AIR CONDITIONER OUTDOOR UNIT HAVING A CONTROL BOX
Technical Field
The invention relates to an air conditioner outdoor unit having a control box removably mounted therein.
Background Art
A well known type of air conditioning system, often referred to as a split system, includes separate indoor and outdoor units. The outdoor unit includes a compressor, a heat exchanger, a fan and motor assembly and associated electrical control components. The indoor unit includes a heat exchanger and a fan. In operation, the indoor fan draws air into the indoor unit, through an inlet thereof and forces the air over the indoor heat exchanger and then out of the indoor unit, through an outlet opening therein.
The outdoor fan draws air into the outdoor unit, through an inlet, forces that air over the outdoor heat exchanger and then forces that air out of the outdoor unit through an outlet therein. A compressor located in the outdoor unit causes a refrigeration fluid to circulate through and between the indoor/outdoor heat exchangers. At the indoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air passing over that heat exchanger, cooling that air. At the same time, at the outdoor heat exchanger, the air passing over the heat exchanger absorbs heat from the refrigerant passing therethrough.
The outdoor units of such systems are quite often installed in locations which limit access to the units for both installation and subsequent service. In prior art designs gaining access to the interior of the outdoor unit to service components such as the compressor, fan motor, electrical components and the wiring and tubing installed therein has required extensive disassembling of the enclosure of the unit. In order to facilitate such servicing it is considered desirable that a service person have easy access to the commonly serviced components of the unit with a minimum disassembly of the unit's enclosure. In prior art designs access to the internal components of such units have first required disassembly of the outer enclosure and then required access to the interior portion of the enclosure to which the various refrigeration, electrical and electrical control components have been mounted.
In prior art outdoor units the various electrical control components which may include terminal strips, electrical contactors, capacitors and the like have been mounted on various available surfaces. Accordingly, access to such components has been limited by the various mounting locations and removal and replacement of such components has individually required removal of a multitude of mounting hardware.
It is accordingly deemed desirable to provide an electrical control box for an air conditioner outdoor unit in which all of the electrical components are mounted. The electrical control box is readily removable from the outdoor unit and the wiring harnesses connected thereto are such as to allow easy opening of the control box and access to the components mounted therein to facilitate testing and possible replacement of defective components.
Disclosure of the Invention
An air conditioner outdoor unit of the type having a heat exchange coil, a compressor, a fan and fan motor assembly and associated electrical components is provided with a removable control box in which all of the associated electrical components are mounted. The air conditioner unit includes a housing for operably supporting the heat exchanger coil, the compressor, the fan motor and the fan. The removable control box includes a control box body and a control box cover which is configured to be removably attached to the control box body. The control box body is provided with mounting structure therein for mounting the associated electrical components. Cooperating structure is provided within the air conditioner housing and on the control box for removably supporting the control box within the housing.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention may be better understood and its objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view an air conditioner outdoor unit which embodies the features of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view of the air conditioning unit of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the air conditioning unit of Figure 1 with the rear top section of the enclosure removed from the unit;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the unit as illustrated in Figure 3 taken from another angle thereof;
Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of the air conditioning unit with the control box removed therefrom;
Figure 6 is a partial view similar to Figure 5 with the control box installed in the unit;
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the region identified as Figure 7 in Figure 4;
Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the control box removed from the unit; and
Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the control box removed from the unit with the control box cover pivotably opened from the control box body.
The Best Mode For Carrying Out The Invention and Industrial Applicability
Each of Figures 1 -9 illustrate an outdoor unit 10 of a split air conditioning system which has an outer enclosure or housing in which is mounted a control box according to the present invention. Briefly, the housing includes a bottom section 12, a front top section 14 and rear top section 16, all of which cooperate with one another to form a box shaped housing for the unit 10.
The bottom section 12 includes a bottom wall 18, a front wall 20, a rear wall 22 and side walls 24 each of which cooperate with one another to define the open top substantially rectangular bottom section 12. Integrally
molded into the bottom section 12 is the lower half of a dividing wall 28 which includes solid wall sections 30 and the lower half of an arcuate shaped opening 32 which defines a part of the outdoor unit's condenser fan orifice. The region between the front wall 20 and the dividing wall 28 is configured to receive and support the lower portion of the outdoor unit heat exchanger 34.
The region of the bottom section 12 rearwardly of the dividing wall 28 is referred to as the service region 35 of the outdoor unit 10 and is provided with various structural supports for mounting of the unit's compressor 36, fan motor 38, and according to the present invention, the control box 40 in which all of the electrical components associated with control of the compressor and fan motor are mounted. All of the above components as well as other components of the unit's refrigeration system are illustrated in their operable positions installed within the service region 35 of the bottom section 12 in Figures 3 and 4. The manner in which these components, with the exception of the control box 40, are mounted in the bottom section is not a part of the present invention and will not be described in any further detail herein. It will be noted not underlying the bottom wall 18 of the bottom section 12 are a pair of longitudinally extending metal plates 42 which are attached to the bottom and function to provide structural rigidity to the bottom section 12 as well as providing structure facilitating mounting ofthe unit lO.
Looking at Figure 9, the control box 40 is shown removed from the air conditioning unit 10 and with its cover 42 pivoted open from the control box body 44 to show a number of electrical control components generally
46 mounted therein. As is seen the control box comprises a substantially rectangular box with the body 44 having a front wall 48, top wall 50, bottom wall 52 and an end wall 54. The control box cover 42 includes the rear wall 56 and an end wall 58 to complete the rectangular box structure of the control box. Again, as best seen in Figure 9, the rear wall and the end wall 58 are provided with cooperating structure which forms a hinge 59 which allows the control box to be opened as illustrated in the figure for access to the electrical components 46 mounted therein. When the control box cover is pivoted to its closed position it is held in place by a latching structure, generally reference numeral 60 and a single threaded fastener 62 best seen installed in Figures 7 and 8.
With continued reference to Figures 7 and 8, the closed control box 40 is installed into the bottom section 12 by simply manually vertically lowering the control box into mating support structure molded into the bottom section 12. Installation is complete when a horizontally extending retaining lug 64, having a u-shaped notch 66 at the outer end thereof, moves into overlying relationship with a horizontal structural surface 68 having an opening 70 which is therein configured to be in axial alignment with the notch 66 in the lug 64 and thereby receive a single threaded fastener 72 therein to secure the control box in its installed position.
The structure which guides the control box 40 into its installed position is simply a plurality of vertically extending guide surfaces which include vertically extending guides 74 integrally formed in rear wall 22, and vertically extending guides 76 formed in the side wall 24 adjacent the end wall 54. A pair of vertically extending free standing guides 78 are molded
into the bottom wall 18 of the bottom section 12 and present guiding surfaces to the front wall 48 of the control box. Finally, a vertically extending surface 80 associated with the horizontal structural support surface 68 guides and positions the end 58 of the control box which carries the mounting lug 64.
Looking now at Figure 3, a first wiring harness 82 is schematically illustrated extending from the control box 40 along the rear wall 22 of the bottom section and to the compressor 36. A second wiring harness 84 extends from the control box to the connectors (not shown) on the fan motor 38. The wiring harnesses 82 and 84 are of sufficient length so that when the attaching screw 72 is removed the control box 40 may be vertically removed from the bottom section 12 with the wiring harnesses still attached to the control box, the compressor and fan motor to thereby allow a service technician to access the interior of the control box for testing, service and/or replacement of the electrical components contained within the control box