Patent ID: 8635883
Filing Date: 2014-01-28
Classification: F25B,Y02B

Abstract:
1. An evaporator assembly through which a refrigerant is circulated to transfer heat out of a volume of air in a housing in which the evaporator assembly is at least partially disposed, the evaporator assembly comprising: an evaporator in fluid communication with a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant; a solenoid valve subassembly configured to control circulation of the refrigerant, the solenoid valve subassembly being switchable between an open condition, in which the refrigerant is circulatable, and a closed condition, in which the refrigerant is substantially non-circulatable; a thermostat electrically connectable to the solenoid valve subassembly via a solenoid control circuit, the thermostat comprising a single pole double throw switch configured to complete the solenoid control circuit when the temperature of the air in the housing is above a cut-in temperature, and open the solenoid control circuit when the temperature of the air is below a cut-out temperature; the solenoid valve subassembly configured to be in the open condition when the solenoid control circuit is energized and in the closed condition when the solenoid control circuit is open; at least one fan configured to circulate the air in the housing; at least one electronically commutated fan motor configured to rotate said at least one fan, said at least one fan motor operable when a drive voltage is provided to a motor drive thereof across a first conductor and a second conductor connected thereto; said at least one fan motor comprising a fan controller configured to control the drive voltage, the fan controller being electrically connected with the first and second conductors; a fan control circuit comprising a third wire and the first conductor electrically connected with the fan controller; the thermostat configured to complete the fan control circuit when the solenoid control circuit is open, and open the fan control circuit when the solenoid control circuit is completed; the fan controller configured to detect a signal voltage present between the third wire and the first conductor when the fan control circuit is completed, and the fan controller configured to provide a first predetermined drive voltage to the motor drive when said signal voltage is detected; the fan controller configured to provide a second predetermined drive voltage to the motor drive upon a failure of the fan controller to detect the signal voltage, the second predetermined drive voltage being greater than the first predetermined drive voltage; and wherein the first determined drive voltage and the second predetermined drive voltage are each greater than zero such that the fan motor is configured to operate when the temperature of said air in the housing is both above the cut-in temperature when the solenoid valve subassembly is in the open condition in which the refrigerant is circulatable and below the cut-out temperature when the solenoid valve subassembly is in the closed condition in which the refrigerant is substantially non-circulatable.