# US 10,502,445 B2 · Wall-mount air conditioner and method involving same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,445 B2 - Document ID: US10502445B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/601,839 - Filed: 2017-05-22 - Published: 2018-11-22 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-22 - Assignees: Airxcel, Inc. - Applicants: Airxcel, Inc. - Inventors: Thompson Joshua Matambo; Paul Franklin Fay; William James Wilson; Vikas Dhummi Chandrashekar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502445B2 ## CPC - F24F 11/74: for controlling air flow rate or air velocity - F24F 1/0022: Centrifugal or radial fans - F24F 1/0033: having two or more fans - F24F 1/0035: characterised by introduction of outside air to the room - F24F 1/0038: in combination with simultaneous exhaustion of inside air - F24F 1/0057: mounted in or on a wall - F24F 7/013: using wall or window fans, displacing air through the wall or window - F24F 11/0001: {for ventilation (F24F11/30 takes precedence)} - F24F 13/12: built up of sliding members - F24F 13/20: Casings or covers - F24F 2011/0002: {for admittance of outside air} - F24F 2011/0006: {using low temperature external supply air to assist cooling} - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract A single-package, wall-mount air conditioner is provided with an economizer unit having a pair of vertical conduits for delivering fresh outside air to a pair of blowers and a damper system that can be selectively positioned to open and close the conduits. The damper system also opens and closes return air recirculation openings through which return air is delivered to the blowers. When the air conditioner is operating in an economizer cooling mode, the return air recirculation openings are partially or completely closed and some or all of the return air is discharged outwardly and upwardly from the air conditioner in a manner to impede any entrainment of the discharged return air with the fresh outside air that is entering the air conditioner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A single-package, wall-mount air conditioner operable in a mechanical cooling mode and an economizer cooling mode, said single-package, wall-mount air conditioner comprising: a cabinet comprising a pair of side panels, a front panel, a rear panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, that are interconnected together, said cabinet including divider walls that extend between the side, front and rear panels to separate an evaporator compartment from a blower compartment, the blower compartment from an economizer compartment, and the economizer compartment from a condenser compartment within the cabinet; a supply air opening in the rear panel through which cooling supply air may be discharged from the evaporator compartment; a return air opening in the rear panel through which the cooling supply air after discharge from the cabinet may be recirculated to the economizer compartment as return air; a compression refrigeration system positioned within the cabinet and operable to cause cooling of the supply air within the cabinet when the air conditioner is operating in the mechanical cooling mode, said compression refrigeration system comprising an evaporator coil assembly positioned in the evaporator compartment and a condenser coil assembly and an exhaust fan unit positioned in the condenser compartment; an opening in the cabinet through which fresh outside air may enter the condenser compartment; a return air discharge opening in the cabinet through which the return air in the economizer compartment may be outwardly discharged from the cabinet; a return air recirculation opening in the divider wall separating the blower compartment from the economizer compartment through which the return air in the economizer compartment may be routed to the blower compartment; a duct extending from the return air discharge opening and having an imperforate portion positioned to upwardly turn the outwardly discharged return air; a blower positioned in the blower compartment for effecting movement of the supply air, the return air, and the fresh outside air within the cabinet; and an economizer unit positioned within the economizer compartment and comprising a conduit through which the fresh outside air may flow from the condenser compartment to the blower compartment and a damper system that is selectively operable to open and close said conduit to said flow of the fresh outside air through the conduit and to open and close said return air recirculation opening to said routing of the return air from the economizer compartment to the supply air opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 1, wherein said conduit includes a damper plate that is moveable between an open position allowing said return air to flow through the conduit and a closed position impeding or preventing said flow. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 1, wherein said damper system comprises a plate that is movable between a position blocking a discharge end of the conduit and another position blocking said return air recirculation opening. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 3, including a second one of said conduits and a second one of said return air recirculation openings and wherein said damper system comprises a second one of said plates that is movable between a position blocking a discharge end of the second one of the conduits and another position blocking said second one of the return air recirculation openings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 4, wherein said conduits extend upwardly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 5, wherein said conduits have upper discharge ends that are coplanar with the return air recirculation openings and are shaped and arranged so that they form opposing sectors of a common circle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 6, wherein said return air recirculation openings are shaped and arranged so that they form opposing sectors of the common circle with the upper discharge ends of the conduits. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 7, wherein said plates of the damper system are formed as sectors and are mounted for rotation between the position blocking the discharge ends of the conduits and said another position blocking said return air recirculation openings. ### Claim 9 A single-package, wall-mount air conditioner operable in a mechanical cooling mode and an economizer cooling mode, said single-package, wall-mount air conditioner comprising: a cabinet comprising a pair of side panels, a front panel, a rear panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, that are interconnected together, said cabinet including divider walls that extend between the side, front and rear panels to separate an evaporator compartment from a blower compartment, the blower compartment from an economizer compartment, and the economizer compartment from a condenser compartment within the cabinet; a supply air opening in the rear panel through which cooling supply air may be discharged from the evaporator compartment; a return air opening in the rear panel through which the cooling supply air after discharge from the cabinet may be recirculated to the economizer compartment as return air; a compression refrigeration system positioned within the cabinet and operable to cause cooling of the supply air within the cabinet when the air conditioner is operating in the mechanical cooling mode, said compression refrigeration system comprising an evaporator coil assembly positioned in the evaporator compartment and a condenser coil assembly and an exhaust fan unit positioned in the condenser compartment; an opening in the cabinet through which fresh outside air may enter the condenser compartment; a return air discharge opening in the cabinet through which the return air in the economizer compartment may be outwardly discharged from the cabinet; a return air recirculation opening in the divider wall separating the blower compartment from the economizer compartment through which the return air in the economizer compartment may be routed to the blower compartment; a duct extending from the return air discharge opening and having an imperforate portion positioned to upwardly turn the outwardly discharged return air; a blower positioned in the blower compartment for effecting movement of the supply air, the return air, and the fresh outside air within the cabinet; and an economizer unit positioned within the economizer compartment and comprising a conduit through which the fresh outside air may flow from the condenser compartment to the blower compartment and a damper system that is selectively operable to open and close said conduit to said flow of the fresh outside air through the conduit and to open and close said return air recirculation opening to said routing of the return air from the economizer compartment to the supply air opening, wherein said conduit includes a damper plate that is moveable between an open position allowing said return air to flow through the conduit and a closed position impeding or preventing said flow, wherein said damper system comprises a plate that is movable between a position blocking a discharge end of the conduit and another position blocking said return air recirculation opening. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 9, including a second one of said conduits and a second one of said return air recirculation openings and wherein said damper system comprises a second one of said plates that is movable between a position blocking a discharge end of the second one of the conduits and another position blocking said second one of the return air recirculation openings. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 10, wherein said conduits extend upwardly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 11, wherein said conduits have upper discharge ends that are coplanar with the return air recirculation openings and are shaped and arranged so that they form opposing sectors of a common circle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of claim 12, wherein said return air recirculation openings are shaped and arranged so that they form opposing sectors of the common circle with the upper discharge ends of the conduits. ### Claim 14 A single-package, wall-mount air conditioner operable in a mechanical cooling mode and an economizer cooling mode, said single-package, wall-mount air conditioner comprising: a cabinet comprising a pair of side panels, a front panel, a rear panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, that are interconnected together, said cabinet including divider walls that extend between the side, front and rear panels to separate an evaporator compartment from a blower compartment, the blower compartment from an economizer compartment, and the economizer compartment from a condenser compartment within the cabinet; a supply air opening in the rear panel through which cooling supply air may be discharged from the evaporator compartment; a return air opening in the rear panel through which the cooling supply air after discharge from the cabinet may be recirculated to the economizer compartment as return air; a compression refrigeration system positioned within the cabinet and operable to cause cooling of the supply air within the cabinet when the air conditioner is operating in the mechanical cooling mode, said compression refrigeration system comprising an evaporator coil assembly positioned in the evaporator compartment and a condenser coil assembly and an exhaust fan unit positioned in the condenser compartment; an opening in the cabinet through which fresh outside air may enter the condenser compartment; a return air discharge opening in the cabinet through which the return air in the economizer compartment may be outwardly discharged from the cabinet; a return air recirculation opening in the divider wall separating the blower compartment from the economizer compartment through which the return air in the economizer compartment may be routed to the blower compartment; a duct extending from the return air discharge opening and having an imperforate portion positioned to upwardly turn the outwardly discharged return air; a blower positioned in the blower compartment for effecting movement of the supply air, the return air, and the fresh outside air within the cabinet; an economizer unit positioned within the economizer compartment and comprising a conduit that extends upwardly and through which the fresh outside air may flow from the condenser compartment to the blower compartment and a damper system that is selectively operable to open and close said conduit to said flow of the fresh outside air through the conduit and to open and close said return air recirculation opening to said routing of the return air from the economizer compartment to the supply air opening, wherein said conduit includes a damper plate that is moveable between an open position allowing said return air to flow through the conduit and a closed position impeding or preventing said flow, wherein said damper system comprises a plate that is movable between a position blocking a discharge end of the conduit and another position blocking said return air recirculation opening; and a second one of said conduits and a second one of said return air recirculation openings and wherein said damper system comprises a second one of said plates that is movable between a position blocking a discharge end of the second one of the conduits and another position blocking said second one of the return air recirculation openings, wherein said conduits have upper discharge ends that are coplanar with the return air recirculation openings and are shaped and arranged so that they form opposing sectors of a common circle, wherein said return air recirculation openings are shaped and arranged so that they form opposing sectors of the common circle with the upper discharge ends of the conduits, wherein said plates of the damper system are formed as sectors and are mounted for rotation between the position blocking the discharge ends of the conduits and said another position blocking said return air recirculation openings.