HVAC system with multipurpose cabinet for auxiliary heat transfer components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9851114-B2
Application number	US-201113027803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2011
Priority date	Feb 15, 2011
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An HVAC system having an airflow path, a primary heat exchanger disposed along the airflow path, wherein the airflow path at least partially passes through the primary heat exchanger, and a multipurpose cabinet selectively configurable between at least a first configuration for housing a first type of auxiliary heat transfer component and a second configuration for housing a second type of auxiliary heat transfer component, wherein the airflow path at least partially passes through the multipurpose cabinet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
an airflow path;
a primary heat exchanger disposed along the airflow path, wherein the airflow path at least partially passes through the primary heat exchanger; and
a multipurpose cabinet comprising a removable front mounting bracket comprising a substantially flat bottom portion that comprises a notch disposed in the substantially flat bottom portion, wherein the multipurpose cabinet is selectively configurable for housing a hydronic heat exchanger type of auxiliary heat transfer component carried by the removable front mounting bracket and a rear mounting bracket disposed at a first offset distance from a rear wall of the multipurpose cabinet, wherein the airflow path at least partially passes through the multipurpose cabinet, and wherein the removable front mounting bracket is slidably received within the multipurpose cabinet in a rearward sliding direction and removed from the multipurpose cabinet in a forward sliding direction;
wherein the multipurpose cabinet comprises at least one shelf comprising a raised tab that extends from the shelf, wherein the raised tab is shaped complementary to the notch of the removable front mounting bracket, wherein the raised tab of the at least one shelf is configured to engage the notch of the removable front mounting bracket and spatially constrain the removable front mounting bracket to substantially restrict movement of the removable front mounting bracket in the forward sliding direction, and wherein the multipurpose cabinet is void of supports between the at least one shelf that extends only partially toward the rear wall of the multipurpose cabinet such that the hydronic heat exchanger type of auxiliary heat transfer component is carried only by (1) engagement of the removable front mounting bracket with the at least one shelf and (2) the rear mounting bracket.

2. The HVAC system according to claim 1 , wherein the multipurpose cabinet is configurable in a second configuration to house a resistive electrical heat element type of auxiliary heat transfer component carried by the removable front mounting bracket and the rear mounting bracket disposed at a second offset distance from the rear wall of the multipurpose cabinet that is different from the first offset distance from the rear wall of the multipurpose cabinet.

3. The HVAC system according to claim 2 , wherein the multipurpose cabinet is disposed downstream along the airflow path relative to the primary heat exchanger.

4. The HVAC system according to claim 2 , the HVAC system further comprising:
an air handling unit comprising a primary heat exchanger cabinet that houses the primary heat exchanger and a blower cabinet that houses a blower, wherein the airflow path at least partially extends through the primary heat exchanger within the primary heat exchanger cabinet and the airflow path at least partially extends through the blower within the blower cabinet.

5. The HVAC system according to claim 2 , wherein the multipurpose cabinet comprises a front cover having an access aperture, wherein the access aperture is configured to receive at least one of a water inlet line and a water outlet line therethrough when the multipurpose cabinet is configured for housing the hydronic heat exchanger type of auxiliary heat transfer component, and wherein the access aperture is configured to receive, to the exclusion of the at least one of the water inlet line and the water outlet line, an electrical component operably associated with the resistive electrical heat element type of auxiliary heat transfer component when the multipurpose cabinet is configured in the second configuration.

6. The HVAC system according to claim 1 , wherein the multipurpose cabinet is further configured to house at least one of the primary heat exchanger and a blower.

7. The HVAC system according to claim 1 , wherein the removable front mounting bracket comprises a baffle configured to prevent air leakage from the multipurpose cabinet.

Assignees

• Zinger Leslie
• Stewart Jeffrey L
• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Zinger Leslie
• Stewart Jeffrey L

Classifications

• F24F13/20

  Casings or covers · CPC title

• F24F2221/34

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

• F28F2275/085

  with snap connection · CPC title

• F24F2221/36

  Modules, e.g. for an easy mounting or transport · CPC title

• F28F9/002

  with fastening means for other structures · CPC title