Air-conditioner cleaning method

• US 5,509,972 A
• Filed: 06/27/1994
• Issued: 04/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Akazawa, Akira, Katsuyuki Sasaki, Taiko Kitai
• Original Assignee: Katsuyuki Sasaki, Taiko Kitai, Yasumasa Akazawa
• Inventors: Akazawa, Yasumasa, Karashima, Takeo, Sasaki, Katsuyuki, Kitai, Taiko
• Primary Examiner(s): ANDREWS, MELVYN J
• Application Number:
  US08/266,956
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 134/22.1, 134/22.18, 134/22.12, 134/17, 134/24, 134/37, 134/2, 134/3, 134/34, 134/37, 134/26, 134/19, 134/18, 134/22.13, 134/22.14, 134/22.16, 134/22.17, 134/22.19
• US Class Current: 134/26
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/023 Cleaning the external surface B08B9/021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00585 Means for monitoring, testing or servicing the air-conditioning
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0085 Smell or pollution preventing arrangements B60H3/0007, B60H3/0071, B60H3/02, B60H3/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0092 in the interior of the HVAC unit, e.g. by spraying substances inside the unit

Abstract

The invention relates to cleaning method and cleaning apparatus of air-conditioner used in the operation for cleaning and removing the contamination of the heat exchanger (condenser, evaporator) for composing an air-conditioner, for example, one-package type air-conditioner and separate type air-conditioner, and more particularly to an air-conditioner cleaning method and its cleaning apparatus capable of securely cleaning and removing the dirt sticking to the heat exchanger to the deepest parts, by keeping the open side of the spraying guide body in contact with the cleaning parts of the heat exchanger for composing an air-conditioner, connecting detergent feed means to the closed side of the spraying guide body through an injection pipe, spraying the detergent supplied from the detergent feed means to the area enclosed by the spraying guide body, and cleaning and removing the dirt sticking to the heat exchanger by the foamy detergent, while preventing splash-back of the detergent.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning cooling fins and pipes of an air-conditioner, said cooling fins and pipes forming an open surface to atmosphere, said method comprising the steps of

tightly fitting a liquid proof shield against said open surface and enclosing an area of said cooling fins and pipes so as to prevent fluids from splashing outside of said area;

applying a detergent through said shield and against selected parts of said area with sufficient force and volume to penetrate selected parts of said cooling fins and pipes in said area without any splashing of said detergent outside of said area; and

thereafter applying a rinsing fluid through said shield and against said selected parts of said area with sufficient force and volume to rinse off said detergent from said selected parts of said cooling fins and pipes in said selected parts of said area and without any splashing of said rinsing fluid outside of said area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said detergent is applied to cover the entire open area enclosed by said shield.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said detergent is foaming detergent and said rinsing fluid is water.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said shield is transparent, and wherein further comprising the step of observing through said transparent shield said detergent and said rinsing fluid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said detergent is applied through said shield in a plurality of streams.

6. The method of claim 1, therein said rinsing fluid is applied through said shield in plurality of streams.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said shield is of flat planar structure, and said detergent and said rinsing fluid are applied through said shield at a plurality of different locations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said shield is of conical structure with a larger dimension base thereof being tightly fitted to said open surface, and a smaller dimension top thereof forming an opening through which said detergent and said rinsing fluid are applied.