Background Art As well known to those skilled in the art, single unit-type air conditioners individually comprise one unit or an indoor unit while being free from any outdoor unit.

The indoor unit of such a single unit-type air conditioner encases all the elements, such as an evaporator, a condenser case, a water tank, a water pump and a compressor, so that the indoor unit cools room air by the evaporator at the same time of condensing the refrigerant using water and air.

In order to allow the indoor unit of such an air conditioner to effectively perform its air conditioning operation, it is necessary to effectively cool the condenser using water and air in the indoor unit.

However, typical single unit-type air conditioners are designed in that the condenser is cooled only by sprayed water, so that it is almost impossible to uniformly and

effectively cool the condenser. Therefore, such a single unit-type air conditioner regrettably fails to completely condense refrigerant passing through the condenser set in the indoor unit. _ Another problem experienced in typical single unit- type air conditioners resides in that harmful bacteria is proliferated in water, which is filled in a water tank and is used for cooling the condenser. In addition, cool air, laden with vapor, is discharged from the indoor unit into a room so that the vapor, included in the discharged cool air and contaminated with bacteria, causes a hygienic problem.

Disclosure of the Invention Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an improved condenser cooling structure for single unit- type air conditioners, which effectively cools the condenser using water and air in an indoor unit while almost completely preventing a proliferation of harmful bacteria and overcoming the hygienic probiems experienced in the typical air conditioners.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a condenser cooling structure for single unit-type air conditioners, comprising a condenser case set in an indoor unit of a single unit-type air conditioner and encasing two condensers. The condenser case comprises: a plurality of air inlet slits formed on a side wall of the case, thus allowing air to be introduced into the case so as to cool the condensers; and water spraying means provided on the case so as to spray

pressurized water onto the condensers, thus cooling the condensers. The above structure also has a water tank provided in the indoor unit and connected to the water spraying means through a water supply pipe, with a water pump being mounted to the water supply pipe and being used for selectively pumping water of the water tank so as to supply the water to the water spraying means. The water tank also includes: an ultraviolet sterilizing lamp set on a top wall of the water tank with the lower end portion of the lamp being immersed in the water of the tank; and an antibiotic filter having a net structure and vertically arranged across the interior of the tank.

Brief Description of the Drawings The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the construction of a single unit-type air conditioner in accordance with the primary embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a condenser case included in the air conditioner of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, showing the arrangement of water spraying nozzles on the bottom wall of the condenser case, taken along the line A-A'of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a water tank included in the air conditioner of this invention; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the water tank taken along the line B-B'of Fig. 4; and Figs. 6a to 6c are sectional views showing the construction of condenser cases in accordance with other

embodiments of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the construction of a single unit-type air conditioner in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a condenser case included in the air conditioner of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, showing the arrangement of water spraying nozzles on the bottom wall of the condenser case, taken along the line A-A'of Fig. 2. As shown in the drawings, the housing of an air conditioner 1 of this invention encases a condenser case 10. The condenser case 10 is provided with a plurality of air inlet slits 11 at both side walls thereof. Two condensers 2 are uprightly installed in the case 10 to be beside each other. In such a case, the two condensers 2 are spaced from the bottom wall of the case 10 at a predetermined gap. A plurality of water spraying nozzles 12 are set on the bottom wall of the condenser case 10 so as to be directed toward the bottom walls of the condensers 2. The spraying nozzles 12 thus finely spray or atomize water onto the condensers 2. Water for the spraying nozzles 12 is filled in a water tank 20 and is pumped by a water pump 3, thus being pressurized prior to being supplied to the nozzles 12.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the water tank 20 included in the air conditioner of this invention. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the water tank 20 taken along the line B-B'of Fig. 4. As shown in the drawings, an ultraviolet sterilizing lamp 21 is set on the top wall of the water tank 20 in a way such that the lower end portion of the lamp 21 is immersed in water of the tank 20. An

antibiotic filter 22, having a net structure, is vertically arranged across the interior of the tank 20.

Figs. 6a to 6c are sectional views showing the construction of condenser cases in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention.

In the second embodiment of Fig. 6a, a support panel 14 is uprightly installed in the condenser case 10a at a position between the two condensers 2. A plurality of water spraying nozzles 12 are regularly set on the support panel 14 in a way such that the nozzles 12 are alternately directed toward the two condensers 2.

In the third embodiment of Fig. 6b, an air channel 15, having a depth almost equal to the height of the two condensers 2, is interposed between the two condensers 2.

The above air channel 15 is opened at its lower end, thus allowing air to be introduced into the channel 15, and has a plurality of air spraying holes 11'on its both side walls. A plurality of water spraying nozzles 12 are regularly set on both side walls of the condenser case 10b, respectively.

In the fourth embodiment of Fig. 6c, two water spraying panels 4 are respectively positioned above the two condensers 2 and are individually provided with a plurality of nozzles on their bottom surfaces. The two panels 4 thus spray pressurized water onto the top walls of the condensers 2 so as to cool the condensers 2. A plurality of air inlet holes 11"are regularly formed on the top lid 17 of the condenser case 10c, while an air guide hopper 18 is exteriorly provided on the bottom wall of the case 10c. An air exhaust fan 19 is connected to the hopper 18 at a position outside the case 10c, thus forcing air to flow downwardly in the case 10c from the air inlet holes 11"to the fan 19 through the hopper 18

while cooling the condensers 2. In order to prevent water from being introduced into the air exhaust fan 19, the air holes 16, formed on the bottom wall of the case 10c, project into the bottom wall to a height and are individually covered with a cover 13 at their inside ends.

In the fifth embodiment of Fig. 6d, a plurality of filtering nets 30, individually made of nonwoven fabric, are horizontally set in the condenser case 10d at a position above a condenser 2 so as to form a zigzagged air passage in the area defined between the top lid 17'of the condenser case 10d and the top wall of the condenser 2.

In this embodiment, an air exhaust fan 19 is exteriorly mounted to the top lid 17'so as to forcibly exhaust air from the case 10d into the atmosphere.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 5 denotes an evaporator, numeral 6 denotes a solenoid valve, 7 denotes a water level sensor, and numeral 8 denotes a plurality of vertical walls regularly set in the water tank 20 so as to prevent waves from rising in the water tank 20.

In the operation of the air conditioner of this invention, the spraying nozzles 12 finely spray or atomize pressurized water onto the condensers 2, thus uniformly and effectively the whole surfaces of the condensers 2.

In addition, the atomized water is effectively discharged from the indoor unit into the atmosphere so that the amount of hot water, which is to return to the water tank 20, is reduced. The air conditioner thus more effectively cools the condensers and this improves the air conditioning effect of the air conditioner.

The ultraviolet sterilizing lamp 21, set on the top wall of the water tank 20 in a way such that the lower end portion of the lamp 21 is immersed in water of the tank 20, effectively sterilizes water filled in the tank 20.

In addition, the antibiotic filter 22 is vertically arranged across the interior of the water tank 20.

Therefore, the air conditioner of this invention effectively sterilizes and filters the water of the tank 20.

In the second and third embodiments of Figs. 6a and 6b, the position of the water spraying nozzles 12 is changed from the position of the primary embodiment, thus more uniformly and effectively cool the condensers 2.

That is, the water spraying nozzles 12 of the second embodiment are interposed between the two condensers 2 of a condenser case 10a, while the nozzles 12 of the third embodiment are set on both side walls of a condenser case 10b.

In the fourth embodiment of Fig. 6c, water flows in the same direction as that of air current in the condenser case 10c so that the water is almost completely prevented from flowing in an ineffective area and this allows the water to more effectively cool the condensers 2. In this embodiment, it is possible to prevent water from flowing through the air holes 16 of the bottom wall of the condenser case 10c due to the covers 13 of the holes 16.

In the fifth embodiment of Fig. 6d, the refrigerant cooling air, laden with vapor, is not directly and quickly discharged from the condenser case 10d into the atmosphere, but is indirectly discharged from the case 10d while being filtered by the filtering nets 30. Therefore, this embodiment effectively filters and saves water, thereby reducing the amount of water to be refilled in the water tank 20.

Industrial Application As described above, the present invention provides an improved condenser cooling structure for single unit- type air conditioners. In the present invention, the structure for spraying water and circulating air in the condenser case is improved, thus increasing the refrigerant condensing effect of the air conditioner. The invention also almost completely prevents a proliferation of harmful bacteria, thus overcoming the hygienic problems experienced in the typical air conditioners.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.