Roof mount air conditioner

• US 4,641,502 A
• Filed: 07/09/1986
• Issued: 02/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dometic LLC
• Original Assignee: The Duo-Therm Corporation
• Inventors: Bodett, Peter C., Kelly, Richard E., Aldrich, Roger L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/883,581
• Time in Patent Office: 216 Days
• Field of Search: 62/239, 62/244, 62/429, 62/428, 62/507, 62/508, 62/DIG. 16, 62/469, 220/366, 220/3.2, 220/355, 220/356, 98/52, 98/2.14, 261/DIG. 3, 261/DIG. 4, 261/DIG. 17
• US Class Current: 62/244
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00378 for tractor or load vehicle cabins
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 62/16 Roof and ceiling located coolers

Abstract

A roof mounted air conditioning unit for recreation vehicles comprising a cabinet made up of a base pan and a removable shroud. The base pan has a bottom wall and an upstanding perimeter wall with an outwardly protruding porch flange extending around the entire upper edge of the perimeter wall to provide stiffening reinforcement and a ledge on which the shroud seats. The ledge has air inlets and outlets therein providing air flow communication between ambient air and the condenser compartment. The perimeter wall also has air inlets and outlets therein. The shroud is generally imperforate and serves as a roof-like cover for the base pan. The shroud has a generally light color and the base pan has a generally dark color such that the air inlets and outlets in the pan perimeter wall are camouflaged from view. The cabinet is sub-divided by bulkheads into junction compartments including an evaporator coil compartment and the condenser coil compartment. Evaporator and condenser centrifugal blowers are disposed respectively in the evaporator and condenser compartments for inducing air flow respectively therethrough. An electric motor is coaxially disposed between the blowers and has a drive shaft coupled thereto for concurrent operation thereof. A rotary hermetic compressor is disposed in a cylindrical case and oriented with its longitudinal axis generally horizontal to thereby cooperate with the blowers in reducing the overall vertical dimension of the system components to provide a low profile cabinet.

Claims

1. An air conditioning unit comprising a cabinet with an assemblage of mechanical refrigeration system components mounted in an operable array in said cabinet and including a condenser coil disposed in a condenser coil compartment with said cabinet, said cabinet comprising a base pan having said components mounted thereon and a removable shroud mounted over said base pan to cover said components, wherein the improvement comprises said base pan having a bottom wall and an upstanding perimeter wall connected to said bottom wall having at its upper edge an outwardly protruding porch flange to provide an overhang ledge extending at least partially along the perimeter of said base pan, said ledge having air inlet and outlet means therein providing air flow communication between ambient air exteriorly of said cabinet and said interior condenser coil compartment of said unit.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upstanding perimeter wall also has air inlet and outlet means therein juxtaposed below said air inlet and outlet means in said porch flange and augmenting air flow communication between ambient air exteriorly of said cabinet and said interior condenser coil compartment.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said porch flange extends around the entire upper edge of said perimeter wall so as to encircle said base pan and provide stiffening reinforcement for the same, and wherein said shroud has an outwardly protruding and downwardly extending mounting flange extending around the entire perimeter thereof and being seated in assembly on said base pan flange in substantially sealed relation therewith.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said shroud comprises generally flat top wall means and a downwardly and outwardly sloping perimeter wall means integrally connected to said top wall at the outer edge thereof and defining front, rear and opposite side walls terminating at said perimeter mounting ledge, said shroud being generally imperforate and serving as a roof-like cover for said base pan.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said shroud has a generally light color and said base pan has a generally dark color such that said air inlet and outlet means formed in said pan perimeter wall are camouflaged from view.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said shroud comprises a two-piece assembly consisting of an inner liner made of stamped sheet steel and having a generally close fit to said perimeter mounting flange of said base pan and resting thereon in assembled relation therewith, and an outer shroud comprising a one-piece molded plastic member having generally the same contour as said inner liner and being mounted in closely spaced nested relation and thereover and being dimensioned to hide said inner liner from exterior view.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 4 further including bulkhead means in said cabinet sub-dividing the same into at least an evaporator coil compartment and said condenser coil compartment, said components including first and second centrifugal blowers disposed respectively in said evaporator and condenser compartments for inducing air flow respectively therethrough, an electric motor coaxially disposed between said blowers and having a drive shaft coupled to said blowers for concurrent operation thereof, and a rotary hermetic compressor disposed in a cylindrical case and oriented with its longitudinal axis generally horizontal to thereby reduce the overall vertical dimension of said system components to provide a low profile cabinet.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said unit includes bulkhead means mounted on said base pan and extending upwardly therefrom to said shroud to sub-divide the interior space in said unit between said base pan and shroud into a series of isolated compartments, one of which comprises said interior condenser coil compartment, the remaining compartments comprising an evaporator compartment occupying the front end of the interior space of said unit and having an evaporator coil laterally spanning said evaporator compartment space, an air inlet opening in said base pan bottom wall disposed between said evaporator coil and the front end of said base pan, an evaporator compartment centrifugal blower disposed at the rearward end of said evaporator compartment on the side of said evaporator coil remote from said air inlet opening and having a discharge outlet extending through said bottom wall, said condenser compartment extending from said evaporator compartment rearwardly to the rear end of said unit and extending laterally from one side of said unit to about two-thirds of the way toward the other side of said unit, said condenser compartment containing a condenser centrifugal blower disposed generally centrally therein with its axis extending fore and aft of said unit and having inlet openings in the opposite axial ends thereof and a discharge outlet directed toward said other side of said unit, a condenser coil in said condenser compartment disposed between said air inlets and said condenser blower, a compressor compartment extending from said evaporator compartment to the rear end of said unit and laterally adjacent said condenser compartment to communicate with said other side of said base pan and said outlet means in said base pan, said condenser blower outlet being arranged to discharge through said compressor compartment to said air outlet means, said compressor compartment containing a hermetic compressor disposed therein offset out of the airstream from the discharge air from said condenser blower outlet.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said condenser coil is constructed to have a generally L-shape in plan view with one leg of said L extending across the rear of said condenser compartment between said air inlet means in the rear of said condenser compartment and the rearwardly facing inlet of said condenser blower and the other leg of said condenser coil extending along said one side of said unit between said air inlet means and said condenser blower and flanking said condenser blower.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein said evaporator blower has a single inlet communicating with the interior of the scroll of said blower and facing the rear side of said evaporator coil, and wherein said condenser blower is coaxially aligned with said evaporator blower, an electric motor disposed in said condenser compartment between said condenser blower and said evaporator blower and having a single shaft protruding at its opposite ends from said motor and respectively carrying thereon for rotation therewith the scroll of said evaporator blower and the scroll of said condenser blower for rotatably driving said scrolls in unison.

11. An air conditioning unit adapted for roof mounting on a recreational vehicle or the like and presenting an overall low profile appearance thereon comprising a cabinet having a base pan and a cover with an assemblage of mechanical refrigeration system components mounted in an operable array in said cabinet on said base pan, said cabinet being generally rectangular in plan view with its front and rear ends forming the narrower ends thereof and adapted to be juxtaposed respectively to the front and rear ends of the vehicle, said cabinet having bulkhead means therein sub-dividing the interior of said cabinet into at least an evaporator coil compartment at the interior front of said cabinet and a condenser coil compartment extending from said evaporator coil compartment to the interior rear of said cabinet, wherein the improvement comprises having said components include first and second low profile centrifugal blowers disposed respectively in said evaporator and condenser compartments for inducing air flow respectively therethrough and oriented with their rotational axes extending front to rear in said cabinet, an electric motor coaxially disposed between said blowers and having a drive shaft on which said blowers are fixedly drivingly mounted for direct rotation therewith for concurrent operation thereof, and a rotary hermetic compressor disposed in a cylindrical casing and oriented with its longitudinal axis generally horizontal generally parallel to said blower axes and with its maximum vertical dimension below that of said blowers to thereby reduce the overall vertical dimension of said unit components to provide a low profile cabinet.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein said unit includes bulkhead means mounted on said base pan and extending upwardly therefrom to said shroud to sub-divide the interior space in said unit between said base pan and shroud into a series of isolated compartments, one of which comprises said interior condenser coil compartment, the remaining compartments comprising an evaporator compartment occupying the front end of the interior space of said unit and having an evaporator coil laterally spanning said evaporator compartment space, an air inlet opening in said base pan bottom wall disposed between said evaporator coil and the front end of said base pan, said evaporator compartment centrifugal blower being disposed at the rearward end of said evaporator compartment on the side of said evaporator coil remote from said air inlet opening and having a discharge outlet extending through said bottom wall, said condenser compartment extending from said evaporator compartment rearwardly to the rear end of said unit and extending laterally from one side of said unit to about two-thirds of the way toward the other side of said unit, said cabinet having air inlet openings communicating said condenser compartment with ambient exterior air, said condenser compartment centrifugal blower being disposed generally centrally therein and having inlet openings in the opposite axial ends thereof and having a discharge outlet directed toward said other side of said unit, a condenser coil in said condenser compartment disposed between said condenser compartment air inlet openings and said condenser blower, a compressor compartment extending from said evaporator compartment to the rear end of said unit and laterally adjacent said condenser compartment along said other side of said base pan, said cabinet having air outlet openings communicating said compressor compartment with ambient exterior air, said condenser blower outlet being arranged to discharge air through said condenser compartment to said cabinet air outlet openings, said compressor compartment containing said hermetic compressor disposed therein offset out of the airstream discharged from said condenser blower outlet.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said condenser coil is constructed to have a generally L-shape in plan view with one leg thereof extending across the rear of said condenser compartment between said cabinet air inlet openings and the rearwardly facing inlet of said condenser blower and the other leg of said condenser coil extending along said one side of said unit adjacent said air inlet openings and said condenser blower.

14. The combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein said evaporator blower has a single inlet communicating with the interior of the scroll of said blower and facing the rear side of said evaporator coil, and wherein said condenser blower is coaxially aligned with said evaporator blower, said electric motor is disposed in said condenser compartment between said condenser blower and said evaporator blower and said drive shaft comprises a single shaft protruding at its opposite ends from said motor and respectively carrying thereon for rotation therewith in unison the scroll of said evaporator blower and the scroll of said condenser blower.

15. The combination as set forth in claim 14 wherein said base pan has a porch flange protruding outwardly from its upper edge and an upright perimeter wall carrying said flange and offset inwardly therefrom, said inlet and outlet openings in said base pan being located in said porch flange and perimeter wall.

16. The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein said condenser blower is oriented with the axis of its discharge outlet angled downwardly toward said base pan at an angle of about 30°

relative thereto.

17. The combination as set forth in claim 16 wherein said condenser blower has a housing including a curved perimeter wall encircling said scroll thereof, said perimeter wall terminating in a straight tangential extension defining the upper wall of said discharge outlet of said condenser blower, the curvature of said perimeter wall for about 90°

thereof ending at said extension deviating from standard design criteria in a relationship thereto of radii from scroll center substantially as shown and described herein, said condenser blower discharge outlet being enlarged in the direction of scroll rotation over standard design criteria as shown and described herein.

18. The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein said evaporator blower has a housing including a curved perimeter wall encircling said scroll thereof, said perimeter wall terminating in a straight tangential extension defining the outer wall of said discharge outlet of said evaporator blower, the curvature of said perimeter wall for about 180°

thereof ending at said extension deviating from standard design criteria in a relationship thereto of radii from scroll center substantially as shown and described herein, said evaporator blower discharge outlet being enlarged in the direction of scroll rotation over standard design criteria as shown and described herein.

19. The combination as set forth in claim 18 wherein said condenser blower has a housing including curved perimeter wall encircling said scroll thereof, said perimeter wall terminating in a straight tangential extension defining the upper wall of said discharge outlet of said condenser blower, the curvature of said perimeter wall for about 90°

thereof ending at said extension deviating from standard design criteria in a relationship thereto of radii from scroll center substantially as shown and described herein, said condenser blower discharge outlet being enlarged in the direction of scroll rotation over standard design criteria as shown and described herein.

20. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said condenser blower has a housing including a curved perimeter wall encircling said scroll thereof, said perimeter wall terminating in a straight tangential extension defining the upper wall of said discharge outlet of said condenser blower, said condenser blower discharge outlet being enlarged in a direction of scroll rotation over standard design criteria as shown and described herein.

21. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said evaporator blower has a housing including a curved perimeter wall encircling said scroll whereof, said perimeter wall terminating in a straight tangential extension defining the outer wall of said discharge outlet of said evaporator blower, said evaporator blower discharge outlet being enlarged in a direction of scroll rotation over standard design criteria as shown and described herein.

22. The combination as set forth in claim 21 wherein said condenser blower has a housing including a curved perimeter wall encircling said scroll thereof, said perimeter wall terminating in a straight tangential extension defining the upper wall as said discharge outlet of said condenser blower, said condenser blower discharge outlet being enlarged of the direction of scroll rotation over standard design criteria as shown and described herein.

23. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said cabinet air inlet openings and cabinet air outlet openings are formed in said base pan.

24. The combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein said cabinet air inlet openings are formed in said base pan.

25. An air conditioning unit adapted for roof mounting on a recreational vehicle or the like comprising a cabinet with as assemblage of mechanical refrigeration system components mounted in an operable array in said cabinet and including a condenser coil disposed in a condenser coil compartment within said cabinet, said cabinet comprising a base pan having said components mounted thereon and a removable shroud mounted over said base pan to cover said components, wherein the improvement comprises said base pan having a horizontally disposed bottom wall and an upstanding perimeter wall connected to said bottom wall having at its upper edge an outwardly protruding flange to provide an overhang ledge extending at least partially along the perimeter of said base pan, said shroud having a top wall and front, rear and side walls dependent therefrom defining a continuous lower edge mounted on said flange, said perimeter wall having a vertical height less than that of said shroud front, rear and side walls with air inlet means therein below said overhang ledge providing air flow communication between ambient air exteriorly of said cabinet and said interior condenser coil compartment of said unit, said air inlet means being recessed toward the interior of said cabinet relative to said ledge to thereby reduce the visibility of said air inlet means from the exterior of said unit.

26. The combination as set forth in claim 25 wherein said upstanding perimeter wall also has air outlet means therein below said flange and augmenting air flow communication between ambient air exteriorly of said cabinet and said interior condenser coil compartment.

27. The combination as set forth in claim 26 wherein said flange extends around the entire upper edge of said perimeter wall so as to encircle said base pan and provide stiffening reinforcement for the same, and wherein said shroud has outwardly protruding and downwardly extending mounting flange means around the perimeter thereof and being seated in assembly on said base pan flange.

28. The combination as set forth in claim 26 wherein said shroud has a generally light color and said base pan has a generally dark color such that said air inlet and outlet means formed in said pan perimeter wall are camouflaged from view.

29. The combination as set forth in claim 25 further including bulkhead means in said cabinet sub-dividing the same into at least an evaporator coil compartment and said condenser coil compartment, said components including first and second centrifugal blowers disposed respectively in said evaporator and condenser compartments for inducing air flow respectively therethrough, an electric motor coaxially disposed between said blowers and having a drive shaft coupled to said blowers for concurrent operation thereof, and a rotary hermetic compressor disposed in a cylindrical case and oriented with its longitudinal axis generally horizontal to thereby reduce the overall vertical dimension of said system components to provide a low profile cabinet.

30. The combination as set forth in claim 26 wherein said unit includes bulkhead means mounted on said base pan and extending upwardly therefrom to said shroud to sub-divide the interior space in said unit between said base pan and shroud into a series of isolated compartments, one of which comprises said interior condenser coil compartment, the remaining compartments comprising an evaporator compartment occupying the front end of the interior space of said unit and having an evaporator coil laterally spanning said evaporator compartment space, an air inlet opening in said base pan bottom wall disposed between said evaporator coil and the front end of said base pan, an evaporator compartment centifugal blower disposed at the rearward end of said evaporator compartment on the side of said evaporator coil remote from said air inlet opening and having a discharge outlet extending through said bottom wall, said condenser compartment extending from said evaporator compartment rearwardly to the rear end of said unit and extending laterally from one side of said unit to about two-thirds of the way toward the other side of siad unit, said condenser compartment containing a condenser centrifugal blower disposed generally centrally therein with its axis extending fore and aft of said unit and having inlet openings in the opposite axial ends thereof and a discharge outlet directed toward said other side of said unit, a condenser coil in said condenser compartment disposed between said air inlets and said condenser blower, a compressor compartment extending from said evaporator compartment to the rear end of said unit and laterally adjacent said condenser compartment to communicate with said other side of said base pan and said outlet means in said base pan, said condenser blower outlet being arranged to discharge through said compressor compartment to said air outlet means, said compressor compartment containing a hermetic compressor disposed therein offset out of the airstream from the discharge air from said condenser blower outlet.

31. The combination as set forth in claim 30 wherein said condenser coil is constructed to have a generally L-shape in plan view with one leg of said L extending across the rear of said condenser compartment between said air inlet means in the rear of said condenser compartment and the rearwardly facing inlet of said condenser blower and the other leg of said condenser coil extending along said one side of said unit between said air inlet means and said condenser blower and flanking said condenser blower.

32. The combination as set forth in claim 31 wherein said evaporator blower has a single inlet communicating with the interior of the scroll of said blower and facing the rear side of said evaporator coil, and wherein said condenser blower is coaxially aligned with said evaporator blower, an electric motor disposed in said condenser compartment between said condenser blower and said evaporator blower and having a single shaft protruding at its opposite ends from said motor and respectively carrying thereon for rotation therewith the scroll of said evaporator blower and the scroll of said condenser blower for rotatably driving said scrolls in unison.