Refrigeration – Structural installation – Window connected or mounted
Patent
1998-07-13
2000-06-20
Bennett, Henry
Refrigeration
Structural installation
Window connected or mounted
62298, 454202, F25D 2312
Patent
active
060763701
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to air conditioners, and more particularly to a filter arrangement adapted to be installed in an indoor grille for an air conditioner.
BACKGROUND ART
Room type air conditioners typically have an indoor section and an outdoor section. The indoor section is responsible for cooling and dehumidifying the indoor room air while the outdoor section is responsible for exhausting heat into the outdoor environment. The indoor and outdoor sections each have a heat exchanger coil and a fan, and each has a return air opening and a discharge opening. A grille structure is normally installed over each section to prevent the entry of foreign objects, while allowing the free flow of air to and from the sections as well as for aesthetic considerations. It is common practice to have associated with the indoor grille structure a filter element, through which the indoor air passing to the indoor coil must pass. Such a filter is designed to remove substantially smaller contaminants from the air than the indoor grille. Quite often, the indoor grille must be removed from the air conditioner in order to gain access to the filter. Other air conditioners are know which have a rectangular substantially reusable filter which slides into a slot vertically oriented above the inlet grille and the evaporator coil such that the filter is installed or withdrawn by vertically displacing the filter within the slot.
It is deemed desirable to have a filter assembly which easily slides into a slot provided in the indoor grille and which engages retaining structure in the grille. Such is particularly desirable if the indoor discharge assembly is adapted to be oriented in a reversed top to bottom condition wherein the filter slot would be in the lower end of the unit and the filter withdrawn vertically downwardly therefrom.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, an indoor grille for an air conditioning unit is provided with a horizontal slot through which a substantially rectangular filter element is adapted to be installed. The filter receiving slot is provided with latching structure thereon which is adapted to latchingly engage mating structure on a horizontally extending structural portion of the filter to thereby latch and retain the filter in its desired position when installed in the grille assembly. The latching structure is manually releasable to facilitate easy withdrawal of the filter from the grille. The latching structure also serves to protect the filter from falling out of the slot under the influence of gravity when the grille is oriented upside down.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may be better understood and its objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a room air conditioner which embodies the features of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 removed from the base pan and showing the separate indoor and outdoor modules;
FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 with the cover of the outdoor module removed and the top of the indoor module partially broken away;
FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 with the front grille removed;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the indoor module with portions thereof broken away to show internal components thereof;
FIG. 6 is a left side view of the air conditioner as shown in FIG. 4 with some components shown in section and others broken away in order to show internal components thereof;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the area in FIG. 6 identified as FIG. 7;
FIG. 8 is an alternative embodiment of the fan and motor attachment illustrated in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the lines 9--9 of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the air conditioner unit of FIG. 1 with a number of the internal component of the indoor module removed, and the outdoor module top housing removed therefrom;
REFERENCES:
patent: 3592123 (1971-07-01), Henken et al.
patent: 4127162 (1978-11-01), Brauer
patent: 4210071 (1980-07-01), Loos
patent: 4240264 (1980-12-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 4334899 (1982-06-01), McConnell
patent: 4607500 (1986-08-01), Bolton et al.
patent: 4743281 (1988-05-01), Kennedy et al.
patent: 5315842 (1994-05-01), Bolton et al.
patent: 5454231 (1995-10-01), Bolton et al.
patent: 5468186 (1995-11-01), Bolton et al.
Bennett Henry
Carrier Corporation
Jones Melvin
LandOfFree
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