Condensate pumping system for air conditioners
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsDouglas David LeClear, Guolian Wu, Kenneth Scheffler Scheffler, Jim J. Pastryk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention includes a liquid pumping system. The liquid is preferably condensate and the condensate pumping system may include a tank having an upper reservoir and a sump disposed below the upper reservoir. The upper reservoir may include an orifice and may be positioned to receive condensate from an evaporator. The condensate pumping system may also include a device to seal the orifice, a condensate tube connected to the sump, and an air pump attached to the sump through an air tube.
Claims20
A liquid pumping system, comprising
- a tank having an upper reservoir and a sump disposed below the upper reservoir, wherein the upper reservoir includes an orifice and is adapted to receive liquid condensate;
- a seal mechanism arranged at the orifice;
- a liquid tube coupled to the sump;
- and
- an air pump coupled to the sump through an air tube.
A split air conditioner, comprising:
- a remote unit having a heat removal system;
- a supply system coupled to the remote unit;
- and
- a local unit coupled to the supply system and having a condensate pumping system, wherein the condensate pumping system includes
- a tank having an upper reservoir and a sump disposed below the upper reservoir, wherein the upper reservoir includes an orifice and is adapted to receive condensate from the local unit,
- means for sealing the orifice,
- a condensate tube coupled to the sump, and
- an air pump coupled to the sump through an air tube.
A method to push collected condensate from below an evaporator to a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a tank having an upper reservoir and a sump disposed below the upper reservoir, wherein the upper reservoir includes an orifice, a condensate tube coupled to the sump, and an air pump coupled to the sump through an air tube;
- receiving condensate from the evaporator in the upper reservoir;
- receiving the condensate in the sump;
- sealing the orifice;
- and
- pushing the condensate into the condensate tube by pressurizing the sump with air from the air pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.