Fancoil assemblies

Details Fancoil assemblies Fancoil assemblies

1999-11-02

2001-03-06

Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3743)

Heat exchange

With impeller or conveyor moving exchange material

Mechanical gas pump

C165S111000, C165S113000, C062S285000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06196303

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to fancoil assemblies.
Fancoil assemblies have a heat exchange unit through which air is blown or sucked by means of a fan. The heat exchange unit takes the form of a finned, coiled pipe through which a fluid, such as water, is pumped. When the assembly is used to provide heating, the fluid supplied to the coil is heated; when cooling is required, the fluid is cooled. Typically, the heat exchange unit is of rectangular shape and section, and is arranged such that air flows through the exchange unit at right angles to its length and perpendicularly to its largest face. The heat exchange unit is mounted in an outer casing, which acts to channel air to and from the exchange unit. Preferably, the arrangement of the exchange unit in the casing is such that the maximum amount of air entering the casing flows through the heat exchange unit and the minimum amount flows around it. The heat exchange unit usually sits above a drain tray so that condensation is collected and channelled out of the casing through a suitable conduit for discharge.
The drain tray provides a space below the heat exchange unit into which condensate can flow. In conventional assemblies, this space can also provide a path for air flow under the heat exchange unit, leading to several potential problems. Firstly, the overall efficiency of heat transfer to or from air flowing through the fancoil assembly is reduced because a proportion of the air can by-pass the heat exchange unit. Secondly, the lower resistance to air flow under the heat exchange unit leads to a high velocity compared with air flowing through the exchange unit. This high velocity air flow can blow collected water out of the drain tray leading to leakage problems. The flow of air under the heat exchange unit can also create an elevated pressure below the heat exchange unit that reduces the rate of drainage of condensate from the heat exchange unit into the drain tray. This can cause an accumulation of water within the heat exchange unit, leading to inefficiency in heat transfer. The water accumulated in the heat exchange unit may also be blown out by air flowing through it.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative fancoil assembly.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a fancoil assembly comprising a heat exchange unit, a fan arranged to cause flow of air through the heat exchange unit, and a drain tray assembly below the heat exchange unit to collect liquid from the heat exchange unit, the drain tray assembly including a tray with a peripheral wall, the upper surface of the tray being spaced from the lower surface of the heat exchange unit, the drain tray assembly including a barrier having at least one wall generally opposed to flow of air through the fancoil assembly and spanning the space between the upper surface of the tray and the lower surface of the heat exchange unit such as to restrict flow of air through the space under the heat exchange unit, and the barrier being arranged such that liquid flowing from the heat exchange unit can drain freely into the tray.
The barrier is preferably provided by an inverted gutter having a roof and two walls extending along opposite sides, the walls of the gutter preferably being spaced from opposite sides of the tray to form two channels. The gutter may be a loose fit within the tray. A wall of the gutter on the low pressure side of the assembly preferably has an opening so that the void within the gutter is at low pressure. The floor of the drain tray assembly preferably slopes along its length, the tray having a drain outlet located at the lower end of the drain tray assembly and the barrier tapering in height along its length. The barrier may be formed of sheet stainless steel. The heat exchange unit may include a pipe along which a heat exchange fluid is supplied and a stack of vertical, parallel plates spaced from one another so that air can flow between them laterally of the exchange unit and so that condensate can flow down them to the drain tray assembly. The width of the barrier is preferably substantially equal to the width of the plates.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a drain tray assembly for a fancoil assembly according to the above one aspect of the invention.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a gutter for a drain tray assembly according to the other aspect of the present invention.
A fancoil assembly with a drain tray assembly according to the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4416327 (1983-11-01), Nakada et al.
patent: 4458502 (1984-07-01), Adachi et al.
patent: 5090476 (1992-02-01), Immel
patent: 5373894 (1994-12-01), Tomatsuri
patent: 5388426 (1995-02-01), Wada et al.
patent: 5481886 (1996-01-01), Hasegawa et al.
patent: 5613554 (1997-03-01), Bull et al.
patent: 5664430 (1997-09-01), Karman
patent: 5979171 (1999-11-01), Mitchell et al.
patent: 6065531 (2000-05-01), Schneider et al.
patent: 6070424 (2000-06-01), Bauman et al.
patent: 2 270 152 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 2 302 937 (1997-02-01), None

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