Rheem Manufacturing Company

Neil D Hurt

Randy W Foster

Walter R Lowrimore

Aniket R Kalambe

Michael Andrews

Kenneth D Frederick

Bradford B Davenport

A defrost cycle control assembly includes a first sensor that is configured to measure a temperature adjacent a top portion of an outdoor heat exchanger of a heat pump, a second sensor that is configured to measure a temperature adjacent a bottom portion of the outdoor heat exchanger, and a third sensor that is configured to measure an ambient temperature. Further, the defrost cycle control assembly includes a controller that is configured to initiate a defrost cycle of the heat pump based on the temperature adjacent the top portion and the ambient temperature when said temperatures indicate formation of frost at the top portion of the outdoor heat exchanger where the first sensor is disposed. The controller is configured to terminate the defrost cycle when the temperature at the bottom portion reaches a termination temperature which indicates that the frost on the outdoor heat exchanger has melted.

Defrost cycle control assembly in a heat pump

A packaged air conditioner or heat pump unit is provided with an elongated removable drain pan having an inner longitudinal portion that underlies and receives condensate falling from the portion of the unit's indoor coil positioned within the conditioned air flow through the unit. An outer longitudinal portion of the drain pan underlies tubing portion return bends of the coil positioned outside of the conditioned air flow and separated from the inner longitudinal pan portion by a vertical dividing wall having a small condensate transfer hole therein. During cooling operation of the unit, the unit blower creates a negative pressure inwardly adjacent the hole which draws return bend condensation from the outer longitudinal pan portion into the inner longitudinal pan portion for drainage outwardly therefrom, with the condensate received from the balance of the coil, via a drain line connected to the pan.

Air conditioning apparatus and associated condensate drain pan structure

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Fort Smith, AK, United States of America

Neil D Hurt