Air conditioning unit and access door assembly

Abstract

An air conditioning appliance may include a unit enclosure, a housing, a heat exchanger, a compressor, and an access door. The unit enclosure a system compartment. The housing may be received within the system compartment. The heat exchanger may be disposed in the housing. The compressor may be in fluid communication with the heat exchanger to circulate a refrigerant through the heat exchanger. The access door may be attached to the unit wall proximal to the opening through the unit enclosure. The access door may extend between a bottom end and a top end. The access door may define a primary louver set and a secondary louver set in fluid parallel to permit airflow through the access door. The primary louver set may be defined proximal to the bottom end. The secondary louver set may be defined proximal to the top end above the primary louver set.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioning appliance defining a vertical direction, the air conditioning appliance comprising:
 a unit enclosure having a unit wall and defining a system compartment, the unit wall defining an opening therethrough;   a housing received within the system compartment;   a heat exchanger disposed in the housing;   a compressor in fluid communication with the heat exchanger to circulate a refrigerant through the heat exchanger; and   an access door attached to the unit wall proximal to the opening, the access door extending along the vertical direction between a bottom end and a top end, the access door defining a primary louver set and a secondary louver set in fluid parallel to permit airflow through the access door to the housing, the primary louver set being defined proximal to the bottom end, and the secondary louver set being defined proximal to the top end above the primary louver set.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary louver set defines a higher airflow resistance than the primary louver set. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary louver set defines a smaller cumulative vent opening than the primary louver set. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a filter panel mounted to the access door. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a movable air damper mounted to the access door proximal to the top end, the movable damper being selectively disposed over the secondary louver set to restrict airflow therethrough. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the access door defines a front face directed away from the housing and a rearward face directed toward the housing, and wherein the movable damper is selectively disposed against the rearward face. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the movable air damper is pivotably mounted to the access door. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the movable air damper is slidably mounted to the access door to slide therealong. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning appliance of  claim 5 , further comprising a damper motor in mechanical communication with the movable damper to selectively actuate the movable air damper relative to the secondary louver set. 
     
     
         10 . A door assembly for an air conditioning appliance comprising a housing defining a vertical direction and a front air inlet extending through the housing perpendicular to the vertical direction, the door assembly comprising:
 an access door mountable to a wall in front of the housing and extending along the vertical direction from a bottom end to a top end, the access door defining
 a primary louver set extending through the access door proximal to the bottom end to permit airflow through the access door to the front air inlet, and 
 a secondary louver set in fluid parallel to the primary louver set to selectively permit airflow through the access door to the front air inlet, the secondary louver set being defined proximal to the top end above the primary louver set and the front air inlet. 
   
     
     
         11 . The door assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the secondary louver set defines a higher airflow resistance than the primary louver set. 
     
     
         12 . The door assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the secondary louver set defines a smaller cumulative vent opening than the primary louver set. 
     
     
         13 . The door assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a filter panel mounted to the access door. 
     
     
         14 . The door assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a movable air damper mounted to the access door proximal to the top end, the movable damper being selectively disposed over the secondary louver set to restrict airflow therethrough. 
     
     
         15 . The door assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the access door defines a front face directed away from the housing and a rearward face directed toward the housing, and wherein the movable damper is selectively disposed against the rearward face. 
     
     
         16 . The door assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the movable air damper is pivotably mounted to the access door. 
     
     
         17 . The door assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the movable air damper is slidably mounted to the access door to slide therealong. 
     
     
         18 . The door assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising a damper motor in mechanical communication with the movable damper to selectively actuate the movable air damper relative to the secondary louver set.