Wall-mount air conditioner and method involving same

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.

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, and a bottom panel that are interconnected together;   a supply air opening in the rear panel through which cooling supply air may be discharged from the cabinet;   a return air opening in the rear panel through which the cooling supply air after discharge from the cabinet may be recirculated to the cabinet 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;   an opening in the cabinet through which fresh outside air may enter the cabinet;   a return air discharge opening in the cabinet through which the return air in the cabinet may be outwardly discharged;   a return air recirculation opening within the cabinet through which the return air in the cabinet may be routed to the supply air opening;   a duct in communication with the return air discharge opening and having an imperforate portion positioned to upwardly turn the outwardly discharged return air;   a blower within the cabinet 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 cabinet and comprising a conduit through which the fresh outside air may flow 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 to the supply air opening.   
     
     
         2 . 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. 
     
     
         3 . 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. 
     
     
         4 . 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. 
     
     
         5 . The single-package, wall-mount air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein said conduits extend upwardly. 
     
     
         6 . 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. 
     
     
         7 . 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. 
     
     
         8 . 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. 
     
     
         9 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method of operating an economizer unit in a single-package, wall-mount air conditioner, said method comprising the steps of:
 while the single-package, wall-mount air conditioner is operating in an economizer cooling mode:
 drawing fresh outside air upwardly through a conduit in the economizer unit and delivering it to a blower compartment for subsequent delivery as cooling supply air to a building; 
 fully or partially blocking delivery of return air through the economizer unit to the blower compartment and redirecting it outwardly from the economizer unit; 
   while the single-package, wall-mount air conditioner is operating in a mechanical cooling mode:
 blocking said fresh outside air from being drawn upwardly through the conduit in the economizer unit; and 
 allowing the return air to flow through the economizer unit to the blower compartment for subsequent cooling and then delivery to the building. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein including allowing delivery of some return air through the economizer unit for mixing with the fresh outside air in the blower compartment. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , including operating a damper system with a plate to cause said fully or partially blocking delivery of return air through the economizer unit and then to cause said blocking said fresh outside air from drawing upwardly through the conduit in the economizer unit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said plate pivots about a vertical axis.