US 12,181,177 B1Granted

Air conditioning system and method comprising an automatic cleaning of a condensate drain pipe

OwnerLeonard Salvatore Cipolla, IIinventor

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Abstract

An air conditioning system, capable of automatically unclogging an air handler condensate drain tube, includes a primary fluid control valve to allow or prevent draining from the air handler through the condensate drain tube, and at least one secondary fluid control valve for allowing or preventing fluid flow from a cleaning fluid source to the condensate drain tube. First and second condensate sensors may sense condensate accumulation in two areas arranged one higher than the other. A controller may sense an activation of the first and second condensate sensors, and may close the primary fluid control valve preventing fluid flow from the condensate drain tube into the air handler, and open the secondary fluid control valve or valves enabling fluid flow from the respective cleaning fluid source to the condensate drain tube, to break and drain out a clog formed in the condensate drain tube.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An air conditioning system, comprising:

a primary fluid control valve, operable to selectively allow or prevent fluid flow between an air handler of an air conditioning system and a condensate drain tube of the air conditioning system, the condensate drain tube configured to drain condensate from the air handler;
one or more secondary fluid control valves, wherein each secondary fluid control valve is arranged between a respective fluid source and a respective point of connection to the condensate drain tube downstream of the primary fluid control valve and is operable to selectively allow or prevent fluid flow from the respective fluid source into the condensate drain tube;
a first condensate sensor configured to sense condensate in a first area;
a second condensate sensor configured to sense condensate in a second area arranged vertically lower than the first area;
and
a controller, operatively connectable to the primary fluid valve, the one or more secondary fluid control valves, the first condensate sensor and the second condensate sensor, the controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to execute the operations of:
allowing the air conditioning system to operate in a normally-operating condition, in which the primary fluid control valve allows fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube, and in which each secondary fluid control valve of the one or more secondary fluid control valves prevents fluid flow from its respective fluid source into the condensate drain tube,
with the air conditioning system in the normally-operating condition, detecting an activation of the first condensate sensor,
detecting an activation of the second condensate sensor within a predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor, and
responsively to detecting an activation of the second condensate sensor within said predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor, cleaning the condensate drain tube by operating the primary fluid control valve to prevent fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube and by operating at least one secondary fluid control valve of the one or more secondary fluid control valves to allow fluid flow from the respective fluid source of said at least one secondary fluid control valve into the condensate drain tube while the primary fluid control valve prevents fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube.

7 more elements

An air conditioning system, comprising:

a primary fluid control valve, operable to selectively allow or prevent fluid flow between an air handler of an air conditioning system and a condensate drain tube of the air conditioning system, the condensate drain tube configured to drain condensate from the air handler;
one or more secondary fluid control valves, wherein each secondary fluid control valve is arranged between a respective fluid source and a respective point of connection to the condensate drain tube downstream of the primary fluid control valve and is operable to selectively allow or prevent fluid flow from the respective fluid source into the condensate drain tube;
a first condensate sensor configured to sense condensate in a first area located within a primary drain pan of the air handler;
a second condensate sensor configured to sense condensate in a second area located within a secondary drain pan arranged below and vertically spaced-apart from the primary drain pan of the air handler, the second area arranged vertically lower than the first area;
a controller, operatively connectable to the primary fluid valve, the one or more secondary fluid control valves, the first condensate sensor and the second condensate sensor, the controller comprising a processor and a memory;
and
a communications module operatively connected to the controller and configured to communicate with an external electronic device;
wherein
the memory stores processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to execute the operations of:
allowing the air conditioning system to operate in a normally-operating condition, in which the primary fluid control valve allows fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube, and in which each secondary fluid control valve of the one or more secondary fluid control valves prevents fluid flow from its respective fluid source into the condensate drain tube,
with the air conditioning system in the normally-operating condition, detecting an activation of the first condensate sensor,
detecting an activation of the second condensate sensor within a predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor,
responsively to detecting an activation of the second condensate sensor within said predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor, cleaning the condensate drain tube by operating the primary fluid control valve to prevent fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube and by operating at least one secondary fluid control valve of the one or more secondary fluid control valves to allow fluid flow from the respective fluid source of said at least one secondary fluid control valve into the condensate drain tube while the primary fluid control valve prevents fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube,
detecting that the second condensate sensor has not activated within said predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor, and
responsively to detecting that the second condensate sensor has not activated within said predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor, transmitting a signal to the external electronic device via the communications module, the signal indicative of an anomaly associated with the air conditioning system.

12 more elements

An air conditioning system, comprising:

a primary fluid control valve, operable to selectively allow or prevent fluid flow between an air handler of an air conditioning system and a condensate drain tube of the air conditioning system, the condensate drain tube configured to drain condensate from the air handler;
one or more secondary fluid control valves, wherein each secondary fluid control valve is arranged between a respective fluid source and a respective point of connection to the condensate drain tube downstream of the primary fluid control valve and is operable to selectively allow or prevent fluid flow from the respective fluid source into the condensate drain tube;
a first condensate sensor configured to sense condensate in a first area located within a primary drain pan of the air handler;
a second condensate sensor configured to sense condensate in a second area located within a secondary drain pan arranged below and vertically spaced-apart from the primary drain pan of the air handler, the second area arranged vertically lower than the first area;
a controller, operatively connectable to the primary fluid valve, the one or more secondary fluid control valves, the first condensate sensor and the second condensate sensor, the controller comprising a processor and a memory;
and
a communications module operatively connected to the controller and configured to communicate with an external electronic device;
wherein
the memory stores processor-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to execute the operations of:
allowing the air conditioning system to operate in a normally-operating condition, in which the primary fluid control valve allows fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube, and in which each secondary fluid control valve of the one or more secondary fluid control valves prevents fluid flow from its respective fluid source into the condensate drain tube,
with the air conditioning system in the normally-operating condition, detecting an activation of the first condensate sensor,
detecting an activation of the second condensate sensor within a predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor,
responsively to detecting an activation of the second condensate sensor within said predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor, cleaning the condensate drain tube by operating the primary fluid control valve to prevent fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube and by operating at least one secondary fluid control valve of the one or more secondary fluid control valves to allow fluid flow from the respective fluid source of said at least one secondary fluid control valve into the condensate drain tube while the primary fluid control valve prevents fluid flow from the air handler through the condensate drain tube,
detecting that the second condensate sensor has not activated within said predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor,
responsively to said detecting that the second condensate sensor has not activated within said predetermined time from the activation of the first condensate sensor, transmitting a signal to the external electronic device via the communications module, the signal indicative of an anomaly associated with the air conditioning system,
with the air conditioning system in the normally-operating condition, detecting an activation of the second condensate sensor in the absence of an activation of the first condensate sensor, and
responsively to said detecting of an activation of the second condensate sensor in the absence of an activation of the first condensate sensor, transmitting a signal to the external electronic device via the communications module, the signal indicative of an anomaly associated with the air conditioning system.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/212,842Filed 22 Jun 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 22 Jun 2022
Granted: 31 Dec 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

F24F 13/222
Means for preventing condensation or evacuating condensate: for evacuating condensate
F24F 11/32
For purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring: responding to malfunctions or emergencies
F24F 2013/227
For evacuating condensate: condensate pipe for drainage of condensate from the evaporator
F24F 2140/30
Control inputs relating to system states: condensation of water from cooled air

Family

Application63/354,414Us provisional application · filed 22 Jun 2022
US 12,181,177 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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