Refrigeration – With repair – assembly or disassembly means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-26
2001-07-17
Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With repair, assembly or disassembly means
C062S244000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260374
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to air conditioning units, particularly terminal devices, that must be positioned while being installed and which have a variety of potential airflow paths.
Air conditioning units which act as a terminal device for cooling systems include water source heat pumps, water cooled package units and air handlers. Typically, return air enters these units from any one of several sides, is conditioned, and exits the unit from any one of several sides. In the past, the installer was required to stock each potential configuration, sometimes requiring the installer to stock six differing but very similar terminal devices.
Additionally, during installation it is usually necessary to position the air conditioning unit while attaching some sort of fastener. This often requires several installers and may be awkward, particularly where the air conditioning unit is suspended from a high ceiling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to solve the problems with installation and configuration of previous air conditioning units.
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide an air conditioning unit that is field configurable.
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide an air conditioning unit that is easily installable and which is self supporting upon installation.
It is a further object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide an installation mechanism which also serves as a vibration isolator.
It is a further object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide an installation mechanism which will support a suspended air conditioning unit even if the mechanism is not securely fastened to the air conditioning unit.
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide an air conditioning unit having an airflow path therethrough which can be reconfigured by an installer to allow return air to enter on one of several sides and supply air to exit upon one of several sides.
It is a further object, feature and advantage of the present invention that this reconfigurable air conditioning unit be horizontally orientated and have at least two return air options and at least three supply air exit options.
It is a further object, feature and advantage of the present invention that a heat exchange coil be located in the airflow path between the return air options and the supply air options.
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a horizontal water source heat pump having an octagonal shape when viewed from a vertical direction.
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide an air conditioning unit having chamfered corners which allow integral hanging brackets to remain within the rectangular overall shape of the unit.
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide an integral hanging bracket for an air conditioning unit where the integral hanging bracket does not increase the footprint of the unit.
It is a further object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a hanging bracket which attached in such a manner that the unit screws can be removed and the unit still hangs.
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a horizontal water source heat pump or cooling only unit including an air coil internal to the unit cabinet.
It is a further object, feature and advantage of the present invention to allow an installer to reconfigure the airflow path for the unit to allow a left air return path, a right air return path, or the combination of both a right air and left air return path.
It is a further object, feature and advantage of the present invention to allow that installer to select from a supply air left side, right side, or back supply air path either low or high fan discharge in each of those paths.
It is an object, feature and advantage of the present invention to provide an air conditioning cabinet design minimizing production errors.
It is a further object, feature and advantage of the cabinet design that all components are built the same, independent of air paths and thereby maximizing the old convertibility for airflow path changes.
The present invention provides a bracket for an air conditioning unit. The bracket comprises a substantially planar middle portion having first and second ends; a first end portion of the middle portion extending in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the middle portion; and a second end portion operatively attached to the middle portion at a second end, and extending in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction.
The present invention further provides a bracket for an air conditioning unit. The bracket comprises a vertical portion having a first upper end and a second lower end; a horizontal portion operably connected to and extending from the first end in a first direction to a peripheral end; a horizontal portion operably connected to and extending from the second end in a direction substantially opposite the first direction; and a vibration isolator operably connected to the peripheral end and extending in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
The present invention also provides an air conditioning unit. The air conditioning unit comprises a housing having a first side, a second side, a return air end wall, a supply air end wall, and a return air interior and a supply air interior and a heat exchange coil operably connected to the first and second sides and separating the return air and supply air interiors. The first side includes a return air aperture and a supply air aperture. The second side includes a return air aperture and a supply air aperture. The supply air end wall includes a supply air aperture wherein the supply air and return air apertures are of identical configuration.
The present invention additionally provides an air conditioning unit. The air conditioning unit comprises a housing having first and second sides, first and second ends, and an interior between said sides and ends. Each side has a return air and a supply air section, and the first end includes a supply air section. A heat exchange coil is located within the housing and arranged to divide the interior into a return air portion and a supply air portion such that the return air sections of the first and second sides are co-extensive with the return air portion and the supply air sections of the first and second sides and the first end are coextensive with the supply air portion. The supply air sections are of substantially identical size and shape, and further including a common panel sized to cover at least one supply air section. The return air sections are of substantially identical size and shape, with a profile like the supply air sections but larger in width.
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Newton Howard W.
Smith Carol Susan
Smith Mark E.
Villafana Armando A.
American Standard International Inc.
Beres William J.
Doerrler William
Ferguson Peter D.
O'Driscoll William
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