Refrigeration – Automatic control – Of external fluid or means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-27
2002-07-09
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Automatic control
Of external fluid or means
C062S291000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06415618
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for detecting a full dehumidifier water tank, and more particularly, to a device for detecting a full dehumidifier water tank, which can detect a full water tank, more accurately.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, the dehumidifier removes moist from room air during the room air passes through an evaporator by means of refrigerating cycle before the room air is discharged to a room, for maintaining the room comfortable. A related art dehumidifier will be explained with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIG. 1
illustrates a disassembled perspective view of a related art dehumidifier, and
FIG. 2
illustrates an inner structure of a related art dehumidifier schematically, provided with a cabinet
1
, a heat exchanger
4
in the cabinet
1
having an evaporator
2
and a condenser
3
for removing moist, and a fan
5
next to the heat exchanger
4
for forced circulation of the room air. The cabinet has an air inlet fitted with a filter for removing foreign matters in drawn air, and an air outlet fitted with a front grill
7
for discharging air having the moist removed therefrom. There are a base plate
8
fitted under a bottom of the cabinet
1
, and a barrier
9
standing on the base plate
8
, and, on both sides of the barrier
9
, there are a water tank
11
for collecting water removed from the heat exchanger
4
, and a compressor
10
for circulating refrigerant through the evaporator
2
and the condenser
3
. There is a drain hole
12
under the heat exchanger
4
for collecting condensate formed during dehumidification and discharging to the water tank
11
. The water tank
11
has grooves
11
a
in both sides of outer surfaces thereof for rotation of a preset angel when the water tank is full, and the barrier
9
has projections
9
a for being caught at the grooves
11
a.
The room air is drawn into the foregoing related art dehumidifier through the air inlet as the compressor
10
and the fan
5
are put into operation, has moist therein removed as the room air passes through the heat exchanger
4
having the evaporator
2
and the condenser
3
, and discharged to the room through the front grill
7
fitted to the air outlet. The condensate from the evaporator
2
flows to and collected in the water tank
11
through the drain hole
12
. Thus, as a water level of the water tank
11
becomes the higher gradually, the water tank
11
rotates in a clockwise direction on the drawing centered at the projections
9
a
on the barrier
9
as the compression spring
17
is compressed by the condensate, until the water tank
11
is full when the water tank
11
pushes a lower end of a plate spring
13
fitted to the barrier
9
, which actuates a microswitch
15
, that facilitates to detect the water tank
11
full.
However, the related art device for detecting a full dehumidifier water tank has the following drawbacks.
The related art dehumidifier is required to have nothing in a path of rotation of the water tank
11
because the full water tank is detected when the water tank
11
rotates by weight of the collected condensate. That is, since a space is required enough to avoid interference when the water tank
11
rotates and tilts backward, there is a limitation with respect to space in the installation of the dehumidifier. Moreover, as the device for detecting a full dehumidifier water tank is fitted at a lower part of the water tank
11
, there is a problem of reliability of detection because the water tank might rotate owing to washing of the condensate even if the water tank is not full, which causes an erratic detection of a full water tank. In the meantime, even though the tension of the compression spring
17
and the plate spring
13
required to be set exactly for rotation of the water tank
11
in proportion to a water level, there is a limitation of an exact detection of the full water tank because the setting is not easy. Furthermore, resetting of tension of the plate spring
13
is not easy when it is required to change the water level to be detected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a device for detecting a full dehumidifier water tank that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device for detecting a full dehumidifier water tank, which permits easy detection of a full water tank, and easy setting change of the water tank level.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the dehumidifier includes a water tank under a cabinet for storage of condensate dropped from a heat exchanger, a vertical barrier in front of the water tank for separating a space, a fixing guide fitted to a fitting hole on a top surface of the water tank, a floater rotatably fitted to the fixing guide for being rotated by buoyancy, and detection means fitted to one side of the barrier for detection of full the floater rotates.
The foregoing device for detecting a full dehumidifier water tank of the present invention can make a stable and accurate detection of a full water tank because the floater is operative in proportion to a buoyancy by a water level.
By adjusting a length of the floating part, an amount of full water tank can be changed with easy.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3110161 (1963-11-01), Maleck
patent: 4181021 (1980-01-01), Harris et al.
patent: 4712382 (1987-12-01), LeClear
patent: 5850175 (1998-12-01), Yeilding
patent: 6341524 (2002-01-01), Nagase et al.
Eom Nam Seob
Sul Dong Hyun
LG Electronics Inc.
Tapolcai William E.
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