"AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL BOX GUIDE SUPPORT"

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to air conditioners and, more particularly, to mounting a control box within the air conditioner.

Conventional air conditioners include a variety of different components that cooperate to provide temperature conditioned air. Certain air conditioners include a control unit at the air conditioner itself that allows a user to adjust air conditioner settings. Typically, the control unit provides power to the different components within the air conditioner and controls the components according to the selected settings.

One problem associated with the control unit is mounting it within the air conditioner in a space-efficient and inexpensive manner. One proposed solution utilizes fasteners or other separate attachment pieces to mount the control unit, which take up space within the air conditioner. Additionally, using fasteners or separate pieces may add complexity during installation or removal for maintenance, and may add expense.

Accordingly, there is a need for an air conditioner having an inexpensive and compact mounting mechanism that eliminates or reduces the need for using separate mounting pieces. The disclosed examples address these needs while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An example air conditioner assembly includes a first section having a fan and a condenser and a second section having an evaporator. A controller controls operation of the first section and the second section. A wall near the controller includes a support section that supports the controller. In one example, the wall and the support section are a single, unitary piece of sheet metal, where the support section includes a tab that is bent from the sheet metal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.

Figure 1 is an example air conditioner.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the example air conditioner of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of a support section according to the section shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view of the support section from inside of the air conditioner.

Figure 5 is a view of the support section and a dram pan supporting a control box.

Figure 6 is a view of installation of a control box into the air conditioner.

Figure 7 is a view of the control box in an installed position in the air conditioner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figure 1 illustrates a partially exploded view of selected portions of an example air conditioner 10. Figure 1 is a schematic presentation for illustrative purposes only and is not a limitation on the disclosed examples. Additionally, there are various types of air conditioners, many of which could benefit from the examples disclosed herein, which are not limited to the design shown.

In the illustrated example, the air conditioner 10 includes an interior section 12 and an exterior section 14. Generally, the air conditioner 10 is installed in a structure such that the interior section 12 is indoors and the exterior section 14 is outdoors Figure 2).

The interior section 12 includes a grill 16 and partition 18 (e.g., a wall) that generally enclose an evaporator 20 and heater 22 above a drain pan 24. Although the disclosed example air conditioner 10 includes a heater, it is to be understood that not all air conditioners include heaters. The grill 16 includes an access opening

25a and cover 25b. A blower 26 is located adjacent the heater 22 between the partition 18 and an evaporator partition 28. Referring also to the sectional view of Figure 2, a control box 30 encloses various control components, such as a louver

motor 32 (shown schematically hidden inside the control box 30) that engages a came 33 that fits within a slot 34 for moving louvers 35, a capacitor 36, a thermostat 38, a rotary switch 39, and knobs 40 for setting the operation of the air conditioner 10.

The exterior section 14 includes a compressor 50 for compressing and pumping a refrigerant through the air conditioner 10. A motor 52 drives the blower 26 and a fan 54, which is adjacent a condenser 56. A cover 58 includes an evaporator section 60 that generally covers the evaporator 20 and a condenser section 62 that generally covers the condenser 56. The interior section 12 and the exterior section 14 are enclosed in a wrapper 64, which includes louvers 66 on one or more sides of the wrapper 64.

The control box 30 serves to control the operation of the various components (e.g., heater 22, motor 52, compressor 50, reversing valve, etc.) in the interior section 12 and the exterior section 14 to produce temperature conditioned air in a known manner. To this end, electrical wiring 68 connects the control box 30 with the components. In the illustrated example, the electrical wiring 68 extends from the control box 30, through a space 70 between the control box 30 and the partition 18, through an opening 72 in the partition 18 and to of the various components. A seal 74 is incorporated at the opening 72 to limit or prevent liquids or other debris from penetrating into the interior section 12.

In operation, the compressor 50 functions to compress the refrigerant and delivers it downstream to the condenser 56. The fan 54 moves air over the

condenser 56, and cools refrigerant within the condenser 56. The refrigerant flows from the condenser 56 through an expansion device (not shown), to the evaporator 20. The motor 52 drives the fan 54 and the blower 26. Air is drawn in through a grill 16 over the evaporator 20, and into an outlet duct 73, where it is delivered through the louvers 35 and horizontal louvers 75 (Figure 1) into the environment to be conditioned.

Figure 3 is a view of a portion of the partition 18 according to the section shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a view of the partition 18 from inside of the air conditioner 10 (without the control box 30 installed). The partition 18 includes a support section 84 that vertically supports the control box 30 within the air conditioner 10. The support section 84 in the exemplary example is created from a tab 86 that is angled inwards from the partition, which in this case is constructed of sheet metal. As such, the tab 86 and partition 18 are a single, unitary piece rather than separate. This has the advantage reducing costs from both a material and manufacturing point of view.

The support section 84 is manufactured by cutting the partition 18 along a line 83a of the desired shape of the tab 86. The tab 86 is then bent along line 83b such that the tab 86 extends perpendicularly from the partition 18. For example, a press machine cuts and bends the partition 18 to form the tab 86. Given this description, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other methods for manufacturing the support section 84.

The tab 86 is sized such that it can sufficiently support the control box 30 without the use of additional mounting features. In other examples, the tab 86 is smaller and one or more additional mounting features (e.g., fasteners, brackets, etc.) are used in combination with the tab 86 to support the control box 30.

In one example shown in Figure 5, the drain pan 24 includes a support 110 that extends from the drain pan 24. The tab 86 and the support 110 cooperate to support the control box 30. The tab 86 extends under one side of the control box

30, and the support extends under the opposite side of the control box 30 to uniformly support the control box 30.

The tab 86 is spaced a distance 85 (Figure 4) above the lower edge of the partition 18 (i.e., in a central portion of the partition). Mounting the control box 30 the distance 85 above the lower edge provides the benefit of avoiding contact with any water that might penetrate into the interior section 12 and into the space below the control box 30, for example.

The tab 86 includes planar surfaces 88a and 88b. In one example, the term

"planar" is not strictly geometrically limited and includes variations within tolerances that are typically associated with sheet metal parts. The planar surface

88b is transverse to the planar surface 88a, which is generally horizontal to provide uniform vertical support of the control box 30.

Referring to Figure 6, the control box 30 slides in a direction Dl along the planar surface 88b during installation. The angle of the planar surface 88b to planar

surface 88a may vary depending on the design of the air conditioner 10 and provides the benefit of guiding the control box 30 through the access opening 25a and into a fully installed position on the planar surface 88a (Figure 2) without a user having to significantly orient the control box 30. After sliding along the planar surface 88b, the control box 30 slides horizontally in a second direction D2 along planar surface 88a into the fully installed position spaced apart from the second planar surface 88b. As illustrated in Figure 7, the came 33, which connects to the louver motor 32 of the control box 30 mechanically aligns for engagement with the slot 34 of the louvers 35 when the control box 30 is in the fully installed position.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.