Dehumidifier apparatus with pump

The present invention provides a pump pack for automatic and continuous emptying of water condensate from a dehumidifier positioned below ground level or remotely from a gravity drain. The present invention includes a small submersible electrical pump powered by a conventional 110 volt AC power source, includes an on/off float switch connected with the power source, in cooperation with a flexible hose of small diameter of variable length. Condensate collected in the water collection pan is withdrawn at a preselected water level by the pump and passes through the tubing to an elevated or remote drain means or to other appropriate areas for disposal. The present invention permits continuous operation of portable dehumidifiers which would otherwise shut off when the condensate water pan fills after approximately one day's unattended use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Portable dehumidifiers have been found useful in controlling the moisture 
content in the air contained in interior rooms of buildings. Use of 
dehumidifiers has been found particularly beneficial in removing excess 
moisture which otherwise causes damage to articles stored or contained in 
such interior rooms due to the formation of mildew or mold on such 
articles. In modern buildings where storage space is scarce, cellars have 
increasingly been used for storage as well as living spaces, despite the 
fact that cellars, at certain times of the year; are generally known to be 
damp, located below grade level, lacking access to sunlight, and having 
porous cement walls, typically are damp. Such spaces are probably the most 
appropriate spaces for dehumidification, and homeowners frequently employ 
portable dehumidifiers to overcome problems of excess moisture, however 
most cellars lack drains to carry away condensate collected by the 
dehumidifier. 
Prior art dehumidifiers such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,627,669, 
3,199,307, 4,135,370 and 4,603,489 typically have gravity drains to permit 
continuous operations. Alternatively, portable dehumidifiers typically 
employ drip pans which are used to collect liquid condensate to be emptied 
once a day when the pan is filled, with a shut off mechanism to turn the 
dehumidifier off in the event the pan is not emptied on a daily basis. 
Emptying the pans requires removal of the pan from the dehumidifier which 
is heavy when filled with water with risk of spillage and carrying the pan 
upstairs or out of doors, to be followed by the return of the pan 
reinstallation, all of which is laborious and time consuming. 
Inasmuch as most cellars are below the drain outlet for the house, the 
gravity feed of the prior art dehumidifiers cannot be used. Consequently 
the vast majority of portable dehumidifiers installed in the cellar, 
basement or rooms not having access to a drain, must be emptied daily by 
the user at great inconvenience. If left unattended the dehumidifier 
ceases operation upon the filling of the pan. 
It is therefore desirable to provide a simple, effective, portable 
dehumidifier apparatus and pump pack in order to provide for improved 
drainage, particularly when located in rooms located below grade such as a 
cellar or basement. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improved dehumidifier apparatus with pump pack 
apparatus for providing for the controlled removal of liquid condensate 
from a portable dehumidifier. 
In particular, the invention concerns automatic removal, preferably by 
pumping, of accumulated condensate in portable dehumidifiers by means of 
an electrical submersible pump wherein the dehumidifier is located below 
or away from access to available drainage systems. 
In one embodiment, a simple, inexpensive, pump pack apparatus has been 
discovered for use in combination with a portable dehumidifier apparatus 
for automatic controlled pumping of accumulated condensate, typically in 
the form of water, from a collection pan in the portable dehumidifier 
apparatus which is positioned below available drainage, such as in 
cellars. The dehumidifier apparatus typically comprises a housing, having 
an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber having an air 
inlet and an air outlet, a dehumidifier provided in the upper chamber 
together with a circulating fan for drawing outside air into the upper 
chamber for contacting the dehumidifier, the dehumidifier adapted to 
remove moisture from surrounding air to form a liquid condensate in the 
form of droplets which have a natural tendency to drop from the 
dehumidifier downwardly into the lower chamber, a collection pan mounted 
in the lower chamber for the accumulation of droplets of liquid 
condensate, a float to sense the level of condensate in the collection 
pan, to alternatively energize the dehumidifier for removing moisture from 
the air with condensate being collected in the drain pan until the 
collection pan becomes filled, whereupon the switch, typically a pressure 
switch or alternatively a float operated switch de-energizes the 
dehumidifier to prevent the pan from over flowing. The dehumidifier 
apparatus also includes a plurality of wheels positioned on the base of 
the lower chamber for the portable movement of the apparatus to a location 
characterized by high humidity, typically a basement space. The collection 
pan is of generally rectangular construction, typically consisting of a 
lightweight plastic material, and is removably disposed within the lower 
chamber at the base thereof extending over the entire base area for 
collecting condensate dripping downwardly from the dehumidifier. 
The pump pack apparatus is adapted to be connected electrically to a power 
source and includes a pump, typically an electric submersible pump, the 
pump being positioned in the condensate pan to be submerged in the 
collected condensate and to pump the liquid condensate from the pan to an 
elevated drain system; a float switch apparatus mechanically connected to 
the pump for control ling the pump to be activated for pumping when the 
pan is full and for de-energizing the pump when the condensate has been 
completely evacuated from the condensate pan, the float switch apparatus 
being activated to pump at predetermined level of liquid condensate in the 
pan; and an elongated tubing, of small diameter extending, from the pump 
to an elevated drain system, typically via a casement window providing 
access to the outside environment, such as a section of lawn or 
alternatively to a remote drainage system permitting continuous operation 
of the dehumidifier apparatus to continuously remove moisture from the air 
of the room or space in which the dehumidifier is located. The pump pack 
also includes an attachment for attaching the pump pack to the 
dehumidifier. The pump pack further includes an on/off switch positioned 
in the condensate drain pan connected to the float used for sensing the 
water level and said switch adapted for activating the pump. 
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a 110 AC volt power 
outlet is connected directly to a circuit contained in the dehumidifier 
called a full pan circuit. 
In another embodiment, the pump pack apparatus is adapted for use in 
combination with a portable dehumidifier apparatus for automatic 
controlled pumping of accumulated condensate, typically in the form of 
water, from a collection pan in the portable dehumidifier apparatus which 
is positioned below available drainage, such as in cellars. The 
dehumidifier apparatus typically comprises a housing, having an upper 
chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber having an air inlet and an 
air outlet, a dehumidifier coil of conventional construction well known in 
the art is provided in the upper chamber together with a circulating fan 
for drawing outside air into the upper chamber for contacting the 
dehumidifier coil, the dehumidifier coil adapted to remove moisture from 
surrounding air to form a liquid condensate. The liquid condensate is in 
the form of droplets which have a natural tendency to drop from the 
dehumidifier coil downwardly into the lower chamber, into a collection pan 
adapted for manual removal for draining is mounted in the lower chamber 
for the accumulation of droplets of liquid condensate. A float of 
conventional construction hingedly mounted for operation between a lower, 
"empty", de-energized position and an upper "full" energized position to 
sense the level of condensate in the collection pan, and to selectively 
energize the dehumidifier apparatus for removing moisture from the air 
with condensate being collected in the collection pan until said pan 
becomes filled, whereupon the float activates a switch, typically a float 
operated switch to de-energize the dehumidifier apparatus to prevent the 
collection pan from over flowing. 
The pump pack apparatus is adapted to be connected electrically to a power 
source and comprises an electrically operated submersible pump, the pump 
being positioned in the collection pan and removably attached thereto to 
be submerged for operation in the collected condensate and to pump the 
liquid condensate from the collection pan to an elevated drain system. 
Said pump pack apparatus includes a float switch of conventional 
construction for controlling the pump selectively to a pumping mode when 
the collection pan is full and for a de-energized mode when the condensate 
has been completely pumped from the collection pan, said float switch 
being activated to pump at predetermined level of liquid condensate in the 
collection pan. The pump pack apparatus further includes an elongated, 
flexible tube of small diameter extending from the submersible pump to a 
remote drain system or alternatively to a remote and elevated drain 
system. The pump pack apparatus typically comprises an electrical 
submersible pump of waterproof construction which is adapted to be 
submerged in the condensate for operating. 
The float switch is adapted to operate the pump apparatus intermittently to 
reduce the level of condensate in the collection pan from a higher filled 
level to a low empty level by pumping the condensate out of the pan 
through the elongated flexible tube to an elevated or remote drain, 
typically via a casement window providing access to the outside 
environment such as a section of lawn, or alternatively to a remote 
drainage system, thereby to permit continuous operation of the 
dehumidifier apparatus to continuously remove moisture from the air of the 
room or space in which the dehumidifier is located. The pump pack 
apparatus includes an attachment for attaching the submersible pump to a 
wall of the collection pan of the dehumidifier apparatus. 
In this embodiment of the present invention, a 110 AC volt power outlet is 
connected directly to a circuit contained in the dehumidifier called a 
full pan circuit such that when the full pan light is energized, power is 
supplied directly to the submersible pump for continual operation until 
enough water is pumped out of the pan so the dehumidifier may resume 
operation. Typically at such time as a pressure switch positioned beneath 
the condensate pan indicates that the pan is full, the dehumidifier is 
de-energized until such time as the water level in the pan is lowered by 
the pumping action. In the alternate embodiment, the full light circuit is 
utilized for energizing and de-energizing the pump, whereas in the prior 
embodiment, the float switch is used to energize and de-energize the pump. 
The invention will be described for the purposes of illustration only in 
connection with certain embodiments; however, it is recognized that those 
persons skilled in the art may make various changes, modifications, 
improvements and additions on the illustrated embodiments all without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the 
dehumidifier apparatus 10 having a housing 12, having a front cover 13 
shown in FIG. 2, an upper chamber 14 and a lower chamber 16, the upper 
chamber 14 having an air inlet 19 and an air outlet 20 and provided with a 
dehumidifier 22 and a motor blower 24 for drawing outside air into the 
upper chamber 14 for contacting the dehumidifier to form condensate 33 to 
be collected in a collection pan 30. The dehumidifier apparatus 10 of the 
invention as shown in FIG. 1 shows an electric power source 11 and a pump 
pack 25 comprising an electric pump 28 positioned in the collection pan 30 
contained within the housing 12 of the dehumidifier apparatus 10. The pump 
apparatus 28 includes a float switch 18 and is connected to a tube 22 
extending a substantial distance for positioning in an illustrated 
casement window 31, said elongated tube 22 being of flexible construction 
the pump 28 being connected to a float switch 18 in turn collected to the 
power source 12. 
A full light switch 32 is connected to an electrical circuit not shown for 
indicating when the condensate pan 30 is full of condensate 33 whereupon a 
circuit and a humidistat control 34 is provided for controlling the amount 
of moisture to be removed from the air. Also the window of conventional 
construction, typically a basement casement window having an upper pane 36 
and a lower movable pane 38 of glass which is slideably mounted for 
movement between an open and closed position. 
The pump pack 52 is connected to the power source 12 adapted to supply 
electric power to the pump 28, and includes an output, port 42. Said pump 
pack is attached to a wall 50 of the collection pan 30 by attachment 52. 
An on/off switch 44 is provided on pump 28, said pump being attached to a 
tube 22 having a one and other end, one end attached to the output port 42 
of the pump, the other end positioned in an elevated drain typically a 
casement window 31 and a float switch 18 for measuring the level of 
condensate 33 in the collection pan 30.