Air-conditioning appliance setting up a double air circulation
[451 Apr. 15, 1975 United States Patent [191 Le Couturier AIR-CONDITIONING APPLIANCE SETTING 2,478,617 8/1949 Andercgg......................,.......62/507 2,630.69! 3/1953 62/428 Harris UP A DOUBLE AIR CIRCULATION 3,251,409 5/1966 Herbert..........................:::....62/507 [75] Inventor: George Henry Le Couturier,  
 Palaiseau, France Primary ExammerMeyer Perlm Assignee? S0395 (Societe Generale dEconomie Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William Anthony Drucker et de Service),Montlucon, France ABSTRACT [22] Filed: May 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 362,897  
 Self-contained appliance designed to air-condition rooms.  
 such a way that the flow of cooled air is directed parallel to the two large faces of the case and guided between them. The condenser comprises vertical fins which channel an ascending flow of hot air.  
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 FIG. 2  
 AIR-CONDITIONING APPLIAN(E SETTING UP A DOUBLE AIR CIRCULATION The present invention relates to appliances designed to air-condition rooms.  
  These appliances. in order to reduce. when necessary. the temperature of the air contained in the space to be air-conditioned, comprise a cold generator usually consisting of a motor/compressor unit which circulates a cooling fluid through a condenser and an evaporator.  
  In the condenser, the latent heat of condensation is released to the external atmosphere which is consequently heated locally. in the evaporator, the cooling fluid receives the heat which is transferred to it from the space to be cooled. A fan cooperates generally with the evaporator to set up a flow of cooled air.  
  When the appliance is incorporated in a wall of the room, the air heated by the condenser is directly discharged outside the room. 011 the other hand. if it is wished to avoid this fixed mounting of the appliance in a wall and to be able to move it from one room to another, the heated air is diffused inside the space to be air-conditioned.  
 The evaporator and the condenser usually give on to two opposite faces of the case of the appliance, so that a cooled area is set up on one side, while the heated air gradually increases the temperature of the rest of the room.  
  Only very localized air-conditioning is therefore obtained, which is obviously a disadvantage.  
  The aim of the invention is to overcome this disadvantage by arranging the condenser and the evaporator in such a way that a first ascending circulation of heated air is set up along one wall of the room and a second circulation of cooled air is set up all around the room, along the walls thereof.  
  For this purpose, the case of the appliance is in the shape of an elongated parallelepiped on one large face of which the condenser is positioned. the evaporator housed inside the case cooperating with a fan arranged in such a way that the flow of cooled air is directed parallel to the two large faces of the case and guided between them. 7  
  This appliance is positioned along one wall of the room to be air-conditioned, in such a way that the condenser is situated in the immediate vicinity ofthis wall. Preferably. an opening in the vicinity of the ceiling provides for the discharge of the hot air to the outside, while fresh air is brought in through an opening in the vicinity of the floor.  
  A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description.  
 In the attached drawing:  
  FIG. 1 is a basic diagram of an air-conditioner in accordance with the invention and FIG. 2 shows the double air circulation inside a room fitted with such an air-conditioner.  
  The usual components comprised in this kind of appliance have been shown very diagrammatically.  
  The motor l/compressor 2 unit is housed at the bottom ofthe case 3, in a compartment delimited by a partition ABCD.  
  The evaporator 4, as well as the thermostatic expan sion valve 5, are housed in the top compartment ABCD EFGH of the case, while the condenser 6 occupies one of the large faces of the ease.  
  Recapitulating briefly, the cooling fluid is sent by the compressor, in the form of gas under pressure, to the condenser, where it condenses, releasing heat into the ambient air.  
  The cooling fluid then goes through the valve 5 which reduces its temperature and pressure. After evaporation in the evaporator 4, the cooling fluid returns to the compressor through the latters suction duct.  
  A fan 7 is positioned in the vicinity of a small face of the case, along the axis ofthe top compartment, so that a circulation of cooled air is set up, guided between the large faces EHCD and FGBA as shown by the arrows in unbroken lines.  
  The case being comparatively long, this guiding substantially increases the directivity of the cooled air flow.  
  The vertical fins. such as 6a, 6b, comprised in the condenser and which cover the whole of one large face of the case, have been shown. The arrows in dashes represent the ascending fiow of heated air which springs from these fins.  
  FIG. 2 shows the appliance positioned along a wall, the face fitted with the condenser being, e.g. positioned a few centimeters from the wall. For this purpose, the small side faces are extended in such a way that, when they are resting against the wall, the fins are separated therefrom by a small gap.  
  The ascending flow of heated air is thus confined at the start in a narrow space. The hot air rises towards the ceiling and is, e.g.. discharged through an opening 0, The cooled air circulates all around the room. at floor level, following the course shown.  
  Of course, the real thing is more complicated; but roughly speaking. two comparatively independent circulations of hot air and cold air are set up.  
  An opening 0 in the vicinity of the floor facilitates the renewal of the air in the room. The comfort obtained by the user is far superior to that provided by standard portable air-conditioners.  
  it goes without saying that various modifications may be made to the appliance described, without departing from the spirit of the invention.  
  No explicit details have been given of the heating function which the appliance will more often than not comprise, and which is fulfilled by a simple electrical resistor which is used instead of the cold generator.  
 What is claimed is:  
  1. In a room having a vertical wall, a transportable air conditioning appliance comprising cold generator means including a condenser, an evaporator, means for circulating a refrigerant fluid through said condenser and said evaporator, a case having first and second substantially vertical larger faces the length of which is substantially longer than their height, the condenser being arranged along said first face and including vertically extending fins outwardly projecting from said first face the evaporator being housed inside the case between said first and second larger faces and a fan cooperating with the evaporator for directing a substantially horizontal flow of cooled air which is channelled between the first and second larger faces, and means for removably positioning the said first face along and substantially parallel to said wall at a predetermined distance from said wall, the said distance equalling the width of the fins.