Carrier Corporation

Nestor Hernandez

Peter R Bushnell

Juan C C Correa

Victoriano Zamora

Jose G Oliva

David Hernandez

Werner Adomeit

Eduardo Bascaran

David M Rockwell

A molded plastic basepan supporting components of a room air conditioner includes a substantially rectangular bottom wall having a front edge, a back edge and left and right side edges. The bottom defines a top surface and bottom surface, and each of the edges thereof includes a structural side wall section extending upwardly therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall. A vertically extending substantially hollow structural beam is formed in the bottom wall of the basepan. The structural beam extends laterally from a location proximate the left side wall to a location proximate the right side wall. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface of the bottom wall is substantially planar and the structural beam is defined by a closed elongated channel extending upwardly into the basepan to define an elongated enclosed wall extending upwardly from the top surface of the bottom wall.

Molded plastic basepan for a room air conditioner

The present invention relates to an orifice member for the condenser fan of an air conditioning unit, which has a basepan and a partition which divides the air conditioning unit into an indoor section forwardly of the partition and an outdoor section rearwardly of the partition. The indoor section includes an evaporator coil, an evaporator fan and means for collecting condensate and directing the condensate to the basepan in the outdoor section. The outdoor section includes a condenser coil at the rear thereof, a rotatably driven condenser fan having a second side and a discharge side, the fan being located forwardly of the condenser coil. The orifice member defines a barrier between the suction and discharge side of the condenser fan and has a fan orifice opening forwardly of the fan to define a restricted air flow passage therethrough between the suction side at a generally low pressure and the discharge side at a generally high pressure. The condenser fan is an axial fan with blades having tips extending from the suction side to the discharge side. The fan includes an annular slinger surrounding and having a portion secured to the blade tips in the region extending from the suction side to the discharge side. The tips and the slinger are located entirely rearwardly of the orifice member. The fan orifice and the slinger cooperate to define a first narrow annular passage therebetween. The slinger defines a second narrow annular passage with the underlying portion of the basepan, which is configured to collect condensate therein. The orifice member has a wall section underlying the fan orifice opening. The fan orifice opening has an imaginary vertically extending centerline and the wall section has an opening therein centered upon the centerline, which fluidly communicates the region of the basepan forwardly of the wall with both the first and second annular passages. The fluid opening has a narrow lateral dimension at the lower end thereof and a larger lateral dimension at the upper end thereof.

Air conditioner condenser orifice member having condensate suction port

A condensate drain arrangement for an air conditioner, which includes a molded plastic basepan having a substantially horizontally extending bottom wall. The bottom wall has an outdoor section which includes a region for collecting condensate therein. A first condensate drain is formed in the basepan in fluid communication with the condensate collecting region. The first condensate drain is configured to conduct substantially all of the condensate collected within the region for collecting from the basepan. The first condensate drain is optionally enabled by the user of the air conditioner. A second condensate drain is also formed in the basepan in fluid communication with the region for collecting condensate. The second condensate drain is configured to allow collection of condensate in the collection region to a predetermined depth and to conduct condensate which would exceed said predetermined depth from the basepan. The second condensate drain is also optionally enabled by the user of the air conditioner. In a preferred embodiment, a condensate collector is configured to be mounted in the air conditioner housing to collect condensate from whichever of the condensate drains has been enabled. The condensate collector has a single outlet therefrom for conducting condensate to a desired disposal location.

Condensate drain arrangement for an air conditioner

A room air conditioner of the type having a chassis configured to be removably received in an outer housing. The chassis includes a basepan having an indoor region proximate the front of the basepan and an outer region proximate the back. The chassis further includes a condenser coil supported in the outdoor region. The condenser coil has a support structure including an upper portion overlying the upper end of the condenser coil. The chassis further includes a partition supported at its lower end by the basepan and configured to separate the indoor and outdoor regions. The upper end of the partition is configured to be in close proximity to the interior of the outer housing when the chassis is received therein. The outer housing defines a substantially rectangular structure having a lower section configured to receive and support the basepan thereupon. Vertically extending side walls extend from left and right sides of the lower section and a top wall extends between the upper ends of the side walls.

Structure for facilitating assembly of an air conditioning unit having a removable chassis

An improved room air conditioner of the type assembled from a first subassembly, which includes a basepan having an indoor region proximate the front of the basepan and an outdoor region proximate the back of the basepan. A compressor, a condenser coil, an evaporator coil, and a refrigeration flow circuit are all included in the first subassembly. A second subassembly includes a vertically extending partition having an indoor side, an outdoor side and an opening therein extending from the indoor side to the outdoor side. The partition is configured to cooperate with the basepan to separate the indoor region from the outdoor region. The second subassembly includes an electric motor mounted on the partition, which is adapted to drive an indoor fan and an outdoor fan. The first and second subassemblies are configured such that they may be assembled separate from one another and may be assembled to one another by the positioning of the second subassembly in a position vertically spaced above the subassembly and lowering the second subassembly into a predetermined alignment with the first subassembly with the partition engaging the basepan. The partition is provided with a vertically extending lower portion defining a lower edge. The basepan defines a lower wall having formed therein an upstanding structural wall, configured to receive the lower portion of the partition in confronting relation therewith with the lower edge of the partition in contact with the lower wall.

Air conditioner structure

A control for an air conditioning unit, which is configured to be easily attached to a vertically extending partition of the air conditioning unit. The control box includes a main housing having a substantially horizontal bottom wall. The bottom wall has front, side and rear edges and a front wall extending substantially vertically upwardly from the front edge of the bottom wall. A side wall extends substantially vertically upwardly from each of the side edges of the bottom wall. Each of the side walls has a front edge integrally formed with the front wall and a rear edge having a downwardly extending attachment hook extending rearwardly of the rear edge of the side wall and the rear edge of the bottom wall. The air conditioner's partition has attachment hook receiving slots formed therein, which are configured to receive the attachment hooks therein in a manner attaching the main housing to the partition with the rear edges of the bottom wall and the side wall in confronting relation with the partition.

Control box for a room air conditioner

An electrical power cord arrangement for a room air conditioner of the type having an indoor section, an outdoor section, an electrical control box contained within the indoor section and an outer housing partially enclosing both sections. The outer housing has an access opening therein in the region thereof which encloses the outdoor section. An electrical power cord having a first end, which terminates within the electrical control box extends from the control box, through the housing, into the outdoor section of the air conditioner where it then passes from the housing through the access opening to the exterior thereof, where it terminates in a second end configured to be connected to a source of electrical power.

Room air conditioner having outdoor power cord

An air conditioning unit is provided, which includes an outdoor section which has a condenser coil mounted therein and an outer protective housing at least partially enclosing the outdoor section. The housing has a substantially rectangular opening therein in overlying relation with the condenser coil. The opening is defined by four coplanar wall sections of given thickness. Each wall section has an edge thereof, which cooperates with the edges of the other wall sections to define the perimeter of the opening. A one-piece molded plastic grille is configured to substantially cover the opening. The grille includes an outer framework sized to be substantially contiguous with the perimeter of the rectangular opening. The outer framework is defined by upper, lower and left and right frame members, which are interconnected at the ends thereof to define the outer framework. A plurality of inclined horizontal louvers extend between the left and right frame members. Grille positioning and retaining structure are integrally formed with each of the frame members. Each of the positioning and retaining structures includes a first portion extending outwardly from its respective frame member in overlying relationship with one of the coplanar wall sections, and a second portion extending outwardly from its respective frame member in underlying relation with its associated coplanar wall section. The first and second portions are spaced from one another by a distance equal to the given thickness of the coplanar walls to define a space therebetween configured to receive the edge of and a portion of the coplanar wall therein. The plastic grille is sufficiently flexible to allow it to be deformed to a condition to allow each of the grille positioning and retaining structures to engage their respective coplanar wall sections and to thereafter to return to an undeformed condition when assembled to the housing.

Snap-in plastic grille for an air conditioner housing

Room air conditioner

An improved room air conditioner of the type having an indoor section and an outdoor section, which are supported by a basepan and which are separated by a partition. The indoor section includes an indoor fan and an evaporator coil and the outdoor section includes a condenser coil, an outdoor fan and a compressor. The air conditioner is made from two subassemblies, the first subassembly includes a basepan having an indoor region near the front of the basepan and an outdoor region near the back of the basepan. The compressor is supported in the outdoor region and a condenser coil is also supported in the outdoor region rearwardly of the compressor. The evaporator coil is supported in the indoor region and a refrigeration flow circuit interconnects the condenser, the evaporator coil and the compressor. The second subassembly includes a vertically extending partition having an indoor side, an outdoor side and an opening therethrough extending from one side to the other. The partition is configured to cooperate with the basepan to separate the indoor region from the outdoor region. An electric motor is mounted on the outdoor side of the partition. The motor has a drive shaft extending perpendicular to the partition with the first end extending through the opening so that it is on the indoor side of the partition and the second end on the outdoor side of the partition. An indoor fan is mounted to the first end of the drive shaft and an outdoor fan is mounted to the second end of the drive shaft. The second subassembly is configured to be assembled to the first subassembly by positioning the second subassembly in a position vertically spaced above the first subassembly and lowering it into alignment with the first subassembly with the outdoor fan forward of and adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger, and the indoor fan rearward of and spaced from the indoor heat exchanger. The partition engages the basepan and is structurally attached thereto.

Window room air conditioner

A front grille for the indoor section of an air conditioning unit includes a substantially planar front section, which has air inlet louvers and an air outlet opening formed therein. The front section also includes an opening configured to provide access to the air conditioning unit's control box when the grille is mounted on the indoor unit. The control box access opening is substantially rectangular and is surrounded by three outwardly facing fixed wall sections, each of which is substantially coplanar with the front section. A fourth fixed wall section lies in a plane behind the front section of the grille. An insert is provided, which has a back section and a front wall. The front wall is configured to be coplanar with each of the three fixed wall sections when the back section of the insert is placed in confronting relation with the fourth fixed wall section. Structure is provided for removably attaching the insert to the grille to retain the insert to the back section in the aforementioned confronting relation. The insert may be a narrow insert having a width, which is substantially comparable to that of the three wall sections or, alternatively, may be configured to substantially completely overlie the opening. When the insert is configured to substantially completely overlie the opening, the structure for removably attaching the insert is configured to allow the insert to pivot between a position overlying the opening and a second position where it does not overlie the opening.

Control box door/fairing for front grille of an air conditioner

An air conditioner is provided of the type having an indoor section, which includes a housing, evaporator coil and an indoor grille adapted to be mounted to the housing in spaced relation to the evaporator coil. The grille includes a front wall having a return opening therein to admit return air to be conditioned into the evaporator coil. The front wall also has an elongated opening adjacent to an edge thereof, which is adapted to receive a filter for insertion and removal of the filter into the space between the back wall of the indoor grille and the evaporator coil. The filter includes a rectangular frame having a leading edge and a trailing edge and laterally spaced edges interconnecting the leading and trailing edges. A filter guide structure is integrally formed with the grille and is adapted to receive the leading edge of the filter with the filter frame angularly disposed with respect to the front wall and for directing the rectangular frame into the space between the back wall of the indoor grille and the evaporator coil without contacting the evaporator coil. In a preferred embodiment, the trailing edge defines an ornamental outer wall similar in configuration to the structure defining the return air openings in the front wall of the grille. Structure is provided on the ornamental outer wall and the filter guide structure for supporting and positioning the outer wall with respect to the outer grille structure.

Air filter inlet and positioning guide for an air conditioner

A front grille for a room air conditioning unit includes a planar front section, which includes an air inlet opening, an air outlet opening, and an opening configured to receive the unit's control panel when mounted on an air conditioning unit. The front section has a top wall, bottom wall, and left and right-hand side walls, each of which extend rearwardly of the front section and cooperate with one another to define a skirt element integrally formed with and extending rearwardly from the planar front section. An elongated recess is formed in the planar front section. One or more inserts, each of which is configured to be received in the recess in the front section, are provided. Each of the inserts has a distinguishing ornamental configuration thereon, which is different from the distinguishing ornamental configuration of the other inserts. Means are provided in the elongated recess and on each of the inserts for cooperating with one another to retain each of the inserts in the recess.

Air conditioner front grille with inserts for brand differentiation

A control box for an air conditioning unit, which is configured to contain control components and a capacitor. The control box includes a housing having an inverted L-shape, which defines a substantially vertical section and a substantially horizontal section. The horizontal section has an open front defined by peripherally extending edges. One or more of the edges are provided with attachment structure integrally formed thereon. A control panel section for housing the control components has an open back defined by a plurality of peripherally extending edges. The edges of the control panel section are configured to engage the edges of the horizontal section and are provided with attachment structure formed thereon which is configured to cooperate with the attachment structure of the horizontal section to thereby facilitate attachment of the control panel to the horizontal section.

A shipping protector is provided which is to be disposed between a substantially rectangular article and a shipping container for the article. The article is of the type having a base having four base corners and a top having four top corners, each of which is in substantially vertically spaced relationship with one of the base corners. The protector includes a base support configured to engage the article's base and each of the base corners. The base support has a thickness sufficient to define an upwardly facing surface adjacent each of the base corners. A first top support is provided which is configured to engage two of the top corners and which has a downwardly extending structural section adjacent each of the corners. The structural sections have a length sufficient to allow the lower ends thereof to engage the upwardly facing surface associated with one of the base corners. A second top support, similar to the first, is configured to engage the other two of the top corners and has similarly configured downwardly extending structural sections. As a result, with the base support and the first and second top supports engaging the article to be shipped while in the shipping container, vertical forces applied to the container will be reacted to the top supports and will be transferred through the downwardly extending sections to the base support.

Growing community of inventors

Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Nestor Hernandez