Refrigeration – With repair – assembly or disassembly means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-17
2001-07-24
Tanner, Harry B. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With repair, assembly or disassembly means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263692
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a power-source covering device for outdoor unit of separate-type air conditioning systems.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
As shown in
FIGS. 13
to
17
, an outdoor unit
1
of a separate-type air conditioning system according to an example of the prior art of this type includes a terminal plate
3
which is disposed internally on a lateral side of an outdoor unit
1
of the system, electrically interconnecting an indoor unit and the outdoor unit
1
via a power cord
2
, and a pipe connection valve
5
which is disposed in closer relation to the lateral side of a housing of the outdoor unit
1
, interconnecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, via a pipe
4
so as to form a refrigerant circuit. The terminal plate
3
and the pipe connection valve
5
are covered by a power-source cover
6
.
The power cord
2
connected to the terminal plate
3
is extended through a power-cord guide path
6
a
of the power-source cover
6
and led out to the outside thorough an opening for leading out the pipe
4
connected to the pipe connection valve
5
.
The power-source cover
6
is formed of a synthetic resin material and mounted with an anti-fire safety device
8
of a sheet metal to protect an overall surface of a portion that covers a mounting portion of the terminal plate
3
. The power-source cover
6
is formed with a projection
9
which is fused as engaged with an engagement hole
8
a
defined in the anti-fire safety device
8
thereby permitting the anti-fire safety device
8
to be mounted to the power-source cover
6
.
In the prior-art arrangement abovementioned, however, the power cord
2
connected to the terminal plate
3
extends through the power-cord guide path
6
a
to be led out to the outside through the opening
7
, thus coming closer to the pipe connection valve
5
. Accordingly, a certain fashion to lead out the power cord may cause vibration during the operation of the air conditioning system. In addition, heat associated with temperature changes of the refrigerant is conducted from the pipe
4
and the pipe connection valve
5
which form a path of the refrigerant for air conditioning. This may cause influences, such as secular change, on the power cord
2
in proximity to the refrigerant path.
Additionally, the guide path
6
a
for the power cord
2
communicates to a place where the connection-pipe valve
5
is disposed and therefore, a fear exists that the guide path
6
a
may permit outside dusts or rain particles to enter the terminal plate
3
as an electrical connection portion and an internal control circuit of the outdoor unit
1
.
Since formed of the synthetic resin material, the power-source cover
6
is mounted with the anti-fire safety device
8
of a metal sheet to protect an overall surface of a portion that covers the terminal plate
3
as the electrical connection portion. However, the power-source cover
6
employs the projection
9
as means for mounting the safety device, which must be fused to establish the mounting of the safety device. This results in increase in the number of mounting steps and costs.
The invention is directed to a solution to this problem and has an object to provide a most preferred power-source covering device for outdoor unit of the separate-type air conditioning system.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the invention, a power-source covering device for an outdoor unit of a separate-type air conditioning system comprises a power-source cover disposed to cover a terminal plate and a pipe connection valve internally on lateral side of the outdoor unit, said terminal plate electrically interconnecting an indoor unit and the outdoor unit via a power cord, said pipe connection valve interconnecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit via a pipe thereby forming a refrigerant circuit, the power-source cover including an opening is located above the pipe connection valve and through which the power cord connected to the terminal plate is led out.
This arrangement prevents the power cord from being affected by the vibrations to be produced during the operation of the air conditioning system and by heat conduction from the pipe and the pipe connection valve.
In another aspect of the invention, the power-source covering device for an outdoor unit is characterized in that a blocking wall is provided in a power-cord guide path as interposed between the opening for leading out the power cord connected to the terminal plate and the pipe connection valve.
With this arrangement, the blocking wall can shut out the outside dusts or rain particles which tend to enter the terminal plate as the electrical connection portion and the internal control circuit of the outdoor unit.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the power-source covering device for an outdoor unit of an air conditioning system is characterized in that the power-source cover is formed of a resin material and with a projection for mounting an anti-fire safety device of a metal sheet to protect an overall surface of a portion that covers the terminal plate, and that the anti-fire safety device is formed with an engagement hole having sharply worked edges for engagement with the projection of the power-source cover.
The above arrangement dispenses with steps such as fusing of the projection for mounting the anti-fire safety device, thus offering a simple mounting of the safety device and accomplishing cost reduction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3611743 (1971-10-01), Mangaro
patent: 5582025 (1996-12-01), Dubin et al.
patent: 5927096 (1999-07-01), Piccione
patent: 6023939 (2000-02-01), Correa
Nakagawa Hideaki
Nakanuma Mitsuo
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Parkhurst & Wendel LLP
Tanner Harry B.
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