Refrigeration – Structural installation – Window connected or mounted
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-27
2001-05-08
McDermott, Corrine (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Structural installation
Window connected or mounted
C062S259100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227001
ABSTRACT:
FILED OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a separate type air conditioner used for conditioning air in a room.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
First, a construction of an indoor unit for a conventional separate type air conditioner will be described, focusing on an indoor heat exchanger, with reference to FIG.
9
. The indoor unit body is configured to comprise an indoor heat exchanger
4
, an air blow-off grille
5
, an indoor power source plate, an air blowing fan, a fan motor and other parts, all of which are contained in a housing
3
composed of a frame
1
and a front grille
2
. The indoor heat exchanger
4
comprises a plurality of fins
6
disposed in parallel, end plates
7
located on both sides, and a pipe
8
passing through the fins
6
and the end plates
7
as shown in FIG.
10
. In order to increase the heat exchanging capability while keeping the compactness of the indoor unit, the indoor heat exchanger
4
is shaped so as to be bent at a plurality of places at the lower front portion and between the front portion and the rear portion as shown in FIG.
10
. This bent shape is formed by a connection between a plurality of heat exchangers or a connection between some bent heat exchangers and a separate heat exchanger. Gaps developed in an indoor air circuit by disassembling and assembling the indoor heat exchanger
4
produce adverse effects such as dewcondensation. Therefore, as shown in
FIGS. 11 and 12
, an upper part between the front-side and rear-side heat exchangers is closed by a spacer
9
, which is fixed with screws or the like.
However, the configuration of the indoor heat exchanger
4
for the conventional separate type air conditioner has a problem in that if a shock is applied to the heat exchanger
4
, for example, in transport, the heat exchanger
4
, i.e., the fin
6
is deflected toward the inside, with the result that there is a possibility of adverse effects caused on the performance of the heat exchanger
4
.
An object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of deflection of the fin of the indoor heat exchanger by a deformed spacer without any increase in the number of parts.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of deflection of the fin of the indoor heat exchanger by a spacer without any increase in the number of parts and fabrication processes.
Still another object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of deflection of the fin of the indoor heat exchangers of a plurality of types by utilizing the flexibility of a spacer body while keeping the commonality thereof.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problem, the present invention provides a separate type air conditioner which is provided with a spacer on top of a bent portion to close a gap caused at the upper part of an indoor heat exchanger disassembled and assembled at the upper part into the front side and the rear side, characterized in that the spacer is provided with one or a plurality of protruding faces, which are substantially perpendicular downwardly to the spacer, at the front and the rear of the lengthwise central portion of the spacer to prevent the inward deflection of fins of the indoor heat exchanger so that the protruding faces are caused to abut on the upper inside of the front-side and rear-side fins.
By this configuration, the downwardly protruding faces of the spacer is brought into close contact with the front-side and rear-side fins, so that the front-side heat exchanger and the rear-side heat exchanger form a strong integral structure against inward bending via the spacer. Therefore, even if an unexpected external force is applied to the heat exchanger, for example, in transport, the heat exchanger is formed integrally in terms of strength, and the heat exchanger has a construction such as to be supported not only by end plates at both ends but also by the spacer at a middle part having a relatively weak strength, so that the heat exchanger in accordance with the present invention has a far higher resisting force and damaged less than the conventional heat exchanger, and also the inward deflection of the fins is less.
Three modes of providing the downwardly protruding faces in contact with the fins on the spacer are disclosed in the present invention.
The spacer protruding faces of a first mode of the present invention are formed by cutting and bending downward the spacer at the front part and the rear part in the vicinity of the lengthwise central portion of the spacer. Since the cutting and bending can be performed simultaneously with the pressing of the spacer, an excess fabrication process is unnecessary, and the manufacturing manpower is not increased.
The spacer protruding faces of a second mode of the present invention are formed by forming downwardly protruding portions formed by drawing integrally with the spacer. The front and rear ends of the protrusions are used as the protruding faces. Like the above-described first mode, since the drawing can be performed simultaneously with the pressing of the spacer, an excess process is unnecessary, and the manufacturing manpower is not increased.
In addition, the spacer protruding faces of a third mode of the present invention are, unlike the above-described two modes, formed by mounting and fixing a separate part of an arbitrary shape having the front and rear end faces at a necessary place on the bottom surface of the spacer. Although the number of parts increases, the spacer body can be used commonly, being applicable to a plurality of indoor heat exchangers of different shapes, so that this mode is advantageous in terms of parts control at the time of manufacture. Also, the separate part has a very simple shape, having the front and rear end faces. Therefore, even if the separate part is excessively manufactures, it does not increase the manpower very much.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5417279 (1995-05-01), Wada
patent: 5669229 (1997-09-01), Ohbayashi et al.
patent: 5857353 (1999-01-01), Schneider et al.
patent: 411159799 (1999-06-01), None
Hayashi Masami
Oyabu Keiko
Tsuji Taii
Jiang Chen Wen
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
McDermott Corrine
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P.
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