Air conditioner unit including a heating unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726386-B2
Application number	US-201414468783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, an air conditioner unit is provided. The air conditioner unit includes a heater housing having peripheral surfaces defining a housing interior, the peripheral surfaces including a first sidewall and a second sidewall spaced apart along the lateral direction. The air conditioner unit further includes a guide track extending along the lateral direction between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. The air conditioner unit further includes a blower fan, the blower fan including a blade assembly disposed within the interior and a motor connected to the blade assembly. The air conditioner unit further includes a heating unit comprising a first bracket and a second bracket spaced apart along the lateral direction. The heating unit further includes at least one heater bank extending along the lateral direction between the first bracket and the second bracket. The heating unit is movable along the guide track.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner unit that defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction that are each perpendicular to each other, the air conditioner unit comprising:
a heater housing having peripheral surfaces defining a housing interior, the peripheral surfaces comprising a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the first and second sidewalls spaced apart along the lateral direction;
a guide track extending along the lateral direction between the first sidewall and the second sidewall;
a blower fan, the blower fan comprising a blade assembly disposed within the interior and a motor connected to the blade assembly; and
a heating unit comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, the first and second brackets spaced apart along the lateral direction, the heating unit further comprising at least one heater bank extending along the lateral direction between the first bracket and the second bracket, the first bracket and the second bracket defining a portion of the housing interior in an assembled position,
wherein at least a portion of the heating unit, including the first bracket, is movable along the guide track in the lateral direction between the second sidewall and the first sidewall, and
wherein the first sidewall is disposed exterior to a portion of the first bracket that is contacting the first sidewall and said contacting portion of the first bracket is disposed interior to the heater housing in the assembled position,
said contacting portion being disposed opposite the guide track in the assembled position.

2. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the guide track is a rail protruding into the housing interior.

3. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the guide track is a channel.

4. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first bracket and the second bracket comprises a mating guide feature matable with the guide track.

5. The air conditioner unit of claim 4 , wherein the mating guide feature is a tab.

6. The air conditioner unit of claim 4 , wherein the mating guide feature is a groove.

7. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the heater housing comprises a bulkhead and a shroud connected to the bulkhead, the bulkhead and shroud comprising the peripheral surfaces such that the bulkhead and the shroud define a portion of the housing interior.

8. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit is generally vertically aligned with the blower fan along the transverse direction when in the assembled position.

9. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the motor is disposed exterior to the heater housing.

10. The air conditioner unit of claim 9 , wherein a heater bank terminal of the at least one heater bank is disposed exterior to the heater housing when the heating unit is in the assembled position.

11. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the heating unit is movable along the guide track between the assembled position wherein the at least one heater bank is entirely disposed within the housing interior and a disassembled position wherein at least a portion of the heater bank is disposed exterior to the housing interior.

12. The air conditioner unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heater bank is three heater banks.

13. The air conditioner unit of claim 12 , wherein each of the three heater banks comprises two heater coils.

14. The air conditioner unit of claim 13 , wherein the heater coils of the heater banks are arranged in two columns and three rows.

15. An air conditioner unit that defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction that are each perpendicular to each other, the air conditioner unit comprising:
a heater housing having peripheral surfaces defining a housing interior, the peripheral surfaces comprising a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the first and second sidewalls spaced apart along the lateral direction, the heater housing comprising a bulkhead and a shroud connected to the bulkhead, the bulkhead and shroud comprising the peripheral surfaces such that the bulkhead and the shroud define a portion of the housing interior, the shroud further comprising an interior shroud base;
a guide track extending along the lateral direction between the first sidewall and the second sidewall;
a blower fan, the blower fan comprising a blade assembly disposed within the interior and a motor connected to the blade assembly; and
a heating unit comprising a first bracket and a second bracket, the first and second brackets spaced apart along the lateral direction, at least one of the first bracket and the second bracket comprising a mating guide feature matable with the guide track, the heating unit further comprising a plurality of heater banks each extending along the lateral direction between the first bracket and the second bracket, the first bracket and the second bracket defining a portion of the housing interior in an assembled position,
wherein at least a portion of the heating unit, including the first bracket, is movable along the guide track in the lateral direction between the second sidewall and the first sidewall, and
wherein the first sidewall is disposed exterior to a portion of the first bracket that is contacting the first sidewall and said contacting portion of the first bracket is disposed interior to the heater housing in the assembled position,
said contacting portion being disposed opposite the guide track in the assembled position.

16. The air conditioner unit of claim 15 , wherein the guide track is a rail protruding from the interior shroud base into the housing interior.

17. The air conditioner unit of claim 15 , wherein the guide track is a channel defined in the interior shroud base.

18. The air conditioner unit of claim 15 , wherein the heating unit is generally vertically aligned with the blower fan along the transverse direction when in the assembled position.

19. The air conditioner unit of claim 15 , wherein the motor is disposed exterior to the heater housing.

20. The air conditioner unit of claim 19 , wherein a heater bank terminal of the at least one heater bank is disposed exterior to the heater housing when the heating unit is in the assembled position.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Billman David William
• Bewley Jr Wilbur Carl
• Jewell Robert William

Classifications

• F24F1/022 Primary

  comprising a compressor cycle · CPC title

• F24F13/30

  Arrangement or mounting of heat-exchangers · CPC title

• F24F2221/34

  Heater, e.g. gas burner, electric air heater · CPC title

• F28F2280/00

  Mounting arrangements; Arrangements for facilitating assembling or disassembling of heat exchanger parts · CPC title

• F28F2275/14

  by using form fitting connection, e.g. with tongue and groove · CPC title