Refrigerating unit having heat-exchanger mounting shroud

• US 20040069464A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
• Original Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
• Inventors: Erisgen, Sukru
• Granted Patent: US 7,055,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/121
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/582 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/006 for mounting refrigerating machinery components
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2321/1411 using compressor heat
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/002 with fastening means for other structures

Abstract

A refrigerating unit including a base, a heat exchanger, and a shroud attached to the base, the shroud provided with integrally formed means for gripping the heat exchanger and mounting the heat exchanger to the base. More particularly, a condensing unit including a base, a heat exchanger having opposite side edges defined by a pair of substantially cylindrical headers, at least one of the headers having an inlet tube or an outlet tube extending from a side surface thereof near one end of the header, and a substantially rectangular shroud attached to the base and being provided with notched corners forming notched corner edges. The shroud has a top surface which is provided with at least one elongate boss, and a plurality of integrally-formed resilient gripping portions which surround and capture the heat exchanger headers. The heat exchanger is mounted to the base through the engagement of the heat exchanger and the shroud, clearance is provided between a shroud notched corner edge and the heat exchanger inlet or outlet tube, and the boss provides a means for supporting the shroud when placed upside down prior to the shroud being attached to the base.

Claims

1. A refrigerating unit comprising:

a base;

a heat exchanger through which air passes; and

an air-directing shroud attached to said base, said heat exchanger being engaged with said shroud, said heat exchanger being mounted to said base through the engagement of said heat exchanger and said shroud.

2. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger has opposite side edges, said shroud has a plurality of integrally-formed gripping portions, and said heat exchanger side edges are captured by said shroud gripping portions, whereby said heat exchanger and said shroud are engaged.

3. The refrigerating unit of claim 2, wherein at least one said shroud gripping portion is flexible.

4. The refrigerating unit of claim 2, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a pair of headers which define said heat exchanger opposite side edges, said headers being captured within said shroud gripping portions.

5. The refrigerating unit of claim 4, wherein each said heat exchanger header has an outer surface which is substantially cylindrical, and each said shroud gripping portion has a inner surface which is substantially cylindrical and interfaces with a said header substantially cylindrical outer surface, respective ones of said interfacing surfaces being substantially in surface contact with each other.

6. The refrigerating unit of claim 5, wherein a said header outer surface and a said shroud gripping portion inner surface are substantially coaxial.

7. The refrigerating unit of claim 4, wherein at least one said shroud gripping portion is elastically deformable and has a tip which is in sliding contact with its respective said header during engagement of said heat exchanger and said shroud.

8. The refrigerating unit of claim 2, wherein said shroud gripping portions at least partially surround said heat exchanger opposite edges.

9. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger has a bottom edge, said bottom edge abutting said base.

10. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said base and said heat exchanger are both substantially planar and lying in planes which are substantially perpendicular to each other.

11. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said shroud has an aperture and further comprising a fan/motor assembly having blades located substantially within said aperture, said fan/motor assembly being attached to said base independently of said shroud and heat exchanger.

12. The refrigerating unit of claim 11, wherein said aperture is defined by a substantially cylindrical portion of said shroud.

13. The refrigerating unit of claim 12, wherein said shroud is provided with integrally formed indicia which are visible after said shroud and heat exchanger have been attached to said base.

14. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said shroud has a top surface provided with at least one elongate boss, said at least one boss providing a means for supporting said shroud when placed upside down prior to said shroud being attached to said base.

15. The refrigerating unit of claim 14, wherein said at least one elongate boss provides a means for supporting said shroud and said heat exchanger when said shroud and said heat exchanger are engaged, and when said shroud and said heat exchanger are placed upside down prior to said shroud being attached to said base.

16. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said shroud is substantially rectangular and is provided with a plurality of notched corners, and said heat exchanger has opposite side edges and is provided with one of an inlet tube and an outlet tube located near an end of a said side edge, a said notched corner providing a notched corner edge which partially surrounds said inlet or outlet tube, clearance being provided between said shroud notched corner edge and said heat exchanger inlet or outlet tube.

17. The refrigerating unit of claim 16, wherein each corner of said substantially rectangular shroud is notched, whereby a said heat exchanger inlet or outlet tube provided near either end of either of said opposite side edges is provided with clearance to said shroud.

18. The refrigerating unit of claim 16, wherein said heat exchanger opposite side edges are defined by a pair of headers about which said heat exchanger is gripped by elastically deformable portions of said shroud.

19. The refrigerating unit of claim 18, wherein said heat exchanger headers and said shroud elastically deformable portions have substantially cylindrical interfacing surfaces.

20. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said shroud and said base are interfitted with each other, whereby said shroud is attached to said base by interfitting engagement therebetween.

21. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said shroud is attached to said base with a plurality of fasteners.

22. The refrigerating unit of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger is a condenser, and said refrigerating unit is a condensing unit.

23. A condensing unit comprising:

a base;

a heat exchanger through which air passes, said heat exchanger having opposite side edges defined by a pair of substantially cylindrical headers, said heat exchanger having an inlet tube and an outlet tube, at least one of said headers having one of said inlet tube and said outlet tube extending from a side surface of said header near one end of said header; and

a substantially rectangular air-directing shroud attached to said base and being provided with a plurality of notched corners, each said notched corner forming a notched corner edge, said shroud having a top surface which is provided with at least one elongate boss, said shroud having a plurality of integrally-formed resilient gripping portions which surround and capture said heat exchanger headers, whereby said heat exchanger and said shroud are engaged,

wherein said heat exchanger is mounted to said base through the engagement of said heat exchanger and said shroud, clearance is provided between said shroud notched corner edge and said heat exchanger inlet or outlet tube, and said at least one boss provides a means for supporting said shroud when placed upside down prior to said shroud being attached to said base.

24. A refrigerating unit comprising:

a base;

a heat exchanger; and

a shroud attached to said base, said shroud provided with integrally formed means for gripping said heat exchanger and mounting said heat exchanger to said base.