AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AND METHOD OF INSTALLING THE SAME

Abstract

An air conditioning unit and method of mounting the same in an opening in a wall, particularly an opening housing a window. The unit includes a front section disposed inside the building on a first side of the opening; and a rear section disposed outside the building on a second side of the opening. A duct extends between the front and rear sections and is clampingly engaged between the sill and a bottom end of the window. The duct includes a first duct member that moves cooled air in a first direction towards the inside of the building; and a second duct member that moves return air in a second direction away from the inside of the building. The duct is changeable in length to alter the distance between the front and rear sections so as to accommodate the air conditioning unit's installation in windows in different thickness walls.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/827,662, filed Mar. 14, 2013, that claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/672,438 filed Jul. 17, 2012, the entire specifications of which may be incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

This invention relates generally to air conditioners. More particularly, this invention relates to a window-mounted or opening-mounted air conditioning unit. Specifically, this invention is directed to an air conditioning unit that includes an expandable duct which enables the unit to be installed in openings or windows defined in different thickness walls, and to a method of installing the unit therein. The air conditioning unit includes a front section that includes a first group of operating components therein and a rear section that includes a second group of operating components therein.

Background Information

Window-mounted air conditioning units may be known in the art. Typically, these devices may be generally rectangular in overall shape and may be installed in the lower part of a double hung window. When installed, a bottom wall of the unit sits on part of the sill and the bottom of the lower window engages the top wall of the unit. The unit is thus sandwiched between the sill and the lower window and is thereby held in place.

There may be a number of problems with these units. Firstly, they may be difficult and potentially dangerous to install, especially in instances where they may be installed in windows that may be on a second or higher story of a building. Even small air conditioning units weigh quite a lot and that weight is unevenly distributed within the device. Consequently, the installer may accidentally lose control of the unit during installation and it may drop some distance to the ground below, leading to damage to the unit and potential injury to passersby.

Secondly, the units take up a substantial part of the space defined by the window. This reduces the amount of light coming into a room through that window. Still further, the units do not occupy the entire width of the window and because of the overall height of the unit; fairly substantially gaps may be created on either side thereof. Even though baffles or some other type of obstruction may be placed on either side of the unit, there may be fairly substantial exchange of air between the interior of the room and the air outside the building. This reduces the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the air conditioning unit. Additionally, the baffles block a lot of the light that could otherwise illuminate the interior of the room.

Additionally, previously known window air-conditioning units make a substantial amount of noise during operation.

There is therefore a need in the art for an improved window-mounted air conditioning unit that addresses some of the shortcomings of presently known devices.

SUMMARY

An air conditioning unit mountable in a window on a wall of a building. The unit includes a front section configured to be disposed inside the building and on a first side of the window; and a rear section configured to be disposed outside the building and on a second side of the window. A duct extends between the front and rear sections and is positioned to be clampingly engaged between the window sill and a bottom end of the lower window. The front section of the unit hangs downwardly away from the sill and is disposed adjacent a first side of the wall. The rear section of the unit hangs downwardly away from the sill and is disposed adjacent a second side of the wall. The duct includes a first duct member that moves cooled air in a first direction towards the inside of the building; and a second duct member that moves return air in a second direction away from the inside of the building. The duct is changeable in length to alter the distance between the front and rear sections so as to accommodate the air conditioning unit's installation in different windows that may be installed in walls of different thickness.

There is further disclosed a method of installing an air conditioning unit, as described above, in a window defined in a wall of a building. The method comprises the steps of changing the length of the duct that extends between the front section and rear section of the air conditioning unit; resting the duct on the window sill; positioning the front section inside the building and adjacent a first side of the wall beneath the window sill; positioning the rear section outside the building and adjacent a second side of the wall beneath the window sill; lowering the window so that the bottom end thereof contacts the upper surface of the duct. The method may further include the step of moving the front and rear sections of the duct towards each other so that the wall is sandwiched therebetween.

The air conditioning unit is substantially quieter than previously known units. Previously known air conditioning units sit on the window sill, with the mechanical components thereof situated partially within the room or building and partially outside the room or building. The user can therefore readily hear those components operating. The air conditioning unit described herein is contemplated to have substantially all of its mechanical components situated outside of the building. The user will therefore not easily hear these components in operation, particularly because the window is closed, and more particularly because the mechanical components may be positioned below the closed window.

In one aspect, the present disclosure may provide an air conditioning unit for mounting in an opening defined in an exterior wall of a building, said unit comprising a front section adapted to be situated within an interior space within the building and on a first side of the wall; a rear section adapted to be situated outside the building and on a second side of the wall; a duct extending between the front and rear sections; and wherein the duct is adapted to be disposed within the opening; a first group of operating components located in the front section; and a second group of operating components located in the rear section.

The first group of operating components may include an evaporator and/or a blower. The second group of operating components may include a condenser, a compressor and/or a fan.

In another aspect the present disclosure may provide in combination a wall having a front surface and a rear surface; an opening defined in the wall and extending between the front and rear surfaces; an air conditioning unit that is engageable in the opening; said air conditioning unit comprising: a front section; a rear section; and a duct extending between the front and rear sections; and wherein a lower wall of the duct rests upon an upper portion of the wall defining a bottom of the opening; the front section is disposed adjacent the front surface of the wall; and the rear section is disposed adjacent the rear surface of the wall; a first group of operating components located in the front section; and a second group of operating components located in the rear section. The first group may comprise one or both of an evaporator and a blower. The second group may comprise one or more of a condenser, a compressor or a fan. The front section and the rear section may be of substantially the same height, where the height is measured from a top end of the front or rear section and a bottom end of the front or rear section.

In yet another aspect, the present disclosure may provide A method of installing an air conditioning unit in a window disposed in an opening in a wall of a building; said method comprising steps of changing a length of a duct that extends between a front section and a rear section of the air conditioning unit, so that the length is greater than wall's thickness; resting a lower wall of the duct on a sill of the window; positioning the front section of the air conditioning unit inside the building and adjacent a first side of the wall beneath the window sill; positioning the rear section of the air conditioning unit outside the building and adjacent a second side of the wall beneath the window sill; operating a first group of operating components provided in the front section; and operating a second group of operating components provided in the rear section. The step of operating the first group may comprise operating one or both of an evaporator and a blower. The step of operating the second group may comprise operating one or more of a condenser, a compressor or a fan.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A sample embodiment of the disclosure is set forth in the following description, is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, that may be fully incorporated herein and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various examples, methods, and other example embodiments of various aspects of the disclosure. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a window in which is mounted a window air conditioning unit, with the unit being shown from inside a room of a building and looking through the window to a location outside the building;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air conditioning unit shown removed from the window;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a first embodiment of the air conditioning unit taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the highlighted region of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the rear end of the air conditioning unit taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the air conditioning unit taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the air conditioning unit taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the air conditioning unit taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the air conditioning unit shown in an expanded condition and installed on a wider wall and window frame than the installation shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of a second embodiment of the air conditioning unit taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a wall 10, within which may be mounted a double-hung window 12, surrounded by a frame 14. Window 12 includes an upper window 12a and a lower window 12b. Lower window 12b may be raised and lowered relative to a window sill 16 (FIG. 3). The window 12 is shown from the perspective of a person looking from inside a room of a building toward the window 12. If one looks through the window 12a/12b one will see an area outside of the building. FIG. 3 shows that wall 10 includes a first side 10a that may be located inside the room and on a first side of window 12; and a second side 10b that may be located on the outside of the building and on a second side of window 12. Siding 18 is illustrated as being installed over the second side 10b of wall 10.

A window-mounted air conditioning unit may be installed in window 12 and is generally indicated by the reference character 20. Air conditioning unit 20 as shown in greater detail in FIG. 2-7, comprises a front section 22, a rear section 24 and an air duct 26 that extends between front and rear sections 22, 24. As best seen in FIG. 3, a first embodiment of the air conditioning unit 20 may be generally U-shaped when viewed in cross-section taken from one side of the device; as opposed to the generally square or rectangular configuration of previously known window-mounted air conditioning units.

Air conditioning unit 20 may be installed in window 12 such that front section 22 thereof may be retained within the room to be air conditioned, rear section 24 may be retained outside of the building, and the air duct 26 extends between the interior and exterior of the building and may be the only part of air conditioning unit 20 that may be contacted by the lower window 12b. In particular, air conditioning unit 20 may be secured in window 12 by duct 26 being wedged between the lower window 12b and sill 16. Still further, front section 22 may be disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to first side 10a of wall 10 and on a first interior side of window 12. Rear section 24 may be disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to second side 10b of wall and on a second exterior side of window 12. Wall 10 may be substantially wedged between front and rear sections 22, 24.

Front section 22 may be a generally rectangular member that has a width “W”, a height “H1” and a length “L1”. Duct 26 comprises a first duct 28 and a second duct 30 that may be laterally separated from each other by a gap 32. The overall width of duct 26 may be slightly less than width “W”. The height of first and second ducts 28, 30 may be substantially identical and is indicated as height “H2”. The length of the first and second ducts 28, 30, shown in FIG. 2, is length “L2”. As will be described further herein length “L2” may be selectively telescopingly adjustable to change the distance between front and rear sections 22, 24 and therefore the size of the gap 23 (FIGS. 2 & 3) disposed therebetween. Rear section 24 may be also a generally rectangular member that has substantially the same width “W” as front section 22 and may be of a height “H3” and a length “L3”. As is evident from FIG. 2, the height “H2” of duct 26 may be smaller than the height “H1” of front section 22, which in turn may be smaller than the height “H3” of rear section 24.

Thus, unlike presently known air conditioning units (not shown), the overall height of air conditioning unit 20 may not be constant between its front end 22a and rear end 24b. Most advantageously, the height “H1” and length “L2” of front section 22 of air conditioning unit 20 disposed within the interior of the room to be cooled may be relatively small in comparison to previously known devices. Additionally, front section 22 may not be seated within the space defined by window frame 14. Instead, a portion of front section 22 hangs downwardly from the lower part 14a of frame 14 and sill 16 and may be disposed adjacent first side 10a of wall 10. Still further, rear section 24 hangs downwardly from the lower part 14a of frame 14 and sill 16, and may be disposed adjacent a second side 10b of wall 10. This arrangement makes it less likely that an installer will lose control of unit 20 during installation. This may be because air conditioning unit 20 may be generally U-shaped in cross-section and may be thereby relatively easily engaged over the top of sill 16 without needing to be precariously balanced in place on top of the sill until engaged by the lower window 12b.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, front section 22 includes a front wall 22a, a rear wall 22b, a top wall 22c, a bottom wall 22d, a first side 22e, and a second side 22f. Walls 22a-22f bound and define an interior compartment 34 (FIG. 6). Compartment 34 may be divided into upper and lower chambers 34a, 34b (FIG. 3) by an angled interior wall 36. Front wall 22a includes a display screen 38 and control buttons 40 and knobs 42 for activating, setting and monitoring the functioning of air conditioning unit 20. It will be understood that any desired controls and displays may be provided on front section 22. Front wall 22a may further include one or more vents 44 that may be in fluid communication with compartment 34, most particularly the upper chamber 34a thereof. Cooled air is able to exit unit 20 through vents 44, as will be hereinafter described.

FIG. 3 shows that bottom wall 22d may also be provided with a plurality of vents 46. Vents 46 may be in fluid communication with compartment 34, most particularly the lower chamber 34b thereof. Vents 46 may be provided for return air from the room to be drawn into air conditioning unit 20. A filter 48 extends across lower chamber 34b of compartment 34 adjacent vents 46 to filter the return air.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a threaded bolt 50, with associated washers 52 and nut 54 extends from front wall 22a of front section 22 through to front wall 24a of rear section 24. This bolt 50 maintains air conditioning unit 20 at a desired overall length that may be determined by setting the length of duct 26, as will be hereinafter described. FIG. 2 shows that an electrical cord 56 extends outwardly from front section 22 of air conditioning unit 20 to connect the same to a remote outlet or other source of power (not shown).

Rear section 24 of air conditioning unit 20 includes a front wall 24a, a rear wall 24b, a top wall 24c, a bottom wall 24d, a first side wall 24e, and a second side wall 24f. A horizontally oriented wall 58 (FIG. 3) divides the rear section into an upper compartment 60 and a lower compartment 62. Upper compartment 60 may be bounded and defined by a first portion of front wall 24a, a first portion of rear wall 24b, top wall 24c, and upper portions of first and second side walls 24e, 24f. An angled wall 64 (FIG. 7) extends between horizontal wall 58 and first side wall 24de to create a channel 66 for directing air into first duct 28 as will be hereinafter described. A vertical wall 67 (FIGS. 3 & 5) extends between top wall 24a and horizontal wall 58 and divides upper compartment 60 into first and second chambers 60a, 60b. An aperture 69 (FIGS. 5 & 7) may be defined in wall 67. An evaporator 68 and blower 70 may be also situated in upper compartment 60 adjacent an exit to second duct 30. Evaporator 68 may be located in first chamber 60a and blower 70 may be located in second chamber 60b. In particular, blower 60b may be positioned immediately adjacent aperture 69 in wall 67 between first and second chambers 60a, 60b. A first motor 72 may be operatively engaged with blower 70 to rotate the same about drive shaft 74 and draw air through second duct 30, through first chamber 60a and move it into second chamber 60b.

Lower compartment 62 may be bounded and defined by a second portion of front wall 24a, a second portion of rear wall 24b, bottom wall 24d, and lower portions of first and second side walls 24e, 24f. A plurality of vents 76 (FIG. 7) may be provided on first side wall 24e. Vents 76 may be in fluid communication with lower compartment 62 and may be provided to draw air from outside of the building and into air conditioning unit 20. A plurality of vents 78 (FIG. 3) may be provided in rear wall 24b and these vents 78 may be in fluid communication with lower compartment 62. Vents 78 may be provided to permit heated air to exit lower compartment 62 and be released into the environment outside of the building.

A plurality of components may be housed in lower compartment 62. A condenser 80 (FIG. 4) may be positioned adjacent rear wall 24b and vents 78. A compressor 82 may be operatively connected to a first end of condenser 80 by a first tube 84. A second tube 86 (FIG. 3) extends between a second end of condenser 80 and evaporator 68 in upper compartment 60. A third tube 88 (FIG. 3) extends between compressor 82 and evaporator 68. A fan 90 may be connected by way of a drive shaft 92 to a second motor 94. Fan 90 may be positioned so that the blades 90a thereof may be spaced a distance from a first region of condenser 80. It will be understood that instead of air conditioning unit 20 including both of the first and second motors 72, 94, unit 20 may alternatively be configured to include only a single motor that provides power to all of the powered components. In this latter instance, components like fan 90 and blower 70 may be operatively connected together by a drive belt (not shown). It will be understood that there may be suitable electrical connections between the remote power outlet and the components within second section 24 but these have not been illustrated in the figures for the sake of clarity.

As is evident from FIGS. 4 and 7, a vertical wall 96 extends between horizontal wall 58 and bottom wall 24d. Wall 96 has an opening 98 therein that may be substantially circular and may be of generally the same diameter as fan 90. A portion of wall 96 may be cut-away in FIG. 7 to show the compressor 82 and first and third tubes 84, 88. Wall 96 divides lower compartment into front and rear chambers 62a, 62b (FIG. 4). Wall 96 enables the air flow through lower compartment 62 to be redirected as illustrated by the unnumbered airflow arrows in the various figures.

As indicated previously herein duct 26, that extends between front and rear sections 22, 24, may be comprised of first and second ducts 28, 30. First duct 28 extends between upper chamber 34a of front section 22 and second chamber 60b of upper compartment 60 of rear section 24. Second duct 30 extends between lower chamber 34b of front section 22 and first chamber 60a of upper compartment 60 of rear section 24.

Duct 26 may be a telescoping duct that may be able to be adjusted to change the distance between rear wall 22b of front section 22 and front wall 24a of rear section 24. Particularly, duct 26 telescopes to change the size of gap 23 between a first length “L2” (FIGS. 1-3) and a second length “L4” (FIG. 8). Duct 26 may be able to move between a first collapsed position where gap 23 has a size “L2” and a second expanded position where gap 23 has a size “L4”.

Referring to FIG. 5 there is shown the construction of first duct 28. First duct 28 may be comprised of a first duct member 100 and a second duct member 104 that may be telescopingly engaged with each other. First duct member 100 may be integral with front section 22 and extends for a distance rearwardly from rear wall 22b thereof. First duct member 100 may be a tubular sleeve that may be generally rectangular in cross-sectional shape and defines a first bore 102 therein. First duct member 100 terminates in an outermost edge 100a. Second duct member 104 may be integral with rear section 24 and extends for a distance forwardly from front wall 24a thereof. Second duct member 104 may be a tubular sleeve that may be generally rectangular in cross-section shape and defines a second bore 106 therein. Second duct member 104 may be sized so as to be receivable within the bore 102 of first duct member 100. Second duct member 104 terminates in an outermost edge 104a. Seals 108 may be provided between the interior surface of first duct member 100 and the exterior surface of second duct member 104. Seals 108 may be secured to the second duct member 104. Air flows through bore 106 of second duct member 104 when air conditioning unit 20 may be operated.

In a similar fashion, second duct 30 may be constructed of a third duct member 110 and a fourth duct member 112 that may be telescopingly engaged with each other. Third duct member 110 may be integral with front section 22 and extends for a distance rearwardly from rear wall 22b thereof. Third duct member 110 may be a tubular sleeve that may be generally rectangular in cross-sectional shape and defines a third bore 114 therein. Third duct member 110 terminates in an outermost edge 110a. Fourth duct member 112 may be integral with rear section 24 and extends for a distance forwardly from front wall 24a thereof. Fourth duct member 112 may be a tubular sleeve that may be generally rectangular in cross-sectional shape and defines a second bore 116 therein. Third duct member 110 may be sized so as to be receivable within the bore 116 of fourth duct member 112. Fourth duct member 112 terminates in an outermost edge 112a. Seals 118 may be provided between the interior surface of fourth duct member 112 and the exterior surface of third duct member 110. Seals 118 may be secured to third duct member 110. Air flows through third bore 114 of third duct member 110 when air conditioning unit 20 may be operated.

Air conditioning unit 20 may be installed and used in the following manner. The installer will first measure the thickness of wall 10 to determine how great a length to set duct 26 at for installation. This may be accomplished by measuring the distance “D1” between the innermost part of window 12 or wall 10, and the outermost part window 12 or wall 10. FIG. 3 shows that this distance “D1” is measured between an interior surface 15 of window frame member 14a and the outermost edge 16a of sill 16. Duct 26 may then be adjusted in length to initially be longer than distance “D1” so that unit 20 may be easily positioned in the open window 12. Duct 26 may be adjusted by rotating bolt 50 in a first direction to loosen the engagement of front and rear sections 22, 24 and this causes the length of the shaft 50a (FIG. 5) between nut 54 and bolt 50 to increase, thereby increasing the size of gap 23. (Conversely, when bolt 50 may be rotated in a second direction, the length of the shaft 50a between nut 54 and bolt 50 may be decreased and front and rear sections 22, 24 may be drawn towards each other closing the size of the gap 23.) When bolt 50 is sufficiently loosened, the installer may pull front and rear sections 22, 24 away from each other in the direction of arrows “A” (FIG. 2) to increase length “L2” so that it may be greater than distance “D1”. This pulling motion causes a length of second duct 104 to be pulled outwardly from within the bore of first duct 100 so that end 100a of first duct 100 may be moved a distance away from second section 24. Simultaneously, a length of third duct 110 may be pulled outwardly from within the bore of fourth duct 112 so that end 112a of fourth duct 112 may be moved a distance away from front section 22. The arrangement ensures that substantially the same length of duct may be pulled outwardly in an even, smooth motion from the bores of the first and fourth ducts 100, 112. Alternatively, if the movement is in the opposite direction, the arrangement ensures that the motion of pushing front and rear sections 22, 24 toward each other may be a smooth, even or non-skewed motion. The arrangement ensures that rear wall 22b of front section 22 remains substantially parallel to front wall 24a of second section 24 at all times.

Air conditioning unit 20 may then be positioned in the space created by raising lower window 12b away from bottom frame member 14a. Unit 20 may be positioned so that front section 22 may be disposed inside the room and adjacent first side 10a of wall 10, and second section 24 may be disposed outside of the building and adjacent second side 10b of wall 10. Additionally, bottom surface 26a of duct 26 contacts and rests upon sill 16, or upon the uppermost regions of bottom window frame 14a. When unit 20 is resting in this position the bolt 50 may be rotated in the second direction to draw front and rear sections 22, 24 toward each other in the opposite direction of arrow “A”. This motion may be continued until rear wall 22b of front section 22 may be adjacent the interior surface 15 of window frame member 14a or first side 10a of wall 10; and front wall 24a of second section 24 may be adjacent the outermost exterior surface of sill 16 or second side 10b of wall 10. Thus, wall 10 may be sandwiched between front and rear sections 22, 24. Window 12b is then lowered so that a lower end 13 thereof contacts upper surface 26b of duct 26. Duct 26 may be therefore clampingly retained between lower end 13 of window 12 and sill 16. At this point, gravity and window 12b keep unit 20 in place. Any tendency of unit 20 to rotate and drop out of window 12 to the outside of the building may be resisted because front section 22 somewhat counterbalances the weight of second section 24. It should be noted that the same installation method applied to installing unit 20 into a window having a greater wall thickness “D2” as illustrated in FIG. 8.

At this point, a small gap 51 (FIG. 1) may be defined on either side of unit 20 and between bottom end 13 of window 12, window frame 14 and sill 16. Unit 20 may be provided with baffles 53 to block gap 51 so as to prevent mixing of air within the building with the air disposed outside the building. Alternatively, baffles 53 may be replaced with foam blocks or other similar obstructions to close off gap 51. It should also be noted that when unit 20 is installed, a spacer foot 55 (FIG. 3) mounted on rear wall 22b of front section 22 contacts the front surface of first side 10a of wall 10 and keeps front section 22 in an orientation where it may be substantially parallel to first side 10a of wall 10.

Once unit 20 is safely installed in window 12, control buttons 40 and knobs 42 may be then engaged to switch unit 20 on to cool the air within the interior the room. Unit 20 substantially functions in all other ways in the same manner as known air conditioning units to cool and circulate air. The rotation of fan 90 and blower 70 is indicated by arrows “B” and “C” respectively in FIG. 7. The airflow through air conditioning unit 20 is illustrated by way of the unlabeled arrows shown throughout the figures. Suffice to say to that return air may be taken into air conditioning unit 20 from the room through vents 46 and cool air may be expelled into the room through vents 44. Furthermore, air may be drawn into the second section 24 of air conditioning unit from the air outside the building, through vents 76 and may be expelled from second section 24 and into the air surrounding the building through vents 78.

A method of installing an air conditioning unit 20 in a window 12 defined in a wall 10 of a building comprises the steps of changing the length of duct 26 extending between front section 22 and rear section 24 of the air conditioning unit 20; resting duct 26 on window sill 16; positioning front section 22 inside the building and adjacent a first side 10a of wall 10 beneath the window sill; positioning rear section 24 outside the building and adjacent a second side 10b of wall 10 beneath the window sill; lowering window 12 so that bottom end 13 thereof contacts upper surface 26b of duct 26.

The method may further include the step of moving front and rear sections 22, 24 of duct 26 towards each other so that wall 10 may be sandwiched therebetween.

It will be understood that while the air conditioning unit has been described above as being mountable within a window of a building, it may alternatively be mounted through an opening in the wall of the building in a location free of a window. In this instance, the duct 26 will be positioned in the opening in the wall and the front and rear sections 22, 24 will be on opposite sides of the wall. The opening in the wall would be cut to be substantially equal in size to duct 26. The through bolt 50 could be removed and the unit would be installed in two pieces, with the front 22 being on an inside of the wall and the rear 24 being on an exterior side of the wall. Once the front and rear 22, 24 have been matingly engaged together via duct 26 being inserted through the opening in the wall, the through bolt 50 could be reinstalled to hold front 22 and rear 24 together. The term “window” should therefore be interpreted to mean any suitably sized opening or aperture defined in a building wall, whether a window frame and sheet of glass mounted in that frame may be present on not.

FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment of the air conditioning unit in accordance with the present disclosure, generally indicated as air conditioning unit 220. Air conditioning unit 220 may be installed in a window in a similar manner to air conditioning unit 20 or may installed in any other suitably shaped and sized aperture formed in a wall. Air conditioning unit 220 may be substantially identical in structure and function to air conditioning unit 20 except that front section 222 and rear section 224 thereof may be of a substantially equal height, where the height may be measured from a top end 222c, 224c to a bottom end 222d, 222d of each of the front and rear sections 222, 224. (In air conditioning unit 20, front section 22 may be of a smaller height than rear section 24.)

Additionally, a first group of operating components may be located in an interior of the front section 222 of the unit 220 and a second group of operating components may be located in an interior of a rear section 224 of unit 220. (In air conditioning unit 20, all of the operating components may be located within rear section 24.)

Air conditioning unit 220 may be contemplated to be installed in a window or other aperture in a wall in such a way that front section 222 may be located within an interior of a building and rear section 224 may be located outside of the building. A relatively small heighted air duct 226 extends between front section 222 and rear section 224. Because of this arrangement, the first group of operating components will be located inside the building and the second group of operating components will be located outside of the building.

As shown in FIG. 9, the second embodiment of the air conditioning unit 220 may be generally U-shaped when viewed from one side of the device; as opposed to the generally square or rectangular configuration of previously known window-mounted or wall aperture-mounted air conditioning units.

As indicated above, air conditioning unit 220 may be installed in window 212 (FIG. 9) such that front section 222 may be retained within the room to be air conditioned, rear section 224 may be retained outside of the building, and the air duct 226 extends between the interior and exterior of the building and may be the only part of air conditioning unit 220 that may be contacted by the lower window 212b. Air conditioning unit 220 may be secured in window 212 by duct 226 being wedged between a lower region of window 212b and sill 216. Front section 222 may be disposed in front of and substantially parallel to first side 210a of wall 210 that extends downwardly below window 212 and on a first interior side of window 212. Front section 222 may be long enough to ensure that a substantial length of front section 222 hangs a distance below a lowermost part 212a of window 210. Additionally, as can be seen from FIG. 9, lowermost region 222d of front section 222 may be located a substantial distance downwardly below a lowermost part 214a of the window frame.

Rear section 224 of air conditioning unit 220 may be disposed adjacent to and behind second side 210b of wall 210. Rear section 224 of unit 220 may be substantially parallel to a second side 210b of wall (i.e., the actual wall and not any siding applied thereover) and on a second exterior side of window 212. A section of wall 210 located beneath window 212 may be received between a rearward surface of front section 222 and a forward surface of rear section 224.

As discussed earlier herein, FIG. 9 also shows that rear section 224 may be of generally a same length as front section 222, where the length may be measured from the uppermost end to the lowermost end thereof. An uppermost end of front section 222 may be generally in the same plane as an uppermost end of rear section 224; and a lowermost end of front section 222 may be generally in the same plane as a lowermost end of rear section 224. Front section 222 may even be slightly longer than rear section 224 with the length being measured from the uppermost end to the lowermost end of the respective section 222, 224.

Duct 226 may be of generally the same structure and function as duct 26 and therefore will not be described in much greater detail hereafter. Suffice to say that duct 226 comprises a first duct (not shown in FIG. 9) and a second duct 230 that may be located side by side and may be laterally separated from each other by a gap. The height of the first and second ducts may be substantially identical and the uppermost ends of these ducts may be coplanar with or slightly lower than the uppermost ends of front section 222 and rear section 224. A lowermost surface 226a of duct 226 may be located a distance upwardly away from the lowermost ends of front section 222 and rear section 224. The length of the first and second ducts may be identified in FIG. 9 by the reference character “D”. Duct 226 may be selectively telescopingly adjustable to change the distance between front and rear sections 222, 224 and therefore the size of the gap 223 defined therebetween.

Rear section 224 may be a generally rectangular member that has substantially the same width and height as front section 222. Thus, unlike presently known air conditioning units (not shown), the overall height of air conditioning unit 220 may not be substantially constant between its front end 222a and rear end 224b. Most advantageously, the height and length of front section 222 of air conditioning unit 220 disposed within the interior of the room to be cooled may be relatively small in comparison to previously known devices. Additionally, front section 222 may be not seated within the space defined by window frame 214. Instead, a portion of front section 222 hangs downwardly from the lower part 214a of frame 214 and sill 216 and may be disposed adjacent first side 210a of wall 210. Still further, rear section 224 hangs downwardly from the lower part 214a of frame 214 and sill 216, and may be disposed adjacent a second side 210b of wall 210. This arrangement makes it less likely that an installer will lose control of unit 220 during installation. This may be because air conditioning unit 220 forms a generally U-shaped member when viewed from the side and may be thereby relatively easily engaged over the top of sill 216 without needing to be precariously balanced in place on top of the sill until engaged by the lower window 212b. The U-shape of air conditioning unit 220 helps retain the unit in place in a window 212 or opening defined in wall 210. This may be because the front section 222 and rear section 224 form arms that hang downwardly from duct 246 and prevent the unit from tipping or being pushed either into the building or out of the building because they contact the wall and stop the tipping motion.

Referring to FIG. 9, front section 222 includes a front wall 222a, a rear wall 222b, a top wall 222c, and a bottom wall 222d. First section 222 also includes a first side and a second side that may be not shown in FIG. 9. Walls 22a-22d, the first side and the second side bound and define an interior compartment 234. Compartment 234 includes upper and lower chambers 334a, 334b separated by an angled interior wall 236. Front wall 222a may include a display screen similar to display screen 38 and control buttons knobs 242 for activating, setting and monitoring the functioning of air conditioning unit 220. It will be understood that any desired controls and displays may be provided on front section 222. Front wall 222a may further include one or more vents 244 that may be in fluid communication with compartment 234, Cooled air may be able to exit unit 220 through vents 244, as has been previously described.

Front wall 222a may further be provided with a plurality of vents 246 that may be in fluid communication with compartment 234. Vents 46 may be provided for return air from the room to be drawn into air conditioning unit 220. A filter 248 may extend across a region of compartment 234 adjacent vents 246 to filter the return air.

A threaded bolt 250, with associated washers 252 and nut 254 may extend from front wall 222a of front section 222 through to front wall 224a of rear section 224. This bolt 250 may maintain air conditioning unit 220 at a desired overall length that may be determined by setting the length of duct 226, as has been described with respect to the first embodiment. An electrical cord similar to cord 56 may extend outwardly from front section 222 0 to connect the unit 220 same to a remote outlet or other source of power (not shown).

Rear section 224 of air conditioning unit 220 may include a front wall 224a, a rear wall 224b, a top wall 224c, and a bottom wall 224d. Rear section 224 may further include a first side wall and a second side wall. A horizontally oriented wall 258 may divide the rear section 224 into an upper compartment 260 and a lower compartment 262. Upper compartment 260 may be bounded and defined by a first portion of front wall 224a, a first portion of rear wall 224b, top wall 224c, and upper portions of the first and second side walls. An angled wall similar to wall 64 (FIG. 7) may extend between horizontal wall 258 and the first side wall to create a channel 266 for directing air into the first duct in a similar manner to what was described with reference to the first embodiment.

Lower compartment 262 may be bounded and defined by a second portion of front wall 224a, a second portion of rear wall 224b, bottom wall 224d, and lower portions of the first and second side walls. A plurality of vents 276 may be provided on the first side wall. Vents 276 may be in fluid communication with lower compartment 262 and may be provided to draw air from outside of the building and into air conditioning unit 220. A plurality of vents 278 may be provided in rear wall 224b and these vents 278 may be in fluid communication with lower compartment 262. Vents 278 may be provided to permit heated air to exit lower compartment 262 and be released into the environment outside of the building.

As indicated earlier herein a first group of operation components may be provided in front section 222 and a second group of components may be provided in rear section 224. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the first group of operational components may include an evaporator 268 and a blower 270 that may be in fluid communication with second duct 330. Evaporator 268 may be located in first chamber 260a and blower 270 may be located in a second chamber 260b of front section. In particular, blower 60b may be positioned immediately adjacent vents 246. A first motor 272 may be operatively engaged with blower 270 to rotate the same about a drive shaft 274 and draw air through second duct 230.

A second group of operating components may be housed in lower compartment 262. A condenser 280 may be positioned adjacent rear wall 224b and vents 278. A compressor 282 may be operatively connected to a first end of condenser 280 by a first tube 284. A second tube 286 may extend between a second end of condenser 280 and evaporator 268. A third tube 288 may extend between compressor 282 and evaporator 268. A fan 290 may be connected by way of a drive shaft 292 to a second motor 294. Fan 290 may be positioned so that the blades 290a thereof may be spaced a distance from a first region of condenser 280.

It will be understood that instead of air conditioning unit 220 including both of the first and second motors 272, 294, unit 220 may alternatively be configured to include only a single motor that provides power to all of the powered components in unit 220. In this latter instance, components like fan 290 and blower 270 may be operatively connected together by a drive belt (not shown). It will be understood that there may be suitable electrical connections between the remote power outlet and the components within second section 224 but these have not been illustrated in the figures for the sake of clarity.

A vertical wall 296 may extend between horizontal wall 258 and bottom wall 224d. Wall 296 may define an opening therein that may be substantially circular and may be of generally the same diameter as fan 290. Wall 296 may enable the air flow through lower compartment 262 to be redirected as illustrated by the unnumbered airflow arrows in FIG. 9.

Air conditioning unit 220 functions in substantially the same manner as air conditioning unit 20 and therefore will not be described further herein. In addition to the aforementioned method, air conditioning unit 220 may further comprise steps of operating a first group of operating components provided in the front section 222 of the unit 220 and operating a second group of operating components provided in the rear section 224. The step of operating the first group of operating components may include operating one or both of an evaporator 268 or a blower 270. The step of operating the second group of operating components may include operating one or more of a condenser 280, a compressor 282 and a fan 290.

While the first group of operating components of the air conditioning unit have been described as including an evaporator 268 and a blower 270; and the second group of operating components have been described as including a condenser 280, a compressor 282 and a fan 290, it will be understood that one or more of the first group may be located in the rear section 224; and one or more of the second group may be located in the front section 222.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations may be to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms may be used for descriptive purposes and may be intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the preferred embodiment of the disclosure may be an example and the disclosure is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Claims

1. An air conditioning unit for mounting in an opening defined in an exterior wall of a building, said unit comprising:

a front section adapted to be situated within an interior space within the building and on a first side of the wall;

a rear section adapted to be situated outside the building and on a second side of the wall;

a duct extending between the front and rear sections; and wherein the duct is adapted to be disposed within the opening;

a first group of operating components located in the front section; and

a second group of operating components located in the rear section.

2. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the first group of operating components includes an evaporator.

3. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the first group of operating components includes a blower.

4. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the second group of operating components includes a condenser.

5. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the second group of operating components includes a compressor.

6. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the second group of operating components includes a fan.

7. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the front section includes a top end and bottom end; and the rear section includes a top end and a bottom end; and wherein the top ends may be generally coplanar and the bottom ends may be generally coplanar.

8. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the front section includes a top end and bottom end; and the rear section includes a top end and a bottom end; and wherein the front section and the rear section may be of generally the same height, where the height of each of the front section and rear section is measured from the top end to the bottom end thereof.

9. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the duct is of a length measured between the front and rear sections; and the length of the duct is selectively changeable to alter a distance between the front and rear sections.

10. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 9, wherein the duct includes a first region adjacent the front section of the unit; and a second region adjacent the rear section of the unit; and the first region is telescopingly engaged with the second region.

11. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 9, wherein the duct comprises a first duct member that extends between the front and rear sections; and a second duct member that extends between the front and rear sections; and the first and second duct members may be disposed laterally adjacent each other.

12. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 11, wherein the first duct member is configured to permit airflow from the front section to the rear section; and the second duct member is configured to permit airflow from the rear section to the front section.

13. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the front section, the rear section and the duct form a generally U-shaped member when viewed from the side.

14. In combination: a front section; a rear section; and a duct extending between the front and rear sections; and wherein a lower wall of the duct rests upon an upper portion of the wall defining a bottom of the opening; the front section is disposed adjacent the front surface of the wall; and the rear section is disposed adjacent the rear surface of the wall; a first group of operating components located in the front section; and a second group of operating components located in the rear section.

a wall having a front surface and a rear surface;

an opening defined in the wall and extending between the front and rear surfaces;

an air conditioning unit that is engageable in the opening; said air conditioning unit comprising:

15. The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein the first group of operating components comprises one or both of an evaporator and a blower.

16. The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein the second group of operating components comprises one or more of a condenser, a compressor or a fan.

17. The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein the front section and the rear section may be of substantially the same height, where the height is measured from a top end of the front or rear section and a bottom end of the front or rear section.

18. The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein the air conditioning unit is generally U-shaped when viewed from the side.

19. The combination as defined in claim 14, wherein the duct is of a length measured between the front and rear sections; and the length of the duct is selectively changeable to alter a distance between the front and rear sections of the air conditioning unit.

20. The combination as defined in claim 15, further comprising a window mounted in the opening defined in the wall; and wherein a lower region of the window engages an upper wall of the duct and retains the air conditioning unit in place.

21. The combination as defined in claim 20, wherein each of the front section and rear section of the air conditioning unit may be substantially free of contact with a lower window member and a window sill.

22. A method of installing an air conditioning unit in a window disposed in an opening in a wall of a building; said method comprising steps of:

changing a length of a duct that extends between a front section and a rear section of the air conditioning unit, so that the length is greater than wall's thickness; resting a lower wall of the duct on a sill of the window; positioning the front section of the air conditioning unit inside the building and adjacent a first side of the wall beneath the window sill; positioning the rear section of the air conditioning unit outside the building and adjacent a second side of the wall beneath the window sill; operating a first group of operating components provided in the front section; and operating a second group of operating components provided in the rear section.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein the step of operating the first group of operating components comprises operating one or both of an evaporator and a blower.

24. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein the step of operating the second group of operating components comprises operating one or more of a condenser, a compressor or a fan.