Abstract:
A Self-Contained Air-Conditioned Enclosure; comprises of an Enclosure (1), connected through plurality of openings ( 13,14 ) to air ducts ( 20,21 ) of an Air-conditioning Unit ( 17 ). The Enclosure has a Roof ( 5 ), and sidewalls assembled with plurality of Wall Sheets ( 8 ) interspaced with Spacer Strips ( 9 ) to enhance thermal resistance of the sidewalls. The bottom of the sidewall is inserted under the structure that forms the floor to create an isolated enclosure. The Air-conditioning Unit ( 17 ) supplies the Enclosure through the Supply Air Duct ( 21 ) and withdraws air through Exit Air Duct ( 20 ). Part of the withdrawn air is reconditioned and supplied to the enclosure; the other part is replaced by fresh air. Energy is conserved from the replaced air in Heat Transfer Duct ( 37 ) and transferred to fresh air in Fresh Air Chamber ( 36 ). Unit efficiency is improved by mixing the exhausted withdrawn air in the Compressor Chamber ( 31 ) and exhausted by the Exhaust Air Duct ( 28 ). Flow of fresh air is controlled through the Air Damper ( 39 ) and Control Knob ( 38 ).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not applicable  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This Invention relates to as comfort Air-conditioning, specifically to an air-condition apparatus to provide an air-conditioned enclosure for indoor or outdoor use that is compact and portable.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Prior Art  
           [0005]    Air-conditioning of space with units employing refrigerants are used for cooling space for personal comfort. Commercial air-conditioners have the following disadvantages:  
           [0006]    (a) Higher Capital investment in the space to be air-conditioned: For effective and efficient use of Air-conditioning requires a room or a building to be built with thermal insulation, air infiltration seals, shaded windows and other special requirements. Such special requirements result in higher capital investment in addition to the cost of the air-conditioner.  
           [0007]    (b) Higher Capital investment for larger air-condition unit: The minimum space that could be effectively air-conditioned using the traditional air-condition unit is an entire room, even if conditioning is required only for a portion of the room that is occupied. Commercial portable air-conditioners have the same limitation. The larger the space to be air-conditioned the larger is the air-condition unit required. Larger the unit higher the cost. For example in a bedroom, the minimum space that requires air-conditioning is the compact space surrounding the body of the occupants. In current application, the entire bedroom needs to be air-conditioned. This will result in unnecessary extra cost of larger equipment and installation.  
           [0008]    (c) Higher Operation cost: As discussed in previous paragraphs traditional units would be of larger capacity than the minimum needed for specific applications. Larger the unit higher is the operating cost for electric energy. Cooling of a selective smaller space offers comfort at a lower operational cost. A selected enclosure could be cooled with commercially available portable air-conditioner however the disadvantage is the portable air-conditioner can not supply cooled fresh air but only re-circulates the space air.  
           [0009]    (d) Enclosures available for clean air requirements such as Michael H. Pelosi, III et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,377 is not suitable for comfort Air-conditioning of a compact space, as it requires an independent source of conditioned air in the place of the clean air source. In addition, the prior art enclosure has cumbersome structure requiring complex assembly. The objective of that enclosure is to provide clean air and not comfort conditioning, so major modification is necessary before it can be used for comfort air-condition application.  
           [0010]    Commercially available portable air-conditioner can cool an enclosed space however the disadvantage is it cannot supply cooled fresh air but can only re-circulates the space air. Thus, none of the current apparatuses is suitable for providing an air-conditioned enclosure  
           [0011]    Air-conditioned Mosquito net of patents such as San Jianhua et al China. Pat. No. CN2259099 and Tan Mingsen et al China. Pat. No. CN1163735 illustrates mosquito nets connected to a conditioned air source by an air duct. Both of these prior art requires an external source of conditioned air. In addition, in both of these prior arts, outside air is conditioned and supplied to the enclosure and all of the air is exhausted outside the enclosure. ‘Heat Insulating Mosquito-Net’ of He Baoan et al China. Pat. No. CN1061140 illustrates a mosquito net with plurality of inflatable air-pocket walls. This art has the disadvantage of requiring inflation of wall air pockets and increases the chance of failure of thermal insulation due to puncturing of the air pockets. cl SUMMARY  
           [0012]    In accordance with the principles of the present invention there is an air-conditioned enclosure assembly comprising of a portable Air-conditioning Unit and a connected Enclosure to provide an air-conditioned enclosed space with fresh air supply, that is self-contained, portable and modular.  
         Objects and Advantages  
         [0013]    Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of original air-condition apparatus, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:  
           [0014]    (a) to provide a portable space enclosure assembly for personal comfort, at desired temperature, humidity and filtered fresh air;  
           [0015]    (b) to provide personal comfort at economical initial cost, as the air-condition unit can be smaller in capacity to condition a small occupied space;  
           [0016]    (c) to provide personal comfort at economical operating cost, as conditioning of only the occupied space requires less electric energy;  
           [0017]    (d) to provide energy conservation through re-circulating a part of the enclosure air;  
           [0018]    (e) to provide cooled or heated fresh air to offer better air quality for the occupants;  
           [0019]    (f) to provide energy conservation by pre-cooling the fresh inlet air with the cool exhaust air. The same applies for heating too;  
           [0020]    (g) to provide control over the quantity of fresh air using air damper;  
           [0021]    (h) to improve the efficiency of the system by using the exhaust air for the condenser coil cooling;  
           [0022]    (i) to provide an air-conditioned personal space for both indoor and outdoors use;  
           [0023]    (j) to provide reduced initial cooling time from the start of cooling to achieve the comfort temperature. The same applies for heating too;  
           [0024]    (k) to provide comfort air-conditioning without requiring special building construction requirements such as thermal insulation, air infiltration seals, shaded windows and others;  
           [0025]    (l) to provide an enclosure for quick assembly using widely available materials;  
           [0026]    (m) to provide a dedicated Air-conditioning Unit to provide comfort in the enclosed space  
           [0027]    The process of air-condition referred in this invention generally refers to heating or cooling, humidification or dehumidification, and filtering of air for comfort. Further objects and advantages are to provide economical personal comfort through reduced initial cost; reduced operating cost, portability, and targeted space cooling for a specified time. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings. 
       
    
    
     DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 shows the perspective view of the Self-Contained Air-conditioned Enclosure.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 shows the perspective view of the Enclosure.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 3A shows the partial section view along line III-III of FIG. 2.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3B shows the exploded partial section view of the Roof and enclosure sidewall assembly of FIG. 3A.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4 shows the perspective view of the Air-conditioning Unit.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5 shows the side section view along line V-V of FIG. 4.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 6 shows the front elevation section view along line VI-VI of FIG. 4.  
     
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWING  
       [0035]    [0035]                                         Reference Numerals in Drawing                                1   Enclosure       2   Frame Structure        3   Frame Member       4   Corner Connector       5   Enclosure Roof       6   Roof Lip       7   Support Strap       8   Enclosure Wall Sheet       9   Spacer Strips       10   Shield       11   Clip       12   Bed Mattress       13   Exit air opening       14   Supply air opening       15   Exit air opening rim       16   Supply air opening rim       17   Air-condition Unit       18   Housing       19   Castor       20   Exit air duct       21   Supply air duct       22   Channel Seat       23   Air Plenum       24   Fan Motor Assembly       25   Air Filter       26   Evaporator Coil Assembly       27   Blower Assembly       28   Exhaust air duct       29   Air intake Hood       30   Condensing Coil Bank       31   Compressor Chamber       32   Compressor       33   Air Grill       34   Temperature Control       35   Temperature Gauge       36   Fresh Air Chamber       37   Heat Transfer Duct       38   Fresh Air Control Knob       39   Air Damper       40   Control Rod       41   Control Panel                    
       DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0036]    Preferred Embodiment  
         [0037]    A preferred embodiment of the Air-Conditioned Enclosure of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The Air-Conditioned Enclosure comprises of an Enclosure  1 , which is structurally supported by a skeleton or Frame  2 , and connected through plurality of openings to air ducts of an Air-conditioning Unit  17 . The Enclosure is shown in FIG. 1 as assembled over a bed with mattress  12 .  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 2 shows the said Frame  2 , assembled with beams, pylons or Frame Members  3 , and preferably made of tubes of suitable size and material. The Frame Members  3 , form a rectangular configuration and have plurality of vertical extensions or legs. In the preferred embodiment, the Frame Members are telescoping plastic tubes assembled with Corner Connectors  4 . The Corner Connector  4 , support and connect three of the Frame members  3 , to structurally form the corner of the said Frame  2 . The Corner Connector  4 , is a three-dimensional socket to receive three of the said Frame Members  3 , two of the said Frame Members that are perpendicular to each other and forms two sides of the said rectangular configuration and another Frame member that forms a leg, vertical to the said rectangular configuration. The Enclosure has a cornice, top or Roof  5 , preferably constructed of suitable translucent lightweight rigid board with insulation properties. One sidewall of the said Enclosure has Openings  13  and  14  to accommodate Air Ducts of the Air-conditioning Unit. The above said openings have elastic Rims  15  and  16 .  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 3A illustrates the section view of the Enclosure sidewall assembly and its support facilities and jointing arrangements made available in the invention. The Roof  5  has a vertical rim around it and plurality of attached Support Straps  7  of suitable size, strength and material. The said Support Straps are used to suspend the said Roof from the said Frame. The said Support Straps wraps around the said Frame Members  3  forms a loop and fastens on to itself, preferably using hook-and-loop fastener. The sidewalls of the Enclosure are made of plurality of Enclosure Wall Sheets  8 , made of suitable material that is transparent, flexible, lightweight and having good thermal properties, preferably plastic sheet.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 3B shows an exploded partial section view of the Roof and Enclosure sidewall assembly of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3B shows the vertical rim or Lip  6  of the Enclosure Roof  5 . There is plurality of thin Spacer Strips  9 , of suitable thickness, flexible, lightweight, and preferably translucent strips of foam sheet or sponge. The Spacer Strips  9  are located between the above said Sheets  8 , at sufficient intervals. This arrangement forms air space or pockets between the Sheets, to enhance the thermal resistance of the Enclosure wall assembly.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 3B also shows the method of fastening the Enclosure sidewall to the said Roof  5 . The said Sheets  8 , and Spacers  9 , are overlaid to cover the top portion of the Roof Lip  6 . The said Sheets and the said Spacer are covered by plurality of covers or Shield  10 , and held by plurality of clevis or Clip  11 . The Shield&#39;s function is to cover the said Sheets  8 , and Spacers  9 , and protect against damage from the Clip  11 . In the preferred embodiment, there are four Shields, one on each side of the Enclosure Roof  5 . The Clip  11  is made of suitable material preferably metal.  
         [0042]    The lower portion of the Enclosure wall assembly comprised of Sheets  8 , and Spacer Strips  9 , is tucked or inserted under the structure that forms the floor. For example in when the Enclosure is used over a bed, the floor is formed by the mattress  12  and the Enclosure walls are tucked under the mattress to form a good air tight Enclosure as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and  3 A.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 4 illustrates the perspective view of the Air-conditioning Unit  17 . The said Air-conditioning Unit  17  has traditional air-conditioner parts such as compressor, evaporator coil, condenser coil, air filter, fan, blower, motors and controls. The said unit  17 , has a housing or a body  18 , of suitable material preferably plastic exterior or walls, and structurally supported by steel frames. Attached to the bottom of the housing is plurality of wheels or castors  19  for mobility of the Unit.  
         [0044]    The air-conditioner unit includes a Control Panel  41 , located on the front side of Unit. The control panel consists of a Temperature Control  34 , a Temperature Gauge  35 , and a Fresh Air Control Knob  38 . At the bottom of the Unit  17 , plurality of Air Grill  33  is located. The portion of the Air Grills on the walls of the Compressor Chamber  31 , supplies outside air to the Compressor Chamber.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIGS. 5 and 6 shows cross section views of the Air-conditioner Unit  17 . There is an Exit Air Duct  20 , connected preferably to the top of the housing  18 . There is a Supply Air Duct  21 , on one side of the said housing  18 . The above said Exit Air Duct  20  is made of suitable material to be flexible, collapsible and both the said ducts are preferably constructed with thermal insulation. The said ducts  20  and  21 , have plurality of lips at the extremity to form a narrow channel  22 , within which the respective elastic rims of the Enclosure  15  or  16 , shown in FIG. 2, sits and forms an airtight connection between the said Enclosure  1  and the Air-conditioning Unit  17 .  
         [0046]    The Exit Air Duct  20  connects to an Air Plenum  23 . At the lower part of the Air Plenum, an Air Filter  25  is located. An air moving device such as a Fan Motor assembly  24 , consisting of a fan, a motor and structural support is located below the said Air Filter. Below the Fan Motor Assembly is located the Evaporator Coil Assembly  26 . In the preferred embodiment, Evaporator Coil Assembly consists of a refrigerant evaporator coil bank and may include an electric heating element. Below the said evaporator coil assembly is the Supply Air Duct  21 .  
         [0047]    Next and below the Supply Air Duct  21 , is located a fan or blower assembly  27 . Note that fans and blowers generally refer to any air-moving device and can be used interchangeably in this preferred embodiment. The said blower assembly consists of the blower, motor, air intake hood, housing and other essential elements. The blower has an Exhaust Air Duct  28  attached to its side and extends through the backside of the unit&#39;s housing  18 . The exhaust Air Duct  28  is preferably flexible, collapsible, lightweight and round duct structure. The blower assembly has an air intake hood  29 , it is rectangular prism shaped with the smaller end transitioning to a circular shape and attached to the blower. The lower end of the intake air hood  29  is sized to cover the top of the condensing coil bank  30 .  
         [0048]    Next and below the blower is a Condensing Coil Bank  30 , for condensing the refrigerant vapor. Below the Condensing Coil Bank is a space, volume or Compressor Chamber  31 . The lower portion of the Compressor Chamber, which is also the lower portion of the housing have plurality of Air Grills  33 . Contained within the compressor chamber is a refrigerant compressor assembly  32 . The compressor assembly includes a hermetic refrigerant compressor, motor and necessary electrical and control elements. The chamber may also house required electric circuit, control system circuit, voltage stabilizer and other auxiliaries. The said compressor is connected to the evaporator coil assembly  26 , and the condenser coil bank  30 , with metal tubes of suitable material and size.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 6 shows a space or Fresh Air Chamber  36 , a rectangular prism shaped volume located on one side of the unit that extends up to the Air Plenum  23  at the top and to the bottom of the Unit  17 . The Fresh Air Chamber  36  also has the said Air Grills  33 , at the bottom that supplies outside air to the Enclosure. The said Fresh Air Chamber  36  is thermally insulated and does not have air communication with the Compressor Chamber  31 .  
         [0050]    Inside the Fresh Air Chamber  36 , is a Heat Transfer Duct  37 , which is preferably flexible, collapsible, lightweight and round or rectangular duct structure with good heat transfer property. At the same level or height of the control Panel, there is an Air Damper  39  in the Heat Transfer Duct  37  connected to the Control Knob  38  with Control Rods  40  and links. The said Air Damper  39  is a butterfly valve type damper to control airflow inside the Heat Transfer Duct  37 . The Heat Transfer Duct is connected at the top with the Air Plenum  23 , and at the bottom end it is connected to the Compressor Chamber forming an air passage between the Air Plenum and the Compressor Chamber. Finally, there is an electric cord with connector to connect with an electrical power source or a wall outlet.  
         [0051]    Advantages  
         [0052]    According to the invention, there is provided an Air-Conditioned Enclosure assembly comprising of  
         [0053]    a portable Air-conditioning means and  
         [0054]    a connected Enclosure to provide an air-conditioned enclosed space, with fresh air supply  
         [0055]    said Enclosure comprising of:  
         [0056]    a. an Enclosure suitable to be fitted on to any flat surface.  
         [0057]    b. Frame—means to support the Enclosure structure and assembled with frame members.  
         [0058]    c. Roof—means of light board structure with vertical rim or lip along the periphery.  
         [0059]    d. Support straps means on the roof to suspend the said roof onto said frame.  
         [0060]    e. Sidewalls—means plurality of plastic sheets along with spacer strips.  
         [0061]    f. Roof lip, shield and clip means—to hold the sidewalls onto the said Roof.  
         [0062]    g. Openings in Enclosure means to accommodate air ducts of air-conditioning unit.  
         [0063]    h. Air-conditioner means—for cooling the Enclosure.  
         [0064]    and said Air-conditioning means comprising of:  
         [0065]    (i) a main housing.  
         [0066]    (ii) an exit air duct connected on the top of the said housing.  
         [0067]    (iii) an Air Plenum connected to the said exit air duct.  
         [0068]    (iv) an air filter is located at the bottom of the said Air Plenum.  
         [0069]    (v) a fan motor assembly is located at the bottom portion of the said Air Plenum next to the said Air Filter.  
         [0070]    (vi) an evaporator coil assembly is fixed below the said air filter.  
         [0071]    (vii) a supply air duct is connected on one side of the said housing and below the said evaporator coil assembly.  
         [0072]    (viii) a fan blower assembly connected below the said supply air duct.  
         [0073]    (ix) an exhaust air duct is attached to the said fan-blower assembly on its side and extends through the backside of the said housing.  
         [0074]    (x) a condensing coil bank is fixed below the said blower.  
         [0075]    (xi) a compressor chamber is fixed below the said condensing coil bank.  
         [0076]    (xii) a control panel located on the side of said supply air duct.  
         [0077]    (xiii) Fresh Air Chamber inside the housing extending from the bottom to the Air Plenum at the top and has air grills at the bottom.  
         [0078]    The Enclosure may have one of several shapes such as rectangle, square, cylindrical or a combination thereof.  
         [0079]    Various types of air-condition may be generally referred to but the invention is particularly adapted to a process of heating or cooling, humidification or dehumidification and filtering of air only.  
         [0080]    The invention comprising of an Enclosure and an air-condition unit can be fitted on to any flat surface. In the embodiment described, the frame of the Enclosure is structurally fitted onto the floor surface and the wall sheets tucked at the floor level under the structure that forms the floor. This forms a good airtight Enclosure, which is thermally isolated.  
         [0081]    The one sidewall of the Enclosure has two openings with elastic rims to accommodate air ducts i.e. exit air duct and supply air duct of the Air-conditioning Unit.  
         [0082]    The Air-conditioning Unit has the traditional parts such as compressor, evaporator coil, condenser coil, air filter, fans, motor, controls and others assembled as described in the preferred embodiment to supply fresh air and re-circulated cool air to the said Enclosure of the preferred embodiment.  
         [0083]    The present invention provides a portable airtight Enclosure system with openings for receiving the Air-conditioning ducts and an Air-conditioning Unit for providing a suitable clean, cool and conditioned atmosphere, within the said Enclosure system. The Enclosure system can assume various shapes suitably in accordance with the shape of the frame, which is the structural support for the said Enclosure. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a rectangular system comprising a hard board roof with soft sheet walls thus ensuring insulation on all sides.  
         [0084]    In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method for providing a suitably conditioned Enclosure which comprises of using an air-conditioner means which comprises the steps of enclosing a volume of air in the Enclosure filtering and conditioning fresh air and supplying the conditioned air to the said Enclosure, and exhausting the air from the Enclosure.  
         [0085]    Advantages of this system are that it provides for a simple, portable, economical, enclosure system, which is easy to manufacture and sell and equally easy to assemble and to dismantle when not in use. The Air-conditioning Unit also provides for energy conservation by pre-cooling/pre-heating the fresh inlet air with the cool/hot exhaust air. In addition, the condenser coil cooling is enhanced by using the exhaust air. The present invention as a whole is inexpensive, more compact, more efficient and portable.  
         [0086]    Another example of the Enclosure structure similar to the one described herein above is to have the following:  
         [0087]    As an extension of scope of invention, a typical example is to have a single pre-fabricated foldable enclosure—comprising of framework including the roof, the sidewall sheets and spacer strips. This is simple to avoid the assembly work involved in the preferred embodiment herein above described in the previous paragraphs.  
         [0088]    The Enclosure is pre-fabricated with the wall sheets and spacer strips including a roof portion and drapes over the frame structure. One side of the wall may be provided with re-sealable opening for people passage preferably with hook and loop fasteners.  
         [0089]    Working of the Invention  
         [0090]    The working of the invention is herein described in detail. The said Enclosure assembly  1 , creates an isolated air space above an occupied surface, an example of such an application is around a bed as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0091]    The Enclosure isolates the inside space from the outside thermally and avoids outside air infiltration. The said air opening rims  15  and  16 , wrap around the said Air Ducts, and offers air passage or connection with the Air-condition Unit  17 . The Enclosure assembly is structured to be lightweight, to cost less, and to offer quick and easy assembly and disassembly; thus offering portability.  
         [0092]    Enclosure air is drawn through the Exit Air opening  13  and Exit Air Duct  20 . Part of the air from Exit Air Duct  20  and Fresh air from Fresh Air Chamber  36  is mixed in the Air Plenum  23 . The air is filtered through the Air Filter  25  and is moved by fan  24  through the Evaporator Coil Assembly  26 , where it is conditioned. The conditioned air enters the Enclosure through the Supply Air Duct  21 .  
         [0093]    Part of the Exit air from duct  20  passes through the Heat Transfer Duct  37  to Compressor Chamber  31 . The Air Damper  39  controls the flow of air inside the Heat Transfer Duct  37 . Air Damper  39  is adjusted by the Control Knob  38  interconnected by Control Rods and links  40 . The air in duct  37 , pre-conditions, pre-cools or pre-heats the fresh air in the Fresh Air Chamber  36 . This pre-conditioning of the fresh air by the exhaust air conserves energy. The Fresh Air chamber is supplied by fresh air through the Air Grills  33  located at the bottom.  
         [0094]    Outside air is also drawn inside the compressor chamber  31 , through the air grills at the lower portion of the said Chamber. Air from the Heat Transfer Duct  37 , enters the said chamber  31 , mixes with air in the chamber, and is moved by the blower  27 . The blower moves the air mixture across the condenser coil assembly  30 , and exhausts it through the exhaust duct  28 . The exhaust duct&#39;s free end may be located to exhaust hot air outside of the building through a window or doorway if the invention is used indoor. For outdoor use the exhaust duct can exhaust to the space.  
         [0095]    Conclusions Ramifications and Scope  
         [0096]    The above description illustrates the Self-contained Air-Conditioned Enclosure provides air-conditioned comfort with fresh air at economical capital cost, conserves energy, operates with lower cost, is portable can be assembled easily and has longer life.  
         [0097]    While the above contains many specifications these should not he construed as limitations on the scope of the scope of the invention, but rater as an exemplification of one preferred embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible a few examples follow.  
         [0098]    The rigid Enclosure Roof of the enclosure can replaced with an assembly similar to the sidewalls, with Wall Sheets and Spacer Strips. The Enclosure Frame structure instead of located outside the enclosure could be placed inside and support the enclosure. The Enclosure can be colored and have other shapes such as circular, square or combination thereof. The Enclosure sidewall can have slit opening for entry or exit to the Enclosure that can be sealed and fastened by hook-and-loop fasteners etc.  
         [0099]    The components of the Air-condition Unit can be rearranged to serve the same purpose as this invention. The Air moving devises can be connected with a longer shaft driven by a single electric motor. The air-conditioner or its control can be modified to work as a heat pump. The Unit size can be compacted by eliminating the Fresh Air Chamber and Heat transfer duct at the expense of energy conservation.  
         [0100]    Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.