located in an external area (e.g., outside of the building). For example, the central flange 110 may divide the working body into the internal portion 108 and the external portion 106. The internal portion 108 of the working body 104 may be disposed within the interior area, and the external portion 106 of the working body 104 may be disposed within the external area.
In certain embodiments, the internal portion 108 may include an internal inlet 114, an internal outlet 116, a filter access panel 120, and a control panel 122. The internal inlet 114 may be configured to pass internal air from the internal area to a space 115, which will be filled by a removable front filter (not shown) as will be discussed in more detail below. The internal outlet 116 may be configured to output a mix of the internal air and external air back into the internal area. In some instances, the moveable cover 102 may be disposed over the internal inlet 114 and the internal outlet 116.
The filter access panel 120 may enable access to an internal air filter, as will be described in greater detail below. In some instances, the filter access panel 120 may be omitted. The control panel 122 may be configured to enable a user to operate and adjust parameters of the PTAC unit 100. For example, the control panel 122 may enable a user to adjust the temperature and fan speed of the PTAC unit 100. The control panel 122 may enable a user to operate and adjust any suitable parameters of the PTAC unit 100 and provide additional functionality.
FIG. 1C depicts a rear oblique view of the working body 104 of the PTAC unit 100. As depicted in FIG. 1C, the external portion 106 includes a compressor 112, an external inlet 124, a fan (not shown) behind a fan housing 125, an inner wall 126, and a heat exchanger 128. The compressor 112 may form part of a vapor compression system and is configured to compress refrigerant within the PTAC unit 100. The external inlet 124 is configured receive external air from the external area. The fan behind the fan housing 125 is configured to move the external air as received from the external inlet 124, as will be described in greater detail below. The heat exchanger 128 is configured to receive coolant from the compressor 112, perform the heat exchange between the coolant and external air, and pass external air through the external portion 106, and through the external inlet 124.
The PTAC unit 100 may be disposed within a wall sleeve in an exterior wall of a structure, such as a house, building, apartment, etc. In this manner, the exterior wall, in which the PTAC unit 100 may be disposed, may include an external side and an internal side. The external side may face the external area (e.g., outside of the building), and the internal side may face the internal area (e.g., a room inside the building). In this manner, the exterior wall separates the external area from the internal area. The central flange 110 may be configured to form a seal against the inner surface of a wall sleeve (not shown) that is installed in the wall, so as to prevent internal air from the internal area from escaping to the outside and vice versa.
The base pan 118 supports the external portion 106 and the internal portion 108. The base pan 118 additionally acts as a reservoir to catch water from condensation as removed from the air by the PTAC unit 100. The base pan 118 may be any suitable size, shape, or configuration.
FIG. 2A illustrates a front oblique view of the moveable cover 102 of the PTAC unit 100. As depicted in FIG. 2A, the moveable cover 102 may include a front screen 202, a top exhaust grate 204, a filter cover 206, a control panel access port 208, and a side 210. When the moveable cover 102 is attached to the working body 104, the front screen 202 may be disposed adjacent to the internal inlet 114, the top exhaust grate 204 may be disposed adjacent to the internal outlet 116, and the control panel access port 208 may be disposed adjacent to the control panel 122. The moveable cover 102 may be any suitable size, shape, or configuration. In some instances, the moveable cover 102 may be about 36-48 inches in width, about 12-24 inches in height, and about 8-12 inches deep, with some of these instances being 42 inches wide, 16 inches high, 10 inches deep.
In certain embodiments, the movable cover 102 may be configured to house a removable front filter 212 therein. FIG. 2B illustrates a front oblique view of the moveable cover 102 with the removable front filter 212 removed. The removable front filter 212 may be removably attached to the filter cover 206. When the removable front filter 212 is inserted into the moveable cover 102, as depicted in FIG. 2A, the filter cover 206 is configured to be flush with a top surface of the moveable cover 102. That is, when the removable front filter 212 is inserted into the moveable cover 102, the filter cover 206 does not rise up (or stick up, or extend) above the top surface on the moveable cover 102. In this manner, when the removable front filter 212 is fully inserted into the moveable cover 102 the filter cover 206 and the top surface on the moveable cover 102 collectively form a flat surface.
FIG. 2C illustrates a front oblique bottom view of the moveable cover 102. As depicted in FIG. 2C, a depressible push tab 214 is disposed on the bottom of the moveable cover 102. In certain embodiments, when the moveable cover 102 is attached to the working body 104, the depressible push tab 214 may not be readily viewable by an occupant of the internal area. That is, the depressible push tab 214 may be “hidden” from view underneath the moveable cover 102 when the cover 102 is positioned on the working body 104 in its position as shown in FIG. 1A. In some instances, the depressible push tab 214 may be configured to rest against the removable front filter 212, wherein when depressed by a user, depressible push tab 214 will push the removable front filter 212 up, thus separating the filter cover 206 from the moveable cover 102. Once the filter cover 206 is pushed up and no longer flush with the top surface of the moveable cover 102, a user may grasp the filter cover 206 and pull the removable front filter 212 up and out from the moveable cover 102.
FIG. 2D illustrates a top view of the moveable cover 102, FIG. 2E illustrates a front view of the moveable cover 102, FIG. 2F illustrates a side view of the moveable cover 102, and FIG. 2G illustrates a bottom view of the moveable cover 102. In certain embodiments, the width of the moveable cover 102 is about 36-48, with some of these embodiments having the width of the moveable cover 102 being 42 inches. As depicted in FIG. 2G, the moveable cover 102 may include a plurality of hooks 216. As discussed below, the hooks 216 may be used to attach the moveable cover 102 to the working body 104.
FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the PTAC unit 100 with a dashed line B-B and a dashed line C-C. FIG. 4A illustrates a cross sectional view of the PTAC unit 100 as shown in FIG. 3 along line B-B. As depicted in FIG. 4A, the internal portion 108 may include a removable filter 404. In some instances, the filter access panel 120 may be opened to remove the removable filter 404. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1B, the filter access panel 120 may include a lip 121 that may be grabbed by a finger to pry open the filter access panel. The filter access panel 120 may swing open about a hinge 123.
A detailed view of a portion 402 of FIG. 4A is shown in FIG. 4B. As depicted in FIG. 4B, the hook 216 may hook into a receiving hole 406 within central flange 110. Although not shown, the remaining hooks 216 in the moveable cover 102 may similarly hook into respective receiving holes within the central flange 110, thus attaching the moveable cover 102 to the working body 104. It should be noted that the hooks 216 and respective receiving holes may be replaced with any known engaging system to enable the moveable cover 102 to attach to the working body 104 and to rotate about the central flange 110.
FIG. 5A illustrates a cross sectional view of the PTAC unit 100 of FIG. 3 along line C-C. A detailed view of a portion 502 of FIG. 5A is shown in FIG. 5B. As discussed above, the moveable cover 102 may be configured to be attached to the working body 104. As depicted in FIG. 5B, the side 210 of the moveable cover 102 may include an inner surface 504 having a first protrusion 506 and an engaging protrusion 508. Further, the internal portion 108 of the base pan 118 may include an outer surface 512 that faces the inner surface 504 of the moveable cover 102. The outer surface 512 may include a base pan protrusion 514.
The side 210 of the moveable cover 102 may be deformable. In this manner, when attaching the moveable cover 102 on to the internal portion 108, the side 210 of the moveable cover 102 may at least partially deform so as to permit the engaging protrusion 508 to pass over the base pan protrusion 514. The engaging protrusion 508 may be separated from the first protrusion 506 by a space 516. The space 516 may include a detent 517, such that the base pan protrusion 514 is configured to rest in the detent 517 when the moveable cover 102 is attached to the working body 104. For example, as the moveable cover 102 is being attached to the working body 104, the base pan protrusion 514 will lock into place with the detent 517 in space 516 as shown in FIG. 5B, thereby locking the moveable cover 102 onto the internal portion 108 of the working body 104.
FIG. 6 illustrates a top oblique view of the PTAC unit 100 of FIG. 1A with the moveable cover 102 separated from the working body 104. As depicted in FIG. 6, the engaging protrusion 508 on moveable cover 102 is configured to engage with the base pan protrusion 514, such that the base pan protrusion 514 will lock into place with the detent 517.
FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom oblique view of the working body 104 of the PTAC unit 100. As depicted in FIG. 7, the base pan 118 of the working body 104 includes a handle 702 configured to be grasped to enable a person to pull the PTAC unit 100 from a wall sleeve (not shown) that is mounted in the wall. In this manner, the entire PTAC unit 100 may be pulled into the internal area.
FIG. 8 illustrates a side oblique view of the PTAC unit 100 with the moveable cover 102 separated from the working body 104. As depicted in FIG. 8, the removable filter 404 is disposed in a space that is accessible via a filter access port 804.
FIG. 9A illustrates a cross sectional view of the working body 104 and the airflow therein. In certain embodiments, in operation, external air from outside the building may be received at the external inlet 124 and moved via the fan 909 behind the fan housing 125. As indicated by arrows 901, the air may move down through a channel 902 formed by the inner wall 126 and an internal panel 904. The external air may flow to the removable filter 404, which may filter out particulates, such as pollen and insects or the like. The internal air is received by the internal inlet 114 and is filtered by the removable front filter 212 (shown by the dotted rectangle for reference). The filtered external air is mixed with internal filtered air.
The mix of the filtered external air and the filtered internal air is then conditioned by a heat exchanger 907, such as an evaporator or condenser of a vapor compression system. If heating is needed, a heater 908 may heat the mixed filtered external air and the filtered internal air after conditioning by the heat exchanger 907. From a user's perspective, returning to FIG. 2A, the internal air 201 may enter the front screen 202 and conditioned air 203 may be exhausted from the top exhaust grate 204. When operating in a cooling mode, wherein cool conditioned air 203 is exhausted from the top exhaust grate 204, a heat exchanger 912 exhausts hot air to the exterior. Conversely, when operating in a heating mode, wherein heated conditioned air 203 is exhausted from the top exhaust grate 204, the heat exchanger 912 exhausts cool air to the exterior.
The location, placement, and configuration of the removable filter 404 in the disclosed PTAC unit 100 provides several benefits. In particular, conventional PTAC units place a removable filter in an area 906 indicated by a dotted ellipse, which is in the external portion 106 and which is used to filter the external air as it enters the PTAC unit. However, as shown in FIG. 9A, the area 906 is located in the external portion 106 of the working body 104. Accordingly, if a removable filter were disposed in area 906, then the PTAC unit 100 would need to be removed from the wall sleeve within the wall or accessed from the exterior in order for a user to replace the removable filter. As mentioned above, such service increased time and cost. On the other hand, in the PTAC unit 100 disclosed herein, the removable filter 404 is located in the internal portion 108. Therefore, a user need not remove the PTAC unit 100 from the wall sleeve within the wall in order to replace the removable filter 404.
FIG. 9B illustrates a cross sectional view of the working body 104, wherein the filter access panel 120 is opened to remove the removable filter 404 through the filter access port 804 on the internal portion 108. More particularly, referring back to FIG. 1A, a user may pull on the moveable cover 102 to rotate the moveable cover 102 away from working body 104. As depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B, by pulling the moveable cover 102, the side 210 at least partially deforms so as to enable the engaging protrusion 508 to pass by the base pan protrusion 514. Next as depicted in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the plurality of hooks 216 remain engaged with the respective receiving holes in the central flange 110 such that the moveable cover 102 rotates upward revealing the filter access panel 120. The user may then access the filter access panel 120 to open it and remove the removable filter 404 from the internal area (e.g., within the inside of the structure). For example, FIG. 10 depicts an oblique cross-sectional view of the working body 104, wherein the filter access panel 120 is opened to remove the removable filter 404 through the filter access port 910 that is located on the inside of the structure.
The location, placement, and configuration of the removable front filter 212 provides several benefits, one of which includes filtering the internal air while providing an easy manner to replace the removable front filter 212.
As depicted in FIG. 2B, the removable front filter 212 is removably connected to the filter cover 206. As depicted in FIG. 2A, the removable front filter 212 is configured to be removably connected to the filter cover 206 such that when installed, the front cover 206 is flush (i.e., not raised) relative to the top surface of the moveable cover 102, thus making the moveable cover 202 may aesthetically pleasing. To remove the removable front filter 212, as depicted in FIG. 2C, the depressible push tab 214 is configured to be depressed, which pushes the removable front filter 212 up, thus separating the filter cover 206 from the moveable cover 202. At that point, the user may remove the filer cover 206 and the removable front filter 212 in order to replace the removable front filter 212 as needed.
The location, placement, and configuration of the handle 702 in the base pan 108 provides several benefits. In particular, as depicted in FIG. 7, in some instances, the working body 104 may be quite heavy, thus creating much friction between the base pan 108 and the wall (or sleeve in the wall), in which the working body 104 is nested. In the event that a user may need to remove the working body 104 from the wall sleeve within the wall, the handle 702 promotes an improved grip to remove the working body 104 into the internal area.
It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present disclosure and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Although specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described, numerous other modifications and alternative embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, any of the functionality described with respect to a particular device or component may be performed by another device or component. Further, while specific device characteristics have been described, embodiments of the disclosure may relate to numerous other device characteristics. Further, although embodiments have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the embodiments. Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.
Patent Application
20240369236
