Condensate drain pan

• US 6,868,689 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Air & Liquid Systems Corp. (Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Buffalo Air Handling Company
• Inventors: Land, James C., Wakefield, James M., McNeil, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHULMAN, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US09/838,347
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 622/85, 622/88
• US Class Current: 62/285
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/222 for evacuating condensate

Abstract

A condensate drain pan comprises a compound-sloped floor surface having intersecting sloped faces which slope from a high point to a low point. The intersecting sloped faces form creases therebetween to facilitate condensate elimination, and the floor surface includes condensate directing embossments which further facilitate condensate elimination. The condensate drains to a drain opening at the low point.

Claims

1. A condensate drain pan comprising a compound-sloped floor surface having spaced apart pairs of opposite edges, at least one high point adjacent one edge of one of said pairs of opposite edges, at least one low point adjacent the other edge of said one of said pairs of opposite edges, a plurality of intersecting sloped faces between said one edge and said other edge of said one pair of opposite edges, and a drain opening proximal to the low point of at least one of said sloped faces.

2. The condensate drain pan of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sloped faces includes a condensate directing embossment between said one edge and said other edge of said one pair of opposite edges.

3. The condensate drain pan of claim 1, wherein said drain opening is generally centrally between the other of said pairs of opposite edges.

4. The condensate drain pan of claim 1, wherein adjacent ones of said sloped faces intersect to form a crease extending between said one edge and said other edge of said one pair of opposed edges.

5. The condensate drain pan of claim 4, wherein said crease extends at an angle from said one edge toward said other edge.

6. The condensate drain pan of claim 5, wherein the end of said crease at said other edge is proximal to said drain opening.

7. The condensate drain pan of claim 1, wherein said plurality of sloped faces includes a first face generally centrally between the other of said pairs of opposite edges, and a pair of faces each between said first face and the adjacent one of the edges of said other of said pairs of edges.

8. The condensate drain pan of claim 7, wherein each of said first face and said pair of faces is generally triangular in peripheral contour.

9. The condensate drain pan of claim 8, wherein each of said first face and said pair of faces includes a plurality of condensate directing embossments between said one and said other edges of said one pair of opposite edges.

10. The condensate drain pan of claim 9, wherein said embossments on said pair of faces are straight and said embossments on said first face are V-shaped.

11. The condensate drain pan of claim 10, wherein said straight embossments on each face of said pair of faces are parallel to one another and at an angle to the adjacent one of the edges of said other of said pairs of edges.

12. The condensate drain pan of claim 11, wherein said V-shaped embossments are parallel to one another and include legs extending at an angle to the straight embossments in the adjacent one of the faces of said pair of faces.

13. The condensate drain pan of claim 12, wherein said plurality of straight embossments on each face of said pair of faces increase in length in the direction between said one and said other of said one pair of opposite edges.

14. The condensate drain pan of claim 13, wherein said legs of said V-shaped embossments decrease in length in the direction from said one edge toward said other edge of said one pair of opposite edges.

15. The condensate drain pan of claim 12, wherein said legs of said V-shaped embossments decrease in length in the direction from said one edge toward said other edge of said one pair of opposite edges.

16. A method of manufacturing a condensate drain pan comprising the steps of shaping a sheet of pan material to form a floor surface having pairs of opposite edges and a plurality of faces sloping downwardly from one edge of said one pair of said pairs of opposite edges and intersecting along creases therebetween, and forming a drain opening at the other edge of said one pair of opposite edges.

17. The method of claim 16, and forming a plurality of condensate directing embossments in said faces.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said embossments include straight embossments at an angle to said other edge.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said embossments include V-shaped embossments having legs at an angle to said other edge.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said embossments include straight embossments at an angle to said other edge.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of sloped faces includes a first face generally centrally between the other of said pairs of opposite edges, and a pair of faces each between said first face and the adjacent one of the edges of said other of said pairs of edges.

22. The method of claim 21, and forming a plurality of straight condensation directing embossments in each face of said pair of faces.

23. The method of claim 21, and forming a plurality of V-shaped condensation directing embossments in said first face.

24. The method of claim 23, and forming a plurality of straight condensation directing embossments in each face of said pair of faces.