Air conditioning line flashing panel

• US 7,389,616 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WJG, LLC
• Original Assignee: William J Gilleran
• Inventors: Gilleran, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr.; Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAUX, JESSICA L
• Application Number:
  US11/338,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20060123711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 522/19, 522/208, 174/480, 174/481, 174/58
• US Class Current: 52/220.8
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0869 having conduits for fluids
• 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 1/26 Refrigerant piping
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/32 for connecting the separate outdoor units to indoor units
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/34 Protection means thereof, e.g. covers for refrigerant pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/20 Casings or covers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/222 for evacuating condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/227 Condensate pipe for drainage of condensate from the evaporator

Abstract

A flashing panel mount for a plurality of air-conditioning lines of an air-conditioning unit located about an exterior of a building is provided. The plurality of air-conditioning lines defines an outer periphery. The panel mount may comprise a hood member and a cover. The hood member may be attachable to the building and may have a hood member aperture sized and configured to accommodate at least two of the plurality of air-conditioning lines so as to extend the air-conditioning lines from within the building to the air-conditioning unit located about the building exterior. The cover may be attached to the hood member aperture and may be sized and configured to accommodate the air-conditioning lines therethrough. The cover may be conformable to the outer periphery of the air-conditioning lines once the air conditioning lines are fed through the hood member aperture to prevent entrance of undesirable material from a building outside to a building inside.

Claims

1. A flashing panel mount for routing a plurality of refrigerant lines of an air conditioning unit located about an exterior of a building through a hole in a side wall of the building wherein the hole is formed above grade, the plurality of refrigerant lines defining an outer periphery, the panel mount comprising:

a hood member attachable to the side wall of the building, the hood member having a hood member aperture sized and configured to accommodate the plurality of refrigerant lines and aligned to the side wall hole so as to extend the refrigerant lines from within the building through the building side wall above grade to the air conditioning unit located about the building exterior;

a cover attached to the hood member and having an aperture, the cover aperture defining a through hole axis which is positioned generally parallel to the side wall and in a generally vertical direction with respect to the ground such that the plurality of refrigerant lines routed through the flashing panel mount are directed generally downward to the ground, the cover aperture defining an inner periphery smaller than the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines, the cover being fabricated from elastic material such that the inner periphery of the cover aperture enlarges to and closes upon the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines when the plurality of refrigerant lines are inserted through the cover aperture to generally seal the cover aperture against the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines and prevent entrance of undesirable material from the building exterior to a building interior through the hole of the building wall.

2. The flashing panel mount of claim 1 further comprising a generally rigid panel attached to the hood member, the panel being attachable to the side wall of the building.

3. The flashing panel mount of claim 2 wherein the panel is attachable to the building in a manner that the hood member is directed in toward the building and a second panel surface faces away from the building.

4. The flashing panel mount of claim 3 wherein the cover is disposed within a recess of the hood member such that falling rain bypasses the cover and falls on the hood member to the ground.

5. The flashing panel mount of claim 1 wherein the cover member is fabricated of rubber.

6. The flashing panel mount of claim 5 wherein the cover defines a barrier wall and a second end, and the barrier wall is fabricated from a flexible material and the second end is fabricated of rubber.

7. The flashing panel mount of claim 1 wherein the cover is attached to a lower portion of the hood member.

8. The flashing panel mount of claim 7 wherein the hood member is disposed above the cover.

9. The flashing panel mount of claim 1 wherein the cover is underneath the hood member.

10. The flashing panel mount of claim 1 wherein the cover is disposed exteriorly with respect to the side wall of the building.

11. The flashing panel mount of claim 1 wherein the cover is oriented and positioned such that the cover is generally in shade during the day.

12. The flashing panel mount of claim 1 wherein the cover is oriented and positioned such that the entire cover is generally in shade during the day.

13. An air conditioned building comprising:

an exterior side wall exposed to the environment, the side wall having a hole formed above grade, the wall defining an interior of the building and an exterior of the building;

an air conditioning unit located about the exterior of the building;

a plurality of refrigerant lines attached to the air conditioning unit, a length of the refrigerant lines being sufficiently long to route the plurality of refrigerant lines from the air conditioning unit through the hole in the side wall of the building, the plurality of refrigerant lines defining a non-circular shaped outer periphery;

a flashing panel mount comprising;

a hood member attached to the side wall of the building, the hood member having a hood member aperture, the plurality of refrigerant lines received into the hood member aperture;

an elastic cover attached to the hood member and having an aperture, the cover aperture defining a through hole axis which is positioned generally parallel to the side wall and in a generally vertical direction such that the plurality of refrigerant lines routed through the flashing panel mount are directed downward to the ground, the cover aperture defining an inner periphery smaller than the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines, the plurality of refrigerant lines received into the cover aperture, the inner periphery of the cover aperture being stretch out and in conformance with at least a portion of the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines to generally seal the cover aperture against the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines and prevent entrance of undesirable material from the building exterior to the building interior through the hole of the side wall of the building.

14. The building of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the inner periphery of the cover aperture is in contact with at least a portion of the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines.

15. The building of claim 13 further comprising a generally rigid panel attached to the hood member, the panel being attachable to the side wall of the building, the cover being attached to a generally distal portion of the hood member and within a recess of the hood member such that falling rain bypasses the cover and falls on the hood member to the ground.

16. The building of claim 15 wherein the hood member is directed in toward the building.

17. A method of routing a plurality of refrigerant lines between an interior of a building and an exterior of the building, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a hole above grade in a side wall of the building;

aligning a through hole axis of an aperture of a cover generally parallel to a side wall of the building and in a generally vertical direction with respect to the ground;

attaching the cover to the side wall of the building;

inserting the plurality of refrigerant lines generally vertically into the cover aperture to orient the refrigerant lines in a generally downward direction to the ground;

stretching out an inner periphery of the cover aperture to an outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines;

closing the inner periphery of the cover aperture upon at least a portion of the plurality of refrigerant lines to generally seal the cover aperture against the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines and prevent entrance of undesirable material from the building exterior through the hole of the sidewall of the building;

attaching the plurality of refrigerant lines to an air conditioning unit located about the exterior of the building.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the stretching step comprises the step of contacting at least a portion of the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines to at least a portion of the inner periphery of the cover aperture.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of positioning the cover within a recess of a hood member such that falling rain bypasses the cover and falls on the hood member to the ground.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of positioning the hood member in toward the building.

21. An air conditioned building comprising:

an exterior side wall exposed to the environment, the side wall having a hole formed above grade, the wall defining an interior of the building and an exterior of the building;

an air conditioning unit located about the exterior of the building;

a plurality of refrigerant lines attached to the air conditioning unit, a length of the refrigerant lines being sufficiently long to route the plurality of refrigerant lines from the air conditioning unit through the hole in the side wall of the building, the plurality of refrigerant lines defining an outer periphery;

a flashing panel mount comprising;

a hood member attached to the side wall of the building, the hood member having a hood member aperture, the plurality of refrigerant lines received into the hood member aperture;

a cover attached to the hood member and having an aperture, the cover aperture defining a through hole axis which is positioned generally parallel to the side wall and in a generally vertical direction such that the plurality of refrigerant lines routed through the flashing panel mount are directed downward to the ground, the cover aperture defining an inner periphery smaller than the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines, the inner periphery of the cover enlarged and closed upon at least a portion of the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines to generally seal the cover aperture against the outer periphery of the plurality of refrigerant lines and prevent entrance of undesirable material from the building exterior to the building interior through the hole of the side wall of the building.

22. The building of claim 21 further comprising a generally rigid panel attached to the hood member, the panel being attachable to the side wall of the building, the cover being disposed within a recess of the hood member such that falling rain bypasses the cover and falls on the hood member to the ground.