Air conditioning apparatus

• US 3,951,625 A
• Filed: 02/27/1975
• Issued: 04/20/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald T. Follette
• Original Assignee: Donald T. Follette
• Inventors: Follette, Donald T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miles, Tim R.
• Application Number:
  US05/553,500
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 261/64 R, 261/43, 261/DIG. 34, 261/142, 261/130, 261/80, 261/19, 236/44 A, 236/78, 236/78 D, 236/44 C, 55/232, 55/481
• US Class Current: 96/251
• 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 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2203/12 Dehumidifying or humidifying belt type
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/14 by humidification; by dehumidification
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/06 using moving unheated wet elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/34 Automatic humidity regulation

Abstract

Air conditioning apparatus ventilates room air with environmental air after the environmental air has been filtered, heated and humidified to appropriate levels. Environmental air is drawn into an intake duct, is passed successively through an air filter, an electric filament heater and is humidified by directing the air stream through a moving evaporator belt which is saturated with water from a water tank which is automatically controlled by a humidistat. The humidity level and temperature are automatically maintained by means of the humidistat and air temperature sensor.

Claims

1. Air conditioning apparatus assembly comprising a portable air conditioning unit and an air inlet duct housing having an air inlet port at one end thereof for communication with the ambient air and operative to releasably receive said air conditioning unit at the other end thereof in assembly therewith;

said portable air conditioning unit comprising;

an air duct having an air filter mounted transversely therethrough and an electric air heater mounted transversely through said air conditioning air duct dowstream from said air filter, a humidifier chamber located downstream from said electric air heater and operative to controllably impart moisture to the air stream flowing therethrough, an air discharge duct, blower means located downstream of said humidifier chamber for drawing air through said air conditioning unit air duct and said humidifier chamber and expelling said air out through said air discharge duct, said air conditioning unit air duct having a top rotatable door mounted in the top wall thereof and a bottom rotatable door mounted in the bottom wall thereof, a louvred shutter being mounted in the inlet opening of said air conditioning unit air duct to control the flow of air therethrough, air temperature sensing means and humidity sensing means located in said air discharge duct, mode selector switch means operative to selectively render said air conditioning unit into the humidifying mode and ventilating mode respectively by selectively actuating said top and bottom rotatable doors and said louvred shutter, and control means operative in response to said air temperature sensing means and said humidity sensing means for selectively actuating and deactuating said air heater and said humidifier chamber to thereby maintain the temperature and humidity of the air stream in said air discharge duct at preselected levels.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said mode selector switch means is operative to render said air conditioning unit into the ventilating mode by rendering said louvred shutter open and said top and bottom rotatable doors closed.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said mode selector switch means is operative to render said air conditioning unit into the humidifying mode by rendering said top and bottom rotatable doors open.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said mode selector switch means comprises a switch assembly and drive means operative in response to the actuation and deactuation of said switch assembly for selectively opening and closing said louvred shutter and said top and bottom rotatable doors respectively.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said top and bottom rotatable doors respectively include top and bottom crank links fixedly secured thereto and said drive means comprises a drive wheel mounting top and bottom slotted links respectively engaging said top and bottom crank links whereby said top and bottom rotatable doors are respectively opened and closed in response to rotation of said drive wheel in response to the actuation and deactuation of said mode selector switch means.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said louvred shutter includes a pivotally mounted shutter gear segment for opening and closing said louvred shutter, and said drive wheel includes gear teeth along at least a portion of the periphery thereof for geared engagement with said shutter gear segment, whereby said top and bottom rotatable doors and said louvred shutter are simultaneously opened and closed in response to the rotation of said drive wheel in response to the actuation and deactuation of said mode selector switch means.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said drive means comprises a pulley cable having one end thereof wrapped around at least a portion of the periphery of said drive wheel and the other end thereof secured to said switch assembly whereby actuation and deactuation of said switch assembly causes said pulley cable to cause said drive wheel to rotate.