Portable air conditioner

Claim 2

A portable environmental conditioning system comprising: a first unit adapted to be placed at least partially in a zone to be conditioned, a heat exchanger and an air moving device supported by said first unit for applying conditioned air to said zone, a second unit adapted to be placed outside of said zone to be conditioned, a compressor and heat exchanger supported by said second unit, flexible fluid conduits for coupling said heat exchanger and said compressor of said second unit to said heat exchanger of said first unit, said two units having two ends respectively adapted to be connected together, means for connecting said two ends together for forming a single rigid system, and structure forming storage space in at least one of said ends for storing said flexible conduits between said two units when said two ends of said two units are connected together, said connecting means being operable to allow said two ends to be disconnected to form two separate units to be coupled together by said flexible conduits.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein: said structure forming said storage space comprises side wall structure extending from one end of said second unit, said flexible conduits comprise two flexible conduits having first ends coupled to said compressor and heat exchanger respectively of said second unit, coupling means secured to the other ends of said two flexible conduits and to said heat exchanger of said first unit for connecting and disconnecting said two conduits to and from said heat exchanger of said first unit, said two flexible conduits extending from said one end of said second unit within said side wall structure forming said storage space.

Claim 4

A portable air conditioning system comprising: a cooling cabinet adapted to be placed at least partially in a zone to be cooled, a heat exchanger and an air moving device supported by said cooling cabinet for applying cool air to said zone, a refrigerant condensing cabinet adapted to be placed outside of said zone to be cooled, a compressor and heat exchanger supported by said refrigerant condensing cabinet, flexible fluid conduits for coupling said compressor and heat exchanger of said refrigerant condensing cabinet to said heat exchanger of said cooling cabinet, said two cabinets having two ends respectively adapted to be connected together, means for connecting said two ends together for forming a single rigid portable system, and structure forming storage space in one of said ends for storing said flexible conduits between said two cabinets when said two ends of said two cabinets are connected together, said connecting means being operable to allow said two ends to be disconnected to form two separate cabinets to be coupled together by said flexible conduits.

Claim 5

A portable air conditioning system comprising: a cooling cabinet adapted to be placed at least partially in a zone to be cooled, a heat exchanger and an air moving device supported by said cooling cabinet for applying cool air to said zone, a refrigerant condensing cabinet adapted to be placed outside of said zone to be cooled, a compressor and heat exchanger supported by said refrigerant condensing cabinet, flexible fluid conduits for coupling said compressor and heat exchanger of said refrigerant condensing cabinet to said heat exchanger of said cooling cabinet, said two cabinets having two ends respectively adapted to be connected together, means for connecting said two ends together for forming a single rigid portable system, and structure forming storage space in one of said ends for storing said flexible conduits between said two cabinets when said two ends of said two cabinets are connected together, said connecting means being operable to allow said two ends to be disconnected to form two separate cabinets to be coupled together by said flexible conduits.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3 comprising: an inlet conduit supported by said cooling cabinet and leading to said heat exchanger supported by said cooling cabinet, means coupled to said inlet conduit for storing refrigerant and removing moisture from said refrigerant, and a return conduit supported by said cooling cabinet and extending from said heat exchanger supported by said cooling cabinet, said flexible conduits being coupled to said compressor and heat exchanger of said refrigerant condensing cabinet and adapted to be coupled to said return and inlet conduits respectively of said cooling cabinet.

Claim 7

The system of claim 4 wherein: said flexible conduits comprise two flexible conduits having first ends coupled to said compressOr and heat exchanger respectively supported by said refrigerant condensing cabinet, and self-sealing coupling means secured to the other ends of said two flexible conduits and to said inlet and return conduits of said cooling cabinet for connecting and disconnecting said two conduits to and from said inlet and return conduits respectively.

Claim 8

The system of claim 5 wherein: said structure forming said storage space comprises side wall structure extending from one end of said refrigerant condensing cabinet, said two flexible conduits extending from said one end of said refrigerant condensing cabinet within said side wall structure forming said storage space.

Claim 9

The system of claim 6 wherein said self-sealing coupling means each comprise: valve means which open when a mating pair of self-sealing coupling means are connected together to allow the passage of fluid therethrough and which close when the mating pair of self-sealing coupling means are disconnected to prevent the loss of fluid.

Claim 10

A portable air conditioning system comprising: a cooling unit to be placed at least partially in a zone to be cooled, a heat exchanger and an air moving device supported by said cooling unit for applying cool air to said zone, a metal inlet conduit supported by said cooling unit and leading to said heat exchanger, means coupled to said inlet conduit for storing refrigerant and for removing moisture from said refrigerant, a refrigerant expansion device coupled to said inlet conduit, a metal return conduit supported by said cooling unit and extending from said heat exchanger, self-sealing coupling means secured to said inlet and return conduits, said cooling unit including said heat exchanger and said refrigerant storing means being charged at least to a predetermined refrigerant operating charge, said inlet and return conduits being sealed with removable sealing means to prevent refrigerant loss, a refrigerant condensing unit to be placed outside of said zone to be cooled, a compressor and heat exchanger supported by said refrigerant condensing unit, a metal refrigerant return conduit supported by said refrigerant condensing unit and extending to said compressor, a metal compressor discharge conduit extending from said compressor to said condensing heat exchanger, a metal refrigerant liquid conduit extending from said condensing heat exchanger and supported by said refrigerant condensing cabinet, flexible fluid conduits having first ends coupled to said refrigerant return conduit and to said refrigerant liquid conduit of said condensing unit self-sealing coupling means coupled to the other ends of said flexible conduits, said refrigerant condensing unit including said heat exchanger of said condensing unit being filled with a predetermined refrigerant holding charge, said opposite ends of said flexible conduits being sealed with removable sealing means to prevent refrigerant loss.

Claim 11

A portable air conditioning system comprising: a cooling unit to be placed at least partially in a zone to be cooled, a heat exchanger and an air moving device supported by said cooling unit for applying cool air to said zone, a metal inlet conduit supported by said cooling unit and leading to said heat exchanger, means coupled to said inlet conduit for storing refrigerant and for removing moisture from said refrigerant, a refrigerant expansion device coupled to said inlet conduit, a metal return conduit supported by said cooling unit and extending from said heat exchanger, self-sealing coupling means secured to said inlet and return conduits, said cooling unit including said heat exchanger and said refrigerant storing means being charged at least to a predetermined refrigerant operating charge, said inlet and return conduits being sealed with removable sealing means to prevent refrigerant loss, a refrigerant condensing unit to be placed outside of said zone to be cooled, a compressor and heat exchanger supported by said refrigerant condensing unit, a metal refrigerant return conduit supported by said refrigerant condensing unit and extending to said compressor, a metal compressor discharge conduit extending from said compressor to said condensing heat exchanger, a metal refrigerant liquid conduit extending from said condensing heat exchanger and supported by said refrigerant condensing cabinet, flexible fluid conduits having first ends coupled to said refrigerant return conduit and to said refrigerant liquid conduit of said condensing unit self-sealing coupling means coupled to the other ends of said flexible conduits, said refrigerant condensing unit including said heat exchanger of said condensing unit being filled with a predetermined refrigerant holding charge, said opposite ends of said flexible conduits being sealed with removable sealing means to prevent refrigerant loss.

Claim 12

The system of claim 8 wherein said self-sealing coupling means each comprise valve means which open when a mating pair of self-sealing coupling means are connected together to allow the passage of fluid therethrough and which close when the mating pair of self-sealing coupling means are disconnected to prevent the loss of fluid.