Air conditioner mister, apparatus and method

• US 10,251,316 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartAC.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mistbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Nachefski, William S., Teekell, Joshua Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US14/851,146
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 261 26, 62305, 62121
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/20 Mixing gases with liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/42 characterised by the use of the condensate, e.g. for enhanced cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/225 by evaporating the condensate in the cooling medium, e.g. in air flow from the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 5/00 Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, using the cooling effect of natural or forced evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/00 Systems controlled by a computer G05B13/00, G05B19/00 take precedence; automatic controllers with particular characteristics G05B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20763 Liquid cooling without phase change

Abstract

An apparatus includes a housing that includes a front face, a rear face, a front-face cut out on the front face, a rear-face cut out on the rear face, a front-face screen to cover the front-face cut out, and a rear-face screen to cover the rear-face cut out. A box insertable between the front face and the rear face. The box includes a plurality of wicks behind the front face of the housing when the box is inserted in the housing. The box includes a water connection fitting coupled to the plurality of wicks through a controllable valve. The controllable valve has an open position and closed position.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a misting sub-system for cooling an air conditioner at a location to affect the run time of the air conditioner;

a cloud-based server wirelessly coupled to the misting sub-system;

wherein the cloud-based server is configured to;

receive reports from the misting sub-system regarding environmental conditions at the location and the run time of the air conditioner;

prepare analyses of the reports to identify monetary savings produced by the misting sub-system; and

provide the analyses to a user.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of additional misting sub-systems for cooling a respective plurality of air conditioners to affect the run time of respective air conditioners, where the plurality of air conditioners are at a plurality of respective locations;

the plurality of additional misting sub-systems being wirelessly coupled to the cloud-based server;

wherein the cloud-based server is further configured to;

receive reports from the plurality of additional misting sub-systems regarding environmental conditions at the respective locations and the run time of the plurality of air conditioners;

prepare analyses of the reports to identify settings for the misting sub-system; and

set the misting sub-system per the identified settings.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the reports from the plurality of additional misting sub-systems include the current cost of power and the current cost of water at the respective locations of the respective additional misting sub-systems; and

the analyses of the reports from the plurality of additional misting sub-systems includes an analysis of a trade-off between the consumption of power and the consumption of water.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the analyses of the reports describe the efficiency of the air conditioner.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the analyses take into account make and model information regarding the air conditioner.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the cloud-based server comprises a plurality of cloud-based servers.

7. A method performed by a cloud-based server comprising:

receiving reports from a misting sub-system regarding environmental conditions at a location and a run time of an air conditioner at the location;

preparing analyses of the reports to identify monetary savings produced by the misting sub-system; and

providing the analyses to a user;

wherein the misting sub-system is for cooling the air conditioner at the location to affect the run time of the air conditioner; and

wherein the cloud-based server is wirelessly coupled to the misting sub-system.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving reports from a plurality of additional misting sub-systems regarding environmental conditions at a plurality of respective locations and the run time of the plurality of air conditioners at the plurality of respective locations;

preparing analyses of the reports to identify settings for the misting sub-system; and

setting the misting sub-system per the identified settings;

wherein the plurality of additional misting sub-systems is for cooling the respective plurality of air conditioners to affect the run time of the respective air conditioners; and

wherein the plurality of additional misting sub-systems are wirelessly coupled to the cloud-based server.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the reports from the plurality of additional misting sub-systems include the current cost of power and the current cost of water at the respective locations of the respective additional misting sub-systems; and

the analyses of the reports from the plurality of additional misting sub-systems include an analysis of a trade-off between the consumption of power and the consumption of water.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the analyses of the reports describe the efficiency of the air conditioner.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the analyses take into account make and model information regarding the air conditioner.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the cloud-based server comprises a plurality of cloud-based servers.