Air conditioner condensate disposal apparatus

Claim 2

In air conditioning apparatus of the type in which moisture derived from an evaporator is conveyed to a condenser-containing chamber for disposal therein by entrainment in the air which cools the condenser, said chamber including a wall having an aperture defined by a peripheral inlet ring and confronting a condenser fan which feeds condenser cooling air through said inlet ring, and in which apparatus moisture reaches the inside surface of said inlet ring and may thence flow upstream of the condenser fan reversely toward the evaporator, the improvements which comprise: means extending peripherally around at least a portion of said inlet ring and defining a retaining wall impeding flow of moisture in a direction upstream of the condenser fan, whereby moisture is induced by the fan to circulate about the interior surface of said ring downwardly in one lower quadrant of the ring and upwardly in an adjacent lower quadrant; and baffle means confronting the fan and projecting radially inwardly of the ring and establishing a reduced pressure zone on the fan side of said baffle means, the reduced pressure causing moisture circulating in said ring to flow to an outer edge of said baffle means and thence across the baffle means for discharge therefrom and entrainment in the condenser cooling air stream.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and further characterized in that said baffle means is carried by the inlet ring and projects radially inwardly of the ring as an extension thereof.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, and in which said baffle means is carried by the inlet ring and comprises a pair of upper and lower contiguous portions, projecting radially inwardly of the ring as extensions thereof, said lower portion projecting inwardly a distance greater than the inward projection of said upper portion.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3, and in which each of said upper and lower portions is of generally triangular shape with an apex projecting inwardly of the ring.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, and in which said baffle means lies in that lower quadrant of said ring in which the water is causeD to circulate upward.

Claim 7

In air conditioning apparatus of the type in which moisture derived from an evaporator is conveyed to a condenser-containing chamber for disposal therein by entrainment in the air which cools the condenser, said chamber including a wall having an aperture defined by a peripheral inlet ring and confronting a condenser fan which feeds condenser cooling air through said inlet ring, and in which apparatus moisture reaches the inside surface of said inlet ring and may thence flow upstream of the condenser fan reversely toward the evaporator, the improvements which comprise: primary means for entraining water in the air which cools the condenser, said primary means comprising a slinger ring which is carried by and surrounds the periphery of the fan, moisture entrained by said slinger ring having a tendency to reach the interior surface of said inlet ring around the interior surface of which it circulates under the influence of said fan; and secondary moisture entrainment means comprising baffle structure confronting the fan and projecting radially inwardly of the ring as an extension thereof, said baffle structure establishing a reduced pressure zone on its fan side, the reduced pressure causing moisture circulating in said ring to flow to an outer edge of said baffle structure and thence across the baffle structure for discharge therefrom and entrainment in the condenser cooling air stream.

Claim 8

In air conditioning apparatus of the type in which moisture derived from an evaporator is conveyed to a condenser-containing chamber for disposal therein by entrainment in the air which cools the condenser, said chamber including a wall having an aperture defined by a peripheral inlet ring and confronting a condenser fan which feeds condenser cooling air through said inlet ring, and in which apparatus moisture reaches the inside surface of said inlet ring and may thence flow upstream of the condenser fan reversely toward the evaporator, the improvements which comprise: primary means for entraining water in the air which cools the condenser, said primary means comprising a slinger ring which is carried by and surrounds the periphery of the fan, moisture entrained by said slinger ring having a tendency to reach the interior surface of said inlet ring around the interior surface of which it circulates under the influence of said fan; and secondary moisture entrainment means comprising baffle structure confronting the fan and projecting radially inwardly of the ring as an extension thereof, said baffle structure establishing a reduced pressure zone on its fan side, the reduced pressure causing moisture circulating in said ring to flow to an outer edge of said baffle structure and thence across the baffle structure for discharge therefrom and entrainment in the condenser cooling air stream.