Room air conditioner with timer controlled auxiliary power plug

Details Room air conditioner with timer controlled auxiliary power plug Room air conditioner with timer controlled auxiliary power plug

1999-04-30

2001-03-27

McDermott, Corrine (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Time or program actuator

C062S201000, C062S262000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06205801

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a self-contained room air conditioner unit of the type which has a built in timer for turning the unit on and off at preset times. When the timer is in the off position, it actuates an auxiliary electrical plug, which a standard electric fan may be plugged into.
The operation of room air conditioners by a built in electric clock timer, which is adapted to turn the unit “on” and “off” at preset times is well known. One such arrangement is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,723 to Weibel, Jr. et al. While the '723 patent illustrates a mechanical timer for achieving the on/off cycling, U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,346, “Apparatus and Method for Controlling a Room Air Conditioner” to Ramakrishnan et al. describes a room air conditioner having an electronic control, which provides the same on/off cycling capability. Prior art room air conditioners are also well known to have a “fan only” operating mode in which the compressor of the air conditioning unit is not energized and the unit serves as an air circulator. In such mode, the air conditioner fan motor, which typically runs both the evaporator and condenser fans is actuated and causes air to flow through both the indoor, air conditioning, path, and the outdoor path through the condenser heat exchanger.
Such fan only operation, accordingly, is capable of providing limited air circulation at a relatively high level of power consumption, as the motor is sized to run both the indoor and the outdoor fans. It is, accordingly, deemed desirable to have the capability to actuate a conventional electric circulating and cooling fan when a room air conditioner is not being operated in the cooling mode with both the compressor and fan motors actuated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is a room air conditioner having a timer, which selectively provides electrical power to the control circuits for the compressor and fan motor, or to an auxiliary power plug.
Another object of the invention is a timer controlled room air conditioner having a timer controlled auxiliary power plug, which is located in the electrical plug of the air conditioner's service cord.
Yet another object of the invention is a timer controlled room air conditioner having an auxiliary plug, which is energized when the air conditioner is not energized by the timer and into which a standard electric fan is plugged into and energized.
According to the present invention, an air conditioning unit includes means for supplying electrical power to electrically operated components within the unit. The unit includes a control device for controlling the delivery of electrical power from the supply so as to selectively energize the electrically operated components. An electrical supply socket of the type suitable for receiving a household appliance power cord plug is provided. A timer device is configured to receive electrical power from the electrical power supply. The timer is operable to be set to an “on” condition at selected time and an “off” condition at another selected time. An electrical circuit interconnects the control and the timer such that when the timer is in its “on” condition, electrical power to the electrically operated components is controlled by the control. When the timer is in its “off” condition, electrical power may not be delivered to the electrically operated components and is delivered to the electrical supply socket.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3949366 (1976-04-01), Spillar et al.
patent: 4041723 (1977-08-01), Weibel et al.
patent: 4144930 (1979-03-01), Ferdelman
patent: 5582233 (1996-12-01), Noto
patent: 5634346 (1997-06-01), Ramakrishnan et al.

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