Front cover for air conditioner

• US 6,497,463 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Moretti, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkens, Janet M.
• Application Number:
  US09/859,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 312/101, 312/100, 312/213, 312/257.1, 312/263, 312/265.5, 312/236, 312/327, 312/328, 622/62, 622/63, 622/97, 622/98, 454/201, 162/25, 16D/IG.13, 220/836
• US Class Current: 312/236
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/20 Casings or covers

Abstract

Apparatus for removably supporting a front cover upon an air conditioning unit. The cover includes a top wall and a bottom wall that are separated by a given distance at the rear opening of the cover. The top wall includes a hanger for rotatably mounting the top wall of the cover at the rear opening upon the top edge of a support member mounted upon the unit. A horizontally disposed rib is mounted upon the base pan of the unit beneath the top edge of the support member and the bottom surface of the rib is located a given distance from the top edge of the support member that is substantially equal to the given distance between the top and bottom walls of the cover at the rear opening so that the cover can be secured over the support member and rib when it is brought to a closed position. A stop is provided to locate the cover in the closed position and magnets are employed to latch the cover in the closed position.

Claims

1. Apparatus for removably connecting a front cover to an air conditioning unit that includes:

a front cover having top and bottom walls that are joined by a front wall and two side walls so that the back of the cover is open, the inside surfaces of the top and bottom walls at the rear opening being spaced apart at a first distance;

a support member located on the top side of an air conditioning unit having a horizontally disposed top edge and a series of horizontally disposed seats secured to said support member that extend toward the front of said unit, the top surfaces of said seats lying in a common plane that is located a second distance from said top edge of said support member,

a horizontally extended rib secured to the underside of said unit that is located beneath the top edge of said support member and having a bottom surface that is spaced apart from said top edge of said support member a vertical distance that is substantially equal to said first distance;

a series of L-shaped brackets, each having a first leg secured to the inner surface of said top wall and a second leg that extends back toward the rear opening of said cover, said second leg having a bottom surface that is spaced from the inside surface of the top wall a distance that is substantially equal to said second distance, and

a series of inwardly directed tabs located along the outer edge of said top wall of the cover at said rear opening thereof so that the top edge of said support member can pass inside said cover behind said tabs into contact with the inner surface of said top wall whereby bringing the bottom wall of the cover over the bottom surface of said rib secures the cover to the unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said tabs are centered between two spaced apart brackets.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 that further includes a flange located along the top edge of said support member about which the cover rotates.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 that further includes a stop means for limiting the amount of rotation afforded the cover about the support member in a closed position over the front of the unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said stop means further includes latching means for holding the cover in said closed position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said latching means includes a series of magnets mounted upon the cover that are arranged to close magnetically against said unit.