Condensate disposal arrangement for air conditioning apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS HAVING A REFRIGERATION SYSTEM INCLUDING A COOLING UNIT ADAPTED TO CONDENSE MOISTURE OUT OF AN AIR STREAM CIRCULATED THERETHROUGH, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AIR CIRCULATING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID UNIT FOR CIRCULATING AN OUTDOOR AIR STREAM THROUGH SAID UNIT, AN ORIFICE PARTITION HAVING AN ORIFICE OPENING FOR INTRODUCING OUTDOOR AIR FROM A REGION UPSTREAM FROM SAID AIR CIRCULATING MEANS INTO SAID AIR CIRCULATING MEANS, SAID ORIFICE PARTITION HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN LEADING FROM AN AREA ON THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE OF SAID PARTITION TO SAID REGION ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF SAID PARTITION, A CONDENSATE COLLECTION SUMP DISPOSED IN SAID UNIT SO THAT AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID AIR DISCHARGED FROM SAID AIR CIRCULATING MEANS FLOWS OVER THE SURFACE OF SAID SUMP, MEANS IN SAID APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING CONDENSATE WATER FROM SAID COOLING UNIT AND FOR DELIVERING WATER TO SAID CONDENSATE SUMP, AN AIR VORTEX GENERATOR ARRANGED IN THE PATH OF SAID AIR STREAM FLOWING OVER SAID SUMP AND INCLUDING AN EYE SECTION COMMUNICATING WITH WATER IN SAID SUMP, SAID EYE SECTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PORTION OF SAID AIR STREAM FLOWING OVER SAID SUMP, SAID EYE SECTION HAVING AN INNER WALL SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO CONFINE SAID DIVERTED AIR STREAM INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR PATH WITHIN SAID EYE SECTION AND TO IMPART AN UPWARD THRUST THERETO THEREBY GENERATING A SUBSTANTIALLY STABILIZED AIR VORTEX DISCHARGING IN THE UPWARD DIRECTION FROM SAID EYE SECTION AND HAVING A LOW PRESSURE REGION IN THE CENTER THEREOF COMMUNICATING WITH WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID EYE SECTION, SAID EYE SECTION BEING ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO SAID OPENING IN SAID PARTITION SO THAT SAID AIR VORTEX IS DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID PARTITION INTO SAID REGION UPSTREAM FROM SAID AIR CIRCULATING MEANS THEREBY LIFTING WATERDROPLETS OUT OF SAID EYE SECTION INTO SAID AIR STREAM ENTERING SAID AIR CIRCULATING MEANS.