Bulkhead assemblies for air conditioner units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702570-B2
Application number	US-201514696522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2015
Priority date	Apr 27, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

Air conditioner units and bulkhead assemblies for air conditioner units are provided. A bulkhead assembly includes a bulkhead which includes 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. The rear wall includes an indoor facing surface and an opposing outdoor facing surface. The bulkhead assembly further includes a vent aperture defined in the rear wall, and a vent unit. The vent unit includes a frame, a door, and a hinge rotatably connecting the door to the frame. The frame is positioned on one of the indoor facing surface or the outdoor facing surface and defines a frame aperture generally aligned with the vent aperture. The door is rotatable between an open position and a closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner unit, comprising:
an outdoor heat exchanger;
an indoor heat exchanger;
a bulkhead disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger along a transverse direction, 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, the rear wall comprising an indoor facing surface and an opposing outdoor facing surface;
a vent aperture defined in the rear wall; and
a vent unit, the vent unit comprising a frame, a door, and a hinge rotatably connecting the door to the frame, the frame positioned on one of the indoor facing surface or the outdoor facing surface and defining a frame aperture aligned with the vent aperture, the door rotatable between an open position and a closed position, the hinge comprising a panel extending between the door and the frame, the panel defining a first channel and a second channel, the first channel proximate the door, the second channel proximate the frame,
wherein the panel comprises a first chamfer surface and a second chamfer surface spaced apart from the first chamfer surface along the lateral direction, the first chamfer positioned adjacent the first channel, the second chamfer positioned adjacent the second channel.

2. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the hinge is a living hinge.

3. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the frame, the door and the hinge are integral with each other.

4. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the frame is positioned on the outdoor facing surface.

5. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the door is rotatable about a rotational axis that is parallel to a vertical direction.

6. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the door is rotatable relative to the hinge and the hinge is rotatable relative to the frame.

7. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , further comprising a filter extending across the frame aperture.

8. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the vent unit is formed from a plastic.

9. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the bulkhead further comprises an air diverter extending laterally between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

10. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , further comprising a blower fan and a heating unit each disposed at least partially within an interior of the bulkhead.

11. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the door comprises a chamfer surface positioned adjacent the first channel, and wherein the frame comprises a chamfer surface positioned adjacent the second channel.

12. A bulkhead assembly for an air conditioner unit, the bulkhead assembly comprising:
a bulkhead, 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, the rear wall comprising an indoor facing surface and an opposing outdoor facing surface;
a vent aperture defined in the rear wall; and
a vent unit, the vent unit comprising a frame, a door, and a hinge rotatably connecting the door to the frame, the frame positioned on one of the indoor facing surface or the outdoor facing surface and defining a frame aperture aligned with the vent aperture, the door rotatable between an open position and a closed position, the hinge comprising a panel extending between the door and the frame, the panel defining a first channel and a second channel, the first channel proximate the door, the second channel proximate the frame,
wherein the panel comprises a first chamfer surface and a second chamfer surface spaced apart from the first chamfer surface along the lateral direction, the first chamfer positioned adjacent the first channel, the second chamfer positioned adjacent the second channel.

13. The bulkhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the hinge is a living hinge.

14. The bulkhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the frame, the door and the hinge are integral with each other.

15. The bulkhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the frame is positioned on the outdoor facing surface.

16. The bulkhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the door is rotatable about a rotational axis that is parallel to a vertical direction.

17. The bulkhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the door is rotatable relative to the hinge and the hinge is rotatable relative to the frame.

18. The bulkhead assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a filter extending across the frame aperture.

19. The bulkhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the vent unit is formed from a plastic.

20. The bulkhead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the door comprises a chamfer surface positioned adjacent the first channel, and wherein the frame comprises a chamfer surface positioned adjacent the second channel.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Phillips Richard Michael
• Bewley Jr Wilbur Carl

Classifications

• F24F13/30

  Arrangement or mounting of heat-exchangers · CPC title

• F24F2001/0037

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F13/20

  Casings or covers · CPC title

• F24F1/0007

  Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units (self-contained units F24F1/02) · CPC title

• F24F2001/0048

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic