Two-sectioned Room Air Conditioner Construction Cabinet

Abstract

A two-sectioned room air conditioner cabinet including a top half section and bottom half section which cooperate when joined together by outwardly extending flanges formed on opposite sides adjacent the open ends to enclose the refrigeration and air handling assemblies therein. The top and bottom walls of the cabinet have opposed pairs of integrally molded retainer means including rubber-like bushings and pads designed in such a manner that when the two casing sections are locked together by elongated C-shaped clamps engaging the side flanges the compressor motor and fan motor housings are fixably retained in a cushioned manner within the cabinet.

Description

This invention relates to room air conditioner cabinet construction and more specifically with the provision of an upper and lower sectioned cabinet, each half of which is formed from a unitary piece of plastic.

In room air conditioners comprising air handling and refrigeration systems provided with a hermetic motor-compressor together with a motor driven fan and blower for circulating room air through the evaporator and exhausting air through the condenser, the problem of cushioning the relatively heavy motor-compressor and fan motor within a molded plastic cabinet is present, requiring inexpensive means to reduce the transmission of noises of the fan motor and motor-compressor to and amplified by the cabinet.

It is an object of the present invention therefore to provide an improved, compact and relatively lightweight room air conditioning unit having a two-sectioned, low profile cabinet with retainer means integrally formed therein for cushioningly supporting the compressor motor and the fan motor housings therebetween when the two sections are locked together.

It is another object of the invention to provide a two-piece molded room air conditioner cabinet in which opposed pairs of retainer means are provided on the top and bottom of the cabinet for both the motor-compressor dome-like housing and the air handling motor cylindrical-shaped housing components incorporating rubber-like bushings and motor mounting pads respectively, which may be readily assembled in conjunction with the components such that they are retained in a predetermined alignment during the assembly of the cabinet, whereby upon the locking of the two sections together by elongated C-shaped clamp members adapted to fit around adjacent flanges of the two sections, the components are cushioningly retained in place.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the air conditioning unit in assembled condition;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the unit taken substantially on the line 2--2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the lower motor compressor housing retainer;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical plan view of the outwardly extending flanges formed on one side of the upper and lower sections;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal plan view taken substantially on the line 6--6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken substantially on the line 7--7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the right hand side flanges shown in their locked conditions; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper fan motor support pad.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, an air conditioning unit 10 of the present invention is shown which provides a two-piece casing assembly preferably molded of synthetic plastic material, comprising an upper half or section 12 and a lower half or section 14 adapted for enclosing a refrigeration assembly and an air handling assembly therein. Referring specifically to FIGS. 1-3 and 6, the integrally molded casing lower half 14 has a closed bottom 16, opposite side walls 18 and 20, opposite front and rear walls 22 and 24 with turned-out horizontal side flanges 26 and 28 extending along the side walls 18 and 20 at the open end of the casing lower half 14. The integrally molded casing upper half 12 has a generally flat closed top 30, opposite side walls 32 and 34, opposite front and rear walls 36 and 38 with turned out horizontal side flanges 40 and 42 extending along the side walls 32 and 34 at the open end of the upper casing half 12. In this way the top and bottom casing sections or halves 12 and 14 are adapted to abuttingly engage each other along a horizontal joint or parting line 43 to form the air conditioner cabinet.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the assembled halves form a self-contained room air conditioning unit adapted to be mounted in a window opening. The unit includes right and left closure wings indicated at 44 and 46 respectively with the left wing 46 shown extended outwardly from the left side walls 20 and 34 while the right wing 44 is shown in its retracted position.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, a sealed motor compressor unit 52 is located on the left-hand side of the unit and a fan motor 54 is located on the right-hand side of the unit about equally spaced from the longitudinal center line 55 of the unit. The fan motor 54 drives a propeller type fan located within an opening in condenser shroud wall 57, which draws in outside air through the side louvers 58 and top louvers 59 and thence through a condenser 60 and out through the discharge louvers 62 and 63, integrally formed on the rear walls 38 and 24 of the upper and lower halves, and exited into the outside air. The fan motor 54 is positioned within the outside-air portion 61 of the cabinet and one shaft extension 64 drives and supports the condenser fan 56, while the opposite shaft extension 66 thereof drives and supports the centrifugal impeller or rotor 68 of the blower 70. The scroll shaped housing 72 of the blower 70 is secured to the room air side of the vertical partition 74 which vertical partition 74 constitutes one side wall of the lower housing.

An evaporator 80 is located in front of the inlet opening 81 of the blower housing inner side wall 82. The sealed motor compressor unit 52, the condenser 60 and the evaporator 80 are connected together in an operative refrigerant circuit such as shown for example in the Gould, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,945,362 issued July 19, 1960. For drawing simplification purposes, no refrigerant lines have been shown and reference may be had to the Gould, et al., patent, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

As best seen in FIG. 8, the lower right side flange 26 terminates in downwardly directed spaced edge segments 84 which are L-shaped in cross section providing spaced notch portions 85 therebetween which are shown equal in extent to the edge segments 84. The upper right side flange 40 terminates in upwardly directed spaced edge segments 86 which are L-shaped in cross section identical to the lower flange 26 but spaced in offsetting fashion to the lower flange 26 such that its notched portions 87 are vertically aligned with the edge segments 84 when the two halves of the cabinet are located together. Thus, as seen in FIG. 8, an alternating L-shaped configuration in cross section is formed. Side flanges 42 and 28 are formed in a similar manner. In this position when a C-shaped elongated holding clip 88 of sheet metal is inserted on and off the side flanges 26 and 40 to alternately lockingly engage the edge segments 84 and 86, the binding of the C-clip is prevented because of possible slight misalignment of the flanges.

Support means for the motor-compressor housing 52 are provided in the form of a pair of opposed cup-shaped retainers 90 and 92 with the retainer 90 integrally molded on the inner face of the lower half 14, bottom wall 16 and the retainer 92 integrally molded on the inner surface of the casing upper half 12. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, the cup-shaped retainer 90 is generally arcuate in plan having a bottom 94 enclosed by a vertical inner peripheral wall 96 interrupted by a pair of rounded inwardly directed radial flutes 97 and 98 defining a radially inwardly opening radial mortise-like slot 99 therebetween.

A yieldable or resilient rubber-like lower bushing element, represented at 106 in FIG. 7, has a cylindrical body shaped to be received in the lower annular retainer 90. The lower bushing element 106 has a planar flat undersurface 108 and a concave upper surface 110 designed to conform with the dome-shaped bottom end wall 112 of the motor-compressor housing 52. As seen in FIG. 7, the bushing element upper surface 110 is provided with generally radial grooves 114 forming a plurality of generally radial ribs 116, the inner ends of which define a rectangular cavity 118 having stepped shoulders 119 and 120 at each end for receiving a housing retaining clip 121 therein. As seen in FIG. 4, the clip 121 has a flanged-channel shape in cross section, secured as by welding, on the lower end wall 112 of the housing 52.

Securing means in the form of integral resilient tabs 122 and 123 are provided to extend into cavity 118 so as to snappingly engage the channel portion 124 of the clip 121. As an optional securing means hex-head bolt 126 may be employed in a counter-sunk recess 128 on the bushing element under-surface 108 for passage through a bushing 130 lined hole 132 to threadingly engage aligned hole 134 in the clip 121.

With reference to FIG. 7, a pair of complemental tenons 136 and 138 are formed in the vertical cylindrical surface 139 of the bushing element 106 either one of which may be received in the complemental mortise-like slot 99 of the retainer 90. The purpose of this construction is to allow the bushing element 106 to be received into the retainer 90 in either of two alternative positions depending upon whether tenon 136 or 138 is inserted in its mating mortise-like slot 99. Thus, the cabinet may be readily fitted as an assembly line with alternative sized compressor housings which are properly aligned within the casing lower half. As seen in FIG. 3, the housing 52 has an electrical connection box 137 extending therefrom which must be correctly oriented for connection of its electrical leads and to be received in the space between condenser fan shroud wall 57 and the side wall 28 of the cabinet.

As viewed in FIG. 7, the equal angles A and B defined by the radial centerlines of flutes 97 and 98 and mortise-like slot 99 include about 12 degrees of arc symmetrically oriented on either side of the radial centerline mortise-like slot 99. Consequently, by merely rotating the bushing 106 in a counterclockwise direction an amount so as to place the tenon 136 into slot 99 applicants about a 24 degree total arcuate change in location of the bushing 106 to provide for the connection of the electrical and refrigerant lines of a smaller capacity compressor. Thus, during production bushing 106 and cup-shaped retainer 90 may be interchangeaby used on a single assembly line to readily mount an alternate motor-compressor housing within the same cabinet lower half 14.

As seen in FIG. 2, the upper retainer 92 is provided with a similar upper bushing 140 without the flutes 136, 138, which is attached to an identical clip 142 located on the upper dome-shaped surface 144 of the housing 52. It will be noted that retainer 92 has an inner peripheral wall 146 molded with a cone-shape while the bushing 140 has a conforming cone-shaped surface 148 thereby enabling ready insertion of th bushing 140 into the upper opposed cup-shaped retainer 92 upon the placing of the casing upper half 12 in position on the casing lower half 14.

With reference to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the bottom wall 16 of casing 14 is formed with an upwardly extending fan motor supporting pedestal 160 in the form of a hollow truncated pyramid whose upper surface is formed with a box-shaped recess 162 for receiving a resilient lower motor pad 164 of rubber-like material having a conforming rectangular-shaped a box-shaped reduced shoulder portion 166 and rectangular base 168. As seen in FIG. 9 the base 168 has an arcuate shaped surface 170 for reception of the cylindrical-shaped fan motor housing 54 thereon. A transverse slot 172 is formed in the surface 170 for receiving a transverse gusset key member or blade 174 suitably secured to the fan motor housing 54 as by welding to locate the fan motor housing against longitudinal movement of pad box-shaped shoulder portion 166 in recess 162. The blade 174 also assures correct positioning of the electrical leads for the fan motor 54.

As viewed in FIGS. 2 and 6, the casing upper half 12 includes a pair of integrally molded parallel, transversely extending identical support plates or ribs 180 and 182, each having downwardly tapered edges 184, 185 and 186, 187, respectively. An upper fan mootor mounting pad identical to the lower pad 164 is indicated in phantom at 164' in FIG. 6. The ribs 180, 182 are longitudinally spaced a defined distance to receive in press-fit fashion therebetween the rectangular shoulder portion 166' of pad 164', while the horizontal edges 188 and 189 support the base 168', as shown in FIG. 2. As seen in FIG. 9, the upper pad 164' has a locating groove 192 at the rear of its shoulder portion 166' which receives a vertical tongue member 198 therein to insure proper alignment of the pad 164' when it is press-fitted on the upper housing prior to assembly. The pads 164 and 164' on arcuate mounting surfaces 170, 170' conform to the cylindrical fan motor housing 54 to cushioningly support housing 54 there-between upon locating the upper casing half 12 in position on the lower casing half 14 and locking the halves together by the elongated C-shaped clamps. Thus, the lower pad 164 allows for ready location of the fan motor housing 54 on the supporting member 160 while assuring correct positioning of the upper pad 164' on the upper casing half 14 for engagement with the fan motor housing 54 during assembly of the casing upper half 12 on the casing lower half 14.

It will be noted in FIG. 3 that the casing lower half 14 has vertically extending grooves 202 and 204 integrally molded on side walls 18 and 20 respectively, which align with grooves 206 and 208 integrally molded on the side walls 32 and 34 respectively, of the casing upper half 12 on assembly of the cabinet. The purpose of the grooves 202, 204, 206 and 208 is to receive the associated closure wings 44 and 46 shown in FIG. 1. As the closure wings form no part of the present invention, the details of their construction has been omitted from the present application.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

Claims

We claim:

1. A window mounted room air conditioner having refrigeration apparatus including a hermetic motor-compressor unit and a housing therefor having dome-shaped top and bottom end walls, a condenser, an evaporator, and a fan motor and a cylindrical housing therefor, said refrigeration apparatus enclosed by a two-piece cabinet, said cabinet including upper and lower open-ended casing halves of molded synthetic plastic material, said casing lower half including a bottom wall bordered by substantially rectangularly related side and end walls, said casing lower half side walls terminating in turned-out side flanges, said casing upper half including a top wall bordered by substantially rectangularly related side and end walls, said casing upper half side walls terminating in turned-out side flanges which match with the turned-out side flanges of said casing lower half when the flanges are placed in paired abutting relation thereto, an elongated removable clip member for coupling together each pair of abutting flanges to join said casing halves at a generally horizontal parting line thereby forming a room air conditioner cabinet, said casing lower half bottom wall and said casing upper half top wall having located on their respective inner surfaces opposed lower and upper vertically aligned bushing retaining means integrally molded therewith, lower and upper resilient rubber-like bushing elements shaped for reception in their associated lower and upper casing bushing retaining means, each said bushing element having a concave surface for receiving in a complemental manner its associated motor-compressor housing dome-shaped end wall, means for releasably attaching said upper and lower bushings on their respective motor-compressor housing top and bottom end walls, said casing lower half bottom wall and said casing upper half top wall having located on their respective inner surfaces opposed lower and upper vertically aligned pad mounting means, lower and upper identical fan motor housing resilient rubber-like mounting pads, each said pad including a reduced box-shaped shoulder portion and a rectangular base portion having an arcuate-shaped surface conforming to said fan motor housing, said lower pad box-shaped shoulder portion being received in said lower and upper casing pad retaining means, respectively, whereby upon said motor-compressor housing amd attached upper and lower bushings being received in their respective casing retaining means and said fan motor housing being received by said arcuate-shaped surfaces of said lower and upper mounting pads and said elongated clip members coupling together their respective paired casing side flanges said motor-compressor housing and said fan motor housing are yieldably mounted in said cabinet.

2. A window mounted room air conditioner having refrigeration apparatus including a hermetic motor-compressor unit and a housing therefor having dome-shaped top and bottom end walls, a condenser, an evaporator, and a fan motor for driving indoor and outdoor air circulating means, said refrigeration apparatus enclosed by a two-piece cabinet, said cabinet including upper and lower open-ended casing halves of molded synthetic plastic material, said casing lower half including a bottom wall bordered by substantially rectangularly related side and end walls, said casing lower half side walls terminating in turned-out side flanges, said casing upper half including a top wall bordered by substantially rectangularly related side and end walls, said casing upper half side walls terminating in turned-out side flanges which match with the turned-out side flanges of said casing lower half when said halves are placed in paired abutting relation thereto, an elongated C-shaped clip member for slidable insertion around each pair of abutting flanges to couple together said casing halves at a generally horizontal parting line thereby forming a room air conditioner cabinet, said casing lower half bottom wall and said casing upper half top wall having located on their respective inner surfaces opposed lower and upper cup-shaped vertically aligned retainers integrally molded therewith, lower and upper resilient bushing elements shaped for reception in their associated lower and upper casing retainers, each said bushing element having a concave surface for receiving in a complemental manner its associated motor-compressor housing dome-shaped end wall, means for releasably attaching said upper and lower bushings on their respective motor-compressor housing top and bottom end walls, whereby upon said motor-compressor attached upper and lower bushings being received in their respective cup-shaped casing retainers and said elongated clip members slidably inserted around their respective paired casing side flanges said motor-compressor housing is yieldably mounted in said cabinet by compressing said upper and lower bushings between their associated cup-shaped casing retainers and said motor-compressor housing top and bottom end walls.

3. A window mounted room air conditioner having refrigeration apparatus including a hermetic motor-compressor unit and a housing therefor having dome-shaped top and bottom end walls, a condenser, an evaporator, and a fan motor for driving indoor and outdoor air circulating means, said refrigeration apparatus enclosed by a two-piece cabinet, said cabinet including upper and lower open-ended casing halves of molded synthetic plastic material, said casing lower half including a bottom wall bordered by substantially rectangularly related side and end walls, said casing lower half side walls terminating in turned-out side flanges, said casing upper half including a top wall bordered by substantially rectangularly related side and end walls, said casing upper half side walls terminating in turned-out side flanges which match with the turned-out side flanges of said casing lower half when said halves are placed in paired abutting relation thereto, removable coupling means for coupling each pair of abutting flanges to join said casing halves at a generally horizontal parting line thereby forming a room air conditioner cabinet, said casing lower half bottom wall and said casing upper half top wall having located on their respective inner surfaces opposed lower and upper annular vertically aligned retainers integrally molded therewith, lower and upper resilient bushings having cylindrical body portions for reception in their associated lower and upper casing retainers, said lower annular retainer having its inner peripheral wall interrupted by a pair of spaced flutes defining an inwardly opening radial slot therein, said lower bushing having a pair of spaced tenon-like radial members formed on its cylindrical body each of which is shaped for alternate reception in said radial slot, whereby said lower bushing may be received in said lower annular retainer in either of two alternative positions depending upon which tenon-like member is inserted in said radial slot such that said lower and upper casing together with said bushings may be used interchangeably to exactly position at least two alternative sized motor-compressor units in said two-piece cabinet, each said bushing having a concave surface for receiving in a complemental manner its associated motor-compressor housing dome-shaped end wall, means for releasably attaching said upper and lower bushings on their respective motor-compressor housing top and bottom end walls, whereby upon said motor-compressor and its attached upper and lower bushings being received in their respective annular retainers and said paired casing side flanges being joined by said coupling means either of two alternative sized motor-compressor housings may be fixably retained in a cushioned manner within said cabinet.

4. A window mounted room air conditioner having refrigeration apparatus including a hermetic motor-compressor unit and a housing therefor having dome-shaped top and bottom end walls, a condenser, an evaporator, and a fan motor and a cylindrical housing therefor, said refrigeration apparatus enclosed by a two-piece cabinet, said cabinet including upper and lower open-ended casing halves of molded synthetic plastic material, said casing lower half including a bottom wall bordered by substantially rectangularly related side and end walls, said casing lower half side walls terminating in turned-out side flanges, said casing upper half including a top wall bordered by substantially rectangularly related side and end walls, said casing upper half side walls terminating in turned-out side flanges which match with the turned-out side flanges of said casing lower half when the flanges are placed in paired abutting relation thereto, an elongated C-shaped clip member for slidable insertion around each pair of abutting flanges to join said casing halves at a generally horizontal parting line to form a room air conditioner cabinet, said casing lower half bottom wall and said casing upper half top wall having located on their respective inner surfaces opposed lower and upper cup-shaped vertically aligned retainers integrally molded therewith, lower and upper resilient rubber-like bushing elements shaped for reception in their associated said lower and upper casing retainers, each said bushing element having a concave surface for receiving in a complemental manner its associated motor-compressor housing dome-shaped end wall, means for releasably attaching said upper and lower bushings on their respective motor-compressor housing top and bottom end walls, said casing lower half bottom wall having located on its inner surface an upwardly extending pedestal in the form of a hollow truncated pyramid integrally molded therewith the upper surface of which is formed with a box-shaped recess, said casing upper half bottom wall having located on its inner surface a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending support ribs, lower and upper identical fan motor housing resilient rubber-like mounting pads, each said pad including a reduced box-shaped shoulder portion and a rectangular base portion having an arcuate-shaped surface conforming to said fan motor housing, said lower pad box-shaped shoulder portion of a complemental size so as to be retained in said truncated pyramid box-shaped recess, said upper and box-shaped shoulder portion sized so as to be retained between said pair of support ribs with its rectangular base supported on the free end of said ribs in opposed vertical alignment with said lower casing pad, whereby upon said motor-compressor housing and attached upper and lower bushings being received in their respective casing cup-shaped retainers and said fan motor housing being received on the arcuate surfaces of said lower and upper mounting pads and the elongated clip members slidably inserted around their respective paired casing side flanges said motor-compressor housing and said fan motor housing are yieldably mounted in said cabinet.