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US 5,205,130 AGranted
Dual stage AC system for recreational vehicle
AssigneeNone recorded
InventorBobby L. Pannell
Life of this patent
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AssigneeNone recorded
InventorBobby L. Pannell
Estimating the term…
The components of a compact, dual stage air conditioning system are assembled within a common housing in which an evaporator airflow passage is separated from a condenser airflow passage by an interior panel. Dual stage operation is provided by a pair of evaporator coils which are interleaved about a common evaporator core, and by a pair of condenser coils which are interleaved about a common condenser core. A control circuit automatically enables single stage operation when on-board generator power is applied, and automatically enables dual stage operation for increased cooling capacity when commercial utility power is available.
A compact air conditioning unit for installation in a recreational vehicle comprising, in combination:
A dual stage air conditioning system for installation in a recreational vehicle of the type having an on-board AC power generator and a power cable for connection to an electrical utility power outlet, said dual stage air conditioning system comprising:
A compact air conditioning unit for installation in a recreational vehicle comprising, in combination:
In a recreational vehicle of the type having an interior living space to be cooled by circulation of refrigerated air through a distribution duct and having an on-board AC power generator and a power cable connectable to an external utility power outlet for supplying electrical operating power to an on-board air conditioning system, the improvement comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle
Air-conditioning arrangements specially adapted for particular vehicles: for caravans or trailers
Using compression: characterised by the compressor driving arrangements, e.g. clutches, transmissions or multiple drives
Using compression: characterised by comprising auxiliary or multiple systems, e.g. plurality of evaporators, or by involving auxiliary cooling devices
Term ended 2 Jul 2011 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
This invention relates generally to air conditioning systems, and in particular to a dual stage air conditioning system which is adapted for use in a recreational vehicle.
As used herein, the term "recreational vehicle" is used broadly to refer to mobile homes, motor homes, travel trailers, fifth wheelers, recreational vans and the like. Air refrigeration and conditioning may be provided by a compressor/condenser/evaporator unit mounted internally or externally of such vehicles. The air conditioning unit for some recreational vehicles is mounted on the roof of the vehicle. An opening is made in the roof for delivering conditioned air from the evaporator coil of the air conditioner to the interior of the vehicle. Other recreational vehicles have a window mounted air conditioner unit or an internal floor mounted evaporator console with an external compressor/condenser.
The recreational van is a multiple purpose vehicle which is especially popular among couples and families with small children. It makes an excellent camping rig for weekends and short vacations. To overcome rising construction costs and fuel costs, the trend in van construction has been toward smaller van body sizes. Accordingly, the location and space for an air conditioning unit must be carefully planned and allocated in the construction of modern recreational vehicles.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description which follows with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recreational van in which the dual stage air conditioning system of the present invention has been installed;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the dual stage air conditioning system taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
In the description which follows, like parts are indicated throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively. The figures are not drawn to scale, and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated for convenience of illustration.
Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a dual stage air conditioning unit 10 is installed within an equipment compartment 12 beneath the floor 14 of a recreational vehicle 16. The air conditioning system 10 is comparable to a residential central air system which circulates refrigerated air into and out of the interior air space of the recreational vehicle 16 through a floor distribution duct 18 and an overhead ceiling distribution duct 20.
Referring now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the components of the dual stage air conditioning unit 10 are assembled within a housing 22 which is mounted beneath the vehicle floor 14 on a support panel 24. The housing 22 includes a base panel 26, external side panels 28, 30 and a top panel 32. The housing panels are interconnected to form a condenser airflow passage 34 and an evaporator airflow passage 36, which are separated by an interior panel P. The base panel 26 has an opening 38 defining an inlet port which permits the intake of outside air A into the condenser airflow passage 34. The top panel 32 has an opening 40 defining a return air inlet port which permits the circulation of inside refrigerated air into the evaporator airflow passage 36. Preferably, the entrance to the return air inlet port 40 is covered by a return air filter F.