Room air conditioner

• US 6,336,338 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uri Koren
• Original Assignee: Uri Koren
• Inventors: Koren, Uri
• Primary Examiner(s): DOERRLER, WILLIAM CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US09/709,426
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 622/79, 622/62, 622/63, 622/80, 624/19, 624/26, 62/91
• US Class Current: 62/262
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0003 characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/027 mounted in wall openings, e.g. in windows
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/42 characterised by the use of the condensate, e.g. for enhanced cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0002 for admittance of outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/54 Heating and cooling, simultaneously or alternatively
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/00 Air-humidification , e.g. cooling by humidification
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/04 using stationary unheated wet elements

Abstract

A room air conditioner mounted on an external building wall, comprising an indoor unit, an outdoor unit and an interface unit. The indoor unit includes an indoor cabinet having a suction opening and outlet port for indoor air, an indoor heat exchanger, and an indoor fan. The outdoor unit includes an outdoor cabinet having a suction opening and outlet port for fresh air, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan and a fan motor which engages the outdoor and indoor fans. The interface unit is mounted in the external building wall and includes a fan drive shaft engaged at the first end by the fan motor in the outdoor cabinet and engaging the indoor fan. The room air conditioner produces less noise compared to room air conditioners of the prior art, while requiring a significantly smaller exterior wall opening for installation, at the same time providing the flexibility to permit the introduction to the room of fresh outside air, the humidification of heated air in the heating mode, and the cooling or heating of air in more than one room.

Claims

1. A room air conditioner mounted on an external building wall, the room air conditioner comprising:

(a) an indoor unit including;

(i) an indoor cabinet;

(ii) an indoor heat exchanger mounted in said indoor cabinet;

(iii) an indoor fan mounted in said indoor cabinet, and

(iv) means for humidifying said indoor air, disposed in said indoor cabinet,

(b) an outdoor unit including;

(i) an outdoor cabinet;

(ii) an outdoor heat exchanger mounted in said outdoor cabinet;

(iii) an outdoor fan mounted in said outdoor cabinet;

(iv) a fan motor mounted in said outdoor cabinet, and

(v) a pump connected to a condensate transfer tube, and

(c) an interface unit mounted within an opening in the external building wall, said interface unit for communicating between said indoor unit and said outdoor unit,

wherein said condensate is conveyed by said pump to said means for humidifying said indoor air via said interface unit.

2. The room air conditioner of claim 1, wherein said means for humidifying includes an absorbent pad.

3. The room air conditioner of claim 2, said interface unit including:

(i) tubing for connecting said indoor heat exchanger and said outdoor heat exchanger.

4. The room air conditioner of claim 2, said interface unit including:

(i) cables for conveying electrical power and electronic control signals between said indoor unit and said outdoor unit.

5. The room air conditioner of claim 4, said interface unit further including:

(ii) a channel for conveying air between said indoor unit and said outdoor unit.

6. The room air conditioner of claim 1, said interface unit including a mechanism for conveying water from said indoor unit to said outdoor heat exchanger via said interface unit, and distributing said water so as to effect cooling of said outdoor heat exchanger.

7. A room air conditioner mounted on an external building wall, the room air conditioner comprising:

(a) an indoor unit including;

(i) an indoor cabinet;

(ii) an indoor heat exchanger mounted in said indoor cabinet, and

(iii) an indoor fan mounted in said indoor cabinet;

(b) an outdoor unit including;

(i) an outdoor cabinet;

(ii) an outdoor heat exchanger mounted in said outdoor cabinet;

(iii) an outdoor fan mounted in said outdoor cabinet, and

(iv) a fan motor mounted in said outdoor cabinet, and

(c) an interface unit including;

(i) a rigid housing designed and configured to be installed through an opening in the wall; and

(ii) a fan drive shaft, disposed within said rigid housing, said shaft engaged at a first end by said fan motor, and further engaging said indoor fan at a second end.

8. The room air conditioner of claim 7, wherein said interface unit, said indoor unit, and said outdoor unit are indirectly connected to the external building wall.

9. The room air conditioner of claim 7, wherein said interface unit, said indoor unit, and said outdoor unit are non-invasively connected to the external building wall.

10. The room air conditioner of claim 7, wherein said interface unit further includes:

(iii) a mechanism for adjusting a length of said rigid housing, such that said interface unit is adaptable to a thickness of the wall.

11. The room air conditioner of claim 7, wherein said interface unit further includes:

(iii) mounting plates rigidly attached to the ends of said rigid housing for mounting said indoor cabinet and said outdoor cabinet.

12. The room air conditioner of claim 7, wherein said interface unit is a sole unit connecting said indoor unit and said outdoor unit.

13. The room air conditioner of claim 12, wherein said interface unit includes a mechanism for adjusting a length of said rigid housing, such that said interface unit is adaptable to a thickness of the wall.

14. The room air conditioner of claim 7, wherein said interface unit further includes:

(iv) refrigerant tubing for connecting said indoor heat exchanger, said outdoor heat exchanger and a compressor of the room air conditioner;

(v) cables for conveying electrical power and electronic control signals between said indoor unit and said outdoor unit;

(vi) at least one tube for conveying water between said indoor unit and said outdoor unit, and

(vii) a channel having an adjustable damper for conveying air between said indoor unit and said outdoor unit.

15. The room air conditioner of claim 13, wherein said mechanism for adjusting has threaded inner and outer cylinders.

16. The room air conditioner of claim 7, wherein said indoor unit further includes:

(iv) means for humidifying said indoor air, disposed in said indoor cabinet.

17. The room air conditioner of claim 16, wherein said indoor unit further includes:

a mechanism for conveying water from said outdoor unit to said means for humidifying said indoor air.

18. The room air conditioner of claim 16, wherein said means for humidifying includes an absorbent pad.

19. The room air conditioner of claim 7, said interface unit further including a mechanism for conveying water from said indoor unit to said outdoor heat exchanger via said interface unit, and distributing said water so as to effect cooling of said outdoor heat exchanger.