Chassis for an assembly

Claim 2

A chassis for an air conditioner unit comprising: a molded shell of an expanded plastics material; a first passage defined by said shell for the flow of primary air to be cooled; respective spaced apart primary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the first passage, the first passage including an intake chamber which converges inwardly of the inlet opening; a second passage defined by said shell for the flow of secondary air to carry away heat extracted from the primary air flowing in the first passage; respective secondary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the second passage; a structure for detachably and sealingly mounting a motor between the first and second passages with a drive shaft of the motor projecting into each of the passages for driving respective impellers to draw air through the passages, at least one of the primary and secondary air inlet and outlet openings being so formed and disposed as to permit such a motor to be passed therethrough and mounted to said structure, and a further opening in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the first passage for passing an evaporator therethrough into a disposition transversely of the passage, the further opening being associated with means in the first passage to detachably retain the evaporator in such a disposition.

Claim 3

A chassis according to claim 1 including a base plate supporting said shell, the base plate being of substantially greater mass density and strength than the expanded plastics material of the shell.

Claim 4

A chassis according to claim 2 wherein said structure comprises a bulkhead fixedly secured to the base plate.

Claim 5

A chassis according to claim 1 wherein the first passage further includes an impeller chamber disposed adjacent said structure in direct communication with the intake chamber, for receiving an impeller driven by the motor, and an evaporation chamber communicating the impeller chamber with the primary air outlet openiNg, the said disposition of the evaporator being within and transversely of the evaporation chamber and the general direction of airflow in the evaporation chamber being at an angle between about 270* and 360* to the general direction of airflow in the intake chamber.

Claim 6

A chassis according to claim 1 including a condenser opening in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the second passage for passing a condenser therethrough into a disposition transversely of the second passage, the condenser opening being associated with means in the second passage to detachably retain the condenser in such a disposition.

Claim 7

A chassis according to claim 5 including a base plate supporting said shell, the base plate being of substantially greater mass density and strength than the plastics material of the shell.

Claim 8

A chassis according to claim 6 wherein said structure comprises a bulkhead fixedly secured to the base plate.

Claim 9

A chassis according to claim 5 wherein the secondary air inlet opening is dimensioned to permit insertion and detachable mounting of a refrigerant compressor in the shell adjacent the air inlet opening.

Claim 10

A chassis according to claim 5 wherein the first passage further includes an impeller chamber disposed adjacent said structure in direct communication with the intake chamber, for receiving an impeller driven by the motor, and an evaporation chamber communicating the impeller chamber with the primary air outlet opening, the said disposition of the evaporator being within and transversely of the evaporation chamber, and the general direction of airflow in the evaporation chamber being at an angle between about 270* and 360* to the general direction of airflow in the intake chamber.

Claim 11

A chassis for an air conditioner unit comprising: a molded shell of an expanded plastics material; a first passage defined by said shell for the flow of primary air to be cooled; respective spaced apart primary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the first passage; a second passage defined by said shell for the flow of secondary air to carry away heat extracted from the primary air flowing in the first passage; respective secondary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the second passage; a structure for detachably sealingly mounting a motor between the first and second passages with a drive shaft of the motor projecting into each of the passages for driving respective impellers to draw air through the passages, at least one of the primary and secondary air inlet and outlet openings being so formed and disposed as to permit such a motor to be passed therethrough and mounted to said structure; and a further opening in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the second passage for passing a condenser therethrough into a disposition transversely of the second passage, the further opening being associated with means in the second passage to detachably retain the condenser in such a disposition.

Claim 12

A chassis for an air conditioner unit comprising: a molded shell of an expanded plastics material; a first passage defined by said shell for the flow of primary air to be cooled; respective spaced apart primary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the first passage; a second passage defined by said shell for the flow of secondary air to carry away heat extracted from the primary air flowing in the first passage; respective secondary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the second passage; a structure for detachably sealingly mounting a motor between the first and second passages with a drive shaft of the motor projecting into each of the passages for driving respective impellers to draw air through the passages, at least one of the primary and secondary air inlet and outlet openings being so formed and disposed as to permit such a motor to be passed therethrough and mounted to said structure; and a further opening in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the second passage for passing a condenser therethrough into a disposition transversely of the second passage, the further opening being associated with means in the second passage to detachably retain the condenser in such a disposition.

Claim 13

A chassis according to claim 10 further including a base plate supporting said shell, which base plate is of substantially greater mass density and strength than the plastics material of the shell.

Claim 14

A chassis according to claim 11 wherein said structure comprises a bulkhead fixedly secured to the base plate.

Claim 15

A chassis according to claim 10 including a recess formed in a floor portion of the second passage adjacent the said structure to contain fluid to be flung onto the condenser by an impeller driven by the motor.

Claim 16

A chassis according to claim 13 wherein said floor portion forms part of a lower portion of said shell which is planar to its exterior and contains no exterior protuberance arising from the presence of the recess in its interior surface.

Claim 17

A chassis according to claim 10 wherein the secondary air inlet opening is dimensioned to perMit insertion and detachable mounting of a refrigerant compressor in the shell adjacent the air inlet opening.

Claim 18

A chassis for an air conditioner unit comprising: a. a molded shell of an expanded plastics material; b. a base plate supporting said shell, which base plate is of susbtantially greater mass density and strength than the plastics material of the shell; c. a first passage defined by said shell for the flow of primary air to be cooled; d. respective spaced apart primary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the first passage; e. a second passage defined by said shell for the flow of secondary air to carry away heat extracted from the primary air flowing in the first passage; f. respective secondary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the second passage, the second passage including an intake chamber which converges inwardly of the secondary air inlet opening, an impeller chamber into which the intake chamber opens and a condensation chamber communicating the impeller chamber with the secondary air outlet opening; g. a bulkhead fixed to the base plate and separating the first passage and the secondary air impeller chambers but having an opening providing communication between the first passage and impeller chamber; h. an impeller motor mounted in the said bulkhead opening so as to sealingly isolate the first passage from the impeller chamber and having respective oppositely directed drive shafts projecting into the first passage and the impeller chamber; i. respective primary and secondary air impellers mounted on the drive shafts for rotation therewith within the first passage and the impeller chamber respectively; j. an evaporator detechably mounted within and transversely of the first passage, the evaporator being associated with an opening in the shell through which it may be inserted or withdrawn; and k. a condenser detachably mounted within and transversely of the condensation chamber, the condenser being associated with an opening in the shell through which it may be inserted or withdrawn.

Claim 19

A chassis for an air conditioner unit comprising: a. a molded shell of an expanded plastics material; b. a base plate supporting said shell, which base plate is of susbtantially greater mass density and strength than the plastics material of the shell; c. a first passage defined by said shell for the flow of primary air to be cooled; d. respective spaced apart primary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the first passage; e. a second passage defined by said shell for the flow of secondary air to carry away heat extracted from the primary air flowing in the first passage; f. respective secondary air inlet and outlet openings in the shell communicating the exterior of the shell with the second passage, the second passage including an intake chamber which converges inwardly of the secondary air inlet opening, an impeller chamber into which the intake chamber opens and a condensation chamber communicating the impeller chamber with the secondary air outlet opening; g. a bulkhead fixed to the base plate and separating the first passage and the secondary air impeller chambers but having an opening providing communication between the first passage and impeller chamber; h. an impeller motor mounted in the said bulkhead opening so as to sealingly isolate the first passage from the impeller chamber and having respective oppositely directed drive shafts projecting into the first passage and the impeller chamber; i. respective primary and secondary air impellers mounted on the drive shafts for rotation therewith within the first passage and the impeller chamber respectively; j. an evaporator detechably mounted within and transversely of the first passage, the evaporator being associated with an opening in the shell through which it may be inserted or withdrawn; and k. a condenser detachably mounted within and transversely of the condensation chamber, the condenser being associated with an opening in the shell through which it may be inserted or withdrawn.

Claim 20

A chassis according to claim 16 wherein the bulkhead, motor and impellers, the secondary air impeller and condensation chambers and outlet opening are arranged generally in linear succession in the shell and are so dimensioned that the motor and impellers may be passed from the exterior of the shell through the secondary air outlet opening to their mounting in the bulkhead.

Claim 21

A chassis according to claim 16 in which a. the first passage includes an intake chamber which converges inwardly of the primary air inlet opening, a scroll-shaped impeller chamber into which the intake chamber opens and an evaporation chamber communicating the impeller chamber with the primary air outlet opening such that general direction of airflow in the evaporation chamber is at an angle between about 270* and 360* to the general direction of airflow in the intake chamber; b. the bulkhead is fixed to the base plate and separates the primary and secondary air impeller chambers but has an opening providing communication between these chambers; c. the impeller motor mounted in the said bulkhead opening so as to sealingly isolate the impeller chambers from each other and has respective oppositely directed drive shafts projecting into the impeller chambers; d. the respective primary and secondary air impellers are mounted on the drive shafts for rotation therewith within the respective impeller chambers; and e. the evaporator is detachably mounted within and transversely of the evaporation chamber, the evaporator being associated with an opening in the shell through which it may be inserted or withdrawn.

Claim 22

A chassis according to claim 18 including a recess formed in the bottom of the secondary air impeller chamber for retaining liquid to be flung onto the condenser by the secoNdary air impeller; and a refrigerant compressor detachably mounted in the secondary air intake chamber, the secondary air inlet opening being dimensioned to permit the compressor to be passed therethrough.

Claim 23

A chassis according to claim 18 wherein the primary air impeller chamber, the bulkhead, motor and impellers, the secondary air impeller and condensation chambers and outlet opening are arranged generally in linear succession in the shell and are so dimensioned that the motor and impellers may be passed from the exterior of the shell through the secondary air outlet opening to their mounting in the bulkhead.

Claim 24

A chassis according to claim 16 in which a. the first passage includes an intake chamber which converges inwardly of the primary air inlet opening, a scroll-shaped impeller chamber into which the intake chamber opens and an evaporation chamber communicating the impeller chamber with the primary air outlet opening such that general direction of airflow in the evaporation chamber is at an angle between about 270* and 360* to the general direction of airflow in the intake chamber; b. the bulkhead is fixed to the base plate and separates the primary air impeller chamber and the second passage but has an opening providing communication between the second passage and the impeller chamber; c. the impeller motor is mounted in said bulkhead opening so as to sealingly isolate the impeller chamber from the second passage and has respective oppositely directed drive shafts projecting into the second passage and impeller chamber; d. the respective primary and secondary air impellers are mounted on the drive shafts for rotation therewith within the second passage and impeller chamber respectively; and e. the evaporator is detachably mounted within and transversely of the evaporation chamber, the evaporator being associated with an opening in the shell through which it may be inserted or withdrawn.

Claim 25

A chassis according to claim 21 wherein the primary air impeller chamber, the bulkhead, motor and impellers and the secondary air outlet opening are arranged generally in linear succession in the shell and are so dimensioned that the motor and impellers may be passed from the exterior of the shell through the secondary air outlet opening to their mounting in the bulkhead.