Cover for a condensate collection trough

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11255594-B2
Application number	US-201816137267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2018
Priority date	Aug 22, 2018
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a condensate collection assembly that includes a condensate collection trough configured to couple to the heat exchanger, the condensate collection trough having a condensate receptacle and a channel, the condensate receptacle is configured to be positioned adjacent to a condensate flow path of the heat exchanger and receive a condensate from the condensate flow path, and the channel is configured to direct the condensate from the condensate receptacle to a condensate pan and a cover disposed over the channel, where the cover is configured to restrict a flow of air from entering the channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A condensate collection assembly for a heat exchanger, comprising:
a condensate collection trough configured to couple to the heat exchanger, the condensate collection trough having a condensate receptacle and a channel, wherein the condensate receptacle is configured to be downstream of the channel relative to a direction of air flow along an air flow path extending across the heat exchanger, the condensate receptacle is configured to be positioned adjacent to a condensate flow path of the heat exchanger and receive a condensate from the condensate flow path, and the channel is configured to direct the condensate from the condensate receptacle to a condensate pan; and
a cover extending along a portion of the condensate collection trough to cover the channel and expose the condensate receptacle to the heat exchanger, wherein the cover comprises a guide portion extending from a body portion of the cover in an upstream direction with respect to the direction of the air flow across the heat exchanger, wherein the guide portion extends from the body portion at an oblique angle relative to the body portion to occlude an outlet of the channel to restrict the air flow from entering the channel, wherein the cover comprises an additional guide portion extending from the body portion in a downstream direction, opposite the upstream direction, and wherein the additional guide portion is configured to divert the air flow over the condensate receptacle to block the air flow from entering the condensate receptacle.

2. The condensate collection assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover is configured to couple to the heat exchanger.

3. The condensate collection assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover is configured to couple to the condensate collection trough.

4. The condensate collection assembly of claim 1 , wherein the condensate collection trough has a length terminating at an edge of the condensate collection trough, wherein the channel extends along the length, wherein the body portion is disposed over the channel, and wherein the guide portion extends beyond the edge of the condensate collection trough.

5. The condensate collection assembly of claim 4 , wherein the body portion comprises an upper surface, wherein the guide portion is configured to receive the air flow and direct the air flow toward and over the upper surface of the body portion.

6. The condensate collection assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body portion comprises a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a first side, and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the guide portion extends from the first end and protrudes beyond an edge of the condensate collection trough in the upstream direction, and wherein the additional guide portion extends from the second end in the downstream direction toward the condensate receptacle.

7. The condensate collection assembly of claim 6 , wherein the additional guide portion extends from the body portion at an additional oblique angle relative to the body portion.

8. The condensate collection assembly of claim 7 , wherein the additional guide portion comprises a groove configured to receive a tube of the heat exchanger.

9. The condensate collection assembly of claim 6 , wherein the cover further comprises a coupling flange extending from the first side of the body portion, wherein the coupling flange is configured to removably couple the cover to the heat exchanger, the condensate collection trough, or both.

10. The condensate collection assembly of claim 9 , wherein the cover further comprises an overlap portion extending from the second side of the body portion, wherein the overlap portion extends from the body portion at an angle relative to the body portion and is configured to restrict the air flow from entering a gap between the body portion and the channel.

11. The condensate collection assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a single sheet of material.

12. The condensate collection assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a metallic material, and the condensate collection trough comprises a polymeric material.

13. The condensate collection assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover is configured to restrict the air flow from entering the channel when the heat exchanger is in a horizontal left position.

14. The condensate collection assembly of claim 1 , wherein condensate receptacle comprises a first height that is greater than a second height of the channel.

15. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a heat exchanger configured to place a working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with an air flow; and
a condensate collection assembly, comprising:
a condensate collection trough having a condensate receptacle and a channel, wherein the condensate receptacle is downstream of the channel relative to a direction of the air flow along an air flow path across the heat exchanger, wherein the condensate collection trough is coupled to the heat exchanger, the condensate receptacle is positioned adjacent to a condensate flow path of the heat exchanger and configured to receive condensate from the condensate flow path, and the channel is configured to direct the condensate from the condensate receptacle to a condensate pan; and
a cover extending along a portion of the condensate collection trough to cover the channel and expose the condensate receptacle to the heat exchanger, wherein the cover comprises a body portion, a coupling flange, and a guide portion, wherein the coupling flange extends from the body portion and is configured to removably couple the cover to a wall of the condensate collection trough, wherein the guide portion extends from the body portion in an upstream direction with respect to the direction of the air flow across the heat exchanger, wherein the guide portion extends from the body portion at an oblique angle relative to the body portion to occlude an outlet of the channel to restrict the air flow from entering the channel, wherein the cover comprises an additional guide portion extending from the body portion in a downstream direction, opposite the upstream direction, and wherein the additional guide portion is configured to divert the air flow over the condensate receptacle to block the air flow from entering the condensate receptacle.

16. The HVAC system of claim 15 , wherein the condensate collection trough extends along and is positioned above the condensate pan, with respect to a direction of gravity, and has a length terminating at an edge of the condensate collection trough, wherein the channel extends along the length, wherein the body portion is disposed over the channel, and wherein the guide portion extends from the body portion and protrudes beyond the edge of the condensate collection trough.

17. The HVAC system of claim 16 , wherein the edge of the condensate collection trough is spaced apart from the condensate pan by a first gap in an installed configuration of the condensate collection assembly with the heat exchanger, and wherein a vertex of the guide portion is spaced apart from the condensate pan by a second gap in the installed configuration.

18. The HVAC system of claim 15 , wherein the cover comprises a single sheet of material.

19. The HVAC system of claim 15 , wherein the cover is configured to restrict the air flow from entering the channel when the heat exchanger is in a horizontal left position.

20. A cover for a condensate collection system, comprising:
a body portion having a first end, a

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Carlton Drew H
• Kaiser Cody J
• Romero Wayne E

Classifications

• F28F17/005 Primary

  Means for draining condensates from heat exchangers, e.g. from evaporators (F28B9/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25D21/14 Primary

  Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays · CPC title

• F24F13/222

  for evacuating condensate · CPC title