US3596475A - Heat exchanger with improved condensate disposal arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A plate-finned coil unit diverges upwardly from the drain pan at an angle of less than 45* in the direction of the airflow. The lower end of the coil terminates in the pan in close spaced relation to an end wall thereof. The pan has a top wall extending from that end wall toward the lower end of the coil. This arrangement provides a sump for the collection of condensate from the coil when the fan coil unit is installed in either the vertical or horizontal position.

Description

United States Paten Inventor AppL No. Filed Patented Assignee Isaac Berger Hacienda Heights, Callfl 859.472

Sept. 19. 1969 Aug. 3. 1971 Carrier Corporation Syracuse, NY.

HEAT EXCHANGER WITH IMPROVED CONDENSATE DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENT ll Claim, 3 Drawing Figs. LLS. Cl 62/235, 62/286. 62/291 llnt.Cl. lFZScl 21/14 Field of Search 62/285. 286, 291

[56] llelereneee fillecl UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,744,393 5/l956 Brugler 62/285 2,822,674 2/1958 5lmmens.. 62/291 2,899,803 8/l959 Paley 62/291 3.299.660 1/1967 Sullivan 62/285 3,306,070 2/l96'7 Herb 62/285 Primary Examiner williarn J. Wye Almrneys- Harry (1. Martin and .l. Raymond Curtin ABSTRACT: A pletc-finnecl coll unit diverges upwardly from the drain pen m an angle of lean than 45 in the direction of the airflow. The lower end of the coil terminates in the pan in close spaced relation to an end well thereof. The pen has a top wall extending from that end wall toward the lower end of the coil. This arrangement provides a sump for the collection of condensate from the coil when the fan coil unit is installed in either the vertical or horizontal peel/lion.

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. .-i I ii I l INVENTOR. ISAAC BERGER. BY Q ATTORNEY.

HEAT EXCHANGER WI'II'I IMPROVED CONDENSATE DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Fan coil units are used as evaporators in air conditioning systems, especially in domestic installations for dispensing chilled air into room areas. Generally. fan coil units are installed in horizontal position. Such units include a coil positioned in a sheet metal cabinet which also contains a blower or the like for creating an airflow through the coil which is supplied with refrigerant or chilled water. A drain pan is arranged below the coil to collect condensation therefrom.

in some instances, it is desirable to install the fan coil unit in vertical position to better provide for the connection of ductwork to the unit. At present, it is the custom to manufacture and stock the units in two types, one for horizontal mounting and the other for vertical mounting. In lieu of stocking two types of complete fan coil units, two different types of drain pans may be produced for assembly into the units on order to provide a desired type of unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION direction of the airflow from the fan. The lower end of the coil terminates adjacent one end of the pan which is formed with a top wall extending from that end toward the pan whereby the unit, including the pan, is installed in vertical position. A sump is provided for collecting the condensation from the coil.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINCifi FIG. ii is a view illustrating the fan coil unit in horizontal position with a sidewall of the cabinet and the drain pan removed;

H6. 2 is a sectional view taken on line li-li of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the unit in vertical position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The unit comprises an open-ended cabinet having abottom wall 10, sidewalls 11, and atop wall 12. Conventionally, insulating material 13 is attached to the inner surfaces of the cabinet walls. A motor-drivenblower fan 15 is mounted in one end of the cabinet and is effective to create an airflow in a direction lengthwise through the cabinet.

A fan coil unit 1'7 is mounted in the cabinet intermediate thefan 15 and the opposite end of the cabinet. The coil unit con sists of a multiplicity of tubes extending transversely of the cabinet and connected at their ends byheaders 21. A series of thinmetallic plates 23 are apertured for mounting on thetubes 20 to effectively increase the heat transfer. Thecoil unit 17 is supported in the cabinet by brackets 2"! and inclines up wardly from a drain pan mounted in the cabinet contiguous to the bottom wall it). The inclination of the coil unit 1'? is less than 45 to thecabinet bottom wall 10. This inclination of the coil unit is advantageous in that the height of the unit, when mounted horizontally, is minimized which allows installation of the unit in sofi'it areas over living spaces with no additional overall height in single or multiple-story buildings. Another advantage in mounting the coil unit ii? at an angle of less than 45 to the cabinet wall lit) is that when the unit is mounted in vertical position as shown in FIG. 3, the moisture will gravitate down thetin plates 23 without dripping off the unit, and the moisture will be discharged into thedrain pan 30.

The lower end of the fan coil unit terminates in the drain pan .30 adjacent theend wall 33 of the pan. The pan is also formed withatop wall 35 which extends from theend wall 33 toward the lower end of the coil unit 1'7. (See FIG. 11.) With this arrangement, when the unit is mounted vertically as in FIG. 3. the top wall at then in vertical position forms in conjunction with the end wall Lid, and contiguous portion of the bottom wall 3'7 of the pan, a sump for the collection of condensate from the coil unit. As shown in FlCi. ll, this sump por tion of the pan is formed with a primary drainage outlet located in proximity to theend wall 33 and the bottom wall 3'7. The pen is also formed with a secondary drainage outlet ill. The drainage outlets till, all are formed in a sidewall d3 of the pan.

The secondary outlet at is located in spaced relation to theend wall 33 and in proximity to the inner edge of thetop wall 35. Accordingly, the drainage outlet dll is located above the outlet as with the unit disposed horizontally as in Fit}. 1 and also above the drainage outlet ill when the unit is installed in vertical position (FIG. Ii). The outlets to, il are connected to a suitable drain and the outlet ll is connected in such manner that any drainage from it is visible and serves as an indication that the primary drain d0 has become plugged. This arrange ment is of importance in view of the fact that these fan coil units are often mounted in ceiling structures in homes, and it is accordingly important that the sump portion of the pan does not overflow.

Iclnim:

ii. A fan coil structure for use in air conditioning systems comprising a cabinet open at the ends and having bottom, side, and top walls; means for creating an airflow through said cabinet from end to end; a drain pan mounted in said cabinet contiguous to the bottom wall thereof and extending in a direction lengthwise of the cabinet, said pan being formed with bottom. side, and end walls; a plate-finned coil unit mounted above said drain pan and inclining upwardly therefrom at an angle of less than to the horizontal and in the direction of said airflow. the lower end of said coil unit terminnting in said pan and spaced in proximity to one end wall thereof, said pan having a top wall extending outwardly from the upper edge of said one end wall along the upper edges of said sidewalls toward the lower end of said coil and forming in conjunction with the contiguous portions of the pan a drainage sump portion when said cabinet is disposed in vertical position; and a drain aperture formed in said sump portion contiguous to the bottom wall of said pan and said one end wall thereof. and a second drain aperture located in a sidewall of said pan in proximity to the outer edge of said top wall.

Claims (1)

1. A fan coil structure for use in air-conditioning systems comprising a cabinet open at the ends and having bottom, side, and top walls; means for creating an airflow through said cabinet from end to end; a drain pan mounted in said cabinet contiguous to the bottom wall thereof and extending in a direction lengthwise of the cabinet, said pan being formed with bottom, side, and end walls; a plate-finned coil unit mounted above said drain pan and inclining upwardly therefrom at an angle of less than 45* to the horizontal and in the direction of said airflow, the lower end of said coil unit terminating in said pan and spaced in proximity to one end wall thereof, said pan having a top wall extending outwardly from the upper edge of said one end wall along the upper edges of said sidewalls toward the lower end of said coil and forming in conjunction with the contiguous portions of the pan a drainage sump portion when said cabinet is disposed in vertical position; and a drain aperture formed in said sump portion contiguous to the bottom wall of said pan and said one end wall thereof, and a second drain aperture located in a sidewall of said pan in proximity to the outer edge of said top wall.

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