Air conditioner units and methods for providing make-up air

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696044-B2
Application number	US-201514799970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2015
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Air conditioner units and methods for providing make-up air are provided. An air conditioner unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger and a bulkhead. The air conditioner unit further includes a vent aperture defined in a rear wall of the bulkhead. The air conditioner unit further includes a dehumidification system, the dehumidification system including an evaporator assembly and a condenser assembly. The evaporator assembly is configured for removing heat from outdoor air flowing therethrough. The evaporator assembly is in fluid communication with the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the evaporator assembly through the vent aperture. The condenser assembly is configured for adding heat to outdoor air flowing therethrough. The condenser assembly is spaced from the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the condenser assembly into the outdoor portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner unit, comprising:
an outdoor heat exchanger disposed in an outdoor portion;
an indoor heat exchanger disposed in an indoor portion;
a bulkhead disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger along a transverse direction, the bulkhead defining the indoor portion and the outdoor portion, the bulkhead comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall spaced apart from the first sidewall along a lateral direction, and a rear wall extending laterally between the first sidewall and the second sidewall between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger along the transverse direction, the rear wall comprising an indoor facing surface and an opposing outdoor facing surface;
a vent aperture defined in the rear wall; and
a dehumidification system, the dehumidification system comprising:
an evaporator assembly configured for removing heat from outdoor air flowing therethrough, the evaporator assembly in fluid communication with the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the evaporator assembly through the vent aperture; and

a condenser assembly configured for adding heat to outdoor air flowing therethrough, the condenser assembly spaced from the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the condenser assembly into the outdoor portion,
wherein the evaporator assembly comprises an evaporator, an evaporator fan, and an evaporator duct defining a flow path for outdoor air bypassing the condenser assembly.

2. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the evaporator fan is operable within and independently of the dehumidification system.

3. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the evaporator duct is positioned downstream of the evaporator and the evaporator fan is positioned downstream of the evaporator duct along a flow direction of outdoor air through the evaporator assembly.

4. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the evaporator and evaporator duct are disposed in the outdoor portion.

5. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the evaporator fan is disposed at least partially within the vent aperture.

6. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein a flow path for outdoor air through the evaporator assembly is directed towards the vent aperture.

7. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the condenser assembly comprises a condenser, a condenser duct, and a condenser fan.

8. The air conditioner unit of claim 7 , wherein the condenser duct is positioned downstream of the condenser and the condenser fan is positioned downstream of the condenser duct along a flow direction of outdoor air through the condenser assembly.

9. The air conditioner unit of claim 7 , wherein the condenser assembly is disposed in the outdoor portion.

10. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein a flow path for outdoor air through the condenser assembly is directed away from the vent aperture.

11. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the dehumidification system further comprises a compressor and an expansion device, the compressor and expansion device disposed in the outdoor portion.

12. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , further comprising a controller in communication with the dehumidification system, the controller configured to activate the dehumidification system when a humidity level in the outdoor portion is above a predetermined humidity threshold and a temperature level in the outdoor portion is above a predetermined temperature threshold.

13. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor disposed in the outdoor portion.

14. A method for providing make-up air through an air conditioner unit, the method comprising:
activating a fan positioned adjacent a vent aperture defined in a bulkhead of the air conditioner unit, the bulkhead defining an indoor portion and an outdoor portion and disposed between an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger along a transverse direction, the fan operable to flow outdoor air from the outdoor portion through the vent aperture to the indoor portion; and
activating a dehumidification system when a humidity level in the outdoor portion is above a predetermined humidity threshold and a temperature level in the outdoor portion is above a predetermined temperature threshold, the dehumidification system comprising an evaporator assembly in fluid communication with the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the evaporator assembly through the vent aperture and a condenser assembly spaced from the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the condenser assembly into the outdoor portion,
wherein activating the dehumidification system comprises flowing a portion of outdoor air along a flow path directed through the evaporator assembly towards the vent aperture in fluid isolation away from the condenser assembly, and wherein activating a dehumidification system further comprises flowing another portion of outdoor air along a flow path directed through the condenser assembly away from the vent aperture in fluid isolation away from the evaporator assembly.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fan is disposed at least partially within the vent aperture.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the evaporator assembly comprises the fan, and wherein the fan is operable within and independently of the dehumidification system.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the evaporator assembly comprises an evaporator, an evaporator duct, and the fan.

18. An air conditioner unit, comprising:
an outdoor heat exchanger disposed in an outdoor portion;
an indoor heat exchanger disposed in an indoor portion;
a bulkhead disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger along a transverse direction, the bulkhead defining the indoor portion and the outdoor portion, the bulkhead comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall spaced apart from the first sidewall along a lateral direction, and a rear wall extending laterally between the first sidewall and the second sidewall between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger along the transverse direction, the rear wall comprising an indoor facing surface and an opposing outdoor facing surface;
a vent aperture defined in the rear wall; and
a dehumidification system, the dehumidification system comprising:
an evaporator assembly configured for removing heat from outdoor air flowing therethrough, the evaporator assembly in fluid communication with the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the evaporator assembly through the vent aperture; and
a condenser assembly configured for adding heat to outdoor air flowing therethrough, the condenser assembly spaced from the vent aperture for flowing outdoor air from the condenser assembly into the outdoor portion,

wherein the evaporator assembly comprises an evaporator, an evaporator fan, and an evaporator duct defining a flow path for outdoor air bypassing the condenser assembly and directed towards the vent aperture, the evaporator and evaporator duct being disposed in the outdoor portion,
wherein the condenser assembly comprises a condenser, a condenser fan, and a condenser duct directed away from the vent aperture disposed in the outdoor portion, the condenser duct being positioned downstream of the condenser and disposed in the outdoor portion.

19. The air conditioner unit of claim 18 , wherein the dehumidification system further comprises a compressor and an expansion device, the compressor and expansion device disposed in th

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Applicance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Shaffer Timothy Scott
• Ward Shaun Michael

Classifications

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title

• F24F11/871

  by controlling outdoor fans · CPC title

• F24F11/63

  Electronic processing · CPC title

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title

• F24F11/0015

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic