Method and apparatus for dispensing condensate

A method and apparatus for atomizing and dispersing collected condensate in an air conditioning system to discharge mist-like droplets to the atmosphere. The improvement includes a pump and a nozzle provided as part of the air conditioning system in cooperation with a condensate collector, or as a retrofit for existing installations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for dispersing 
condensate collected in a central air conditioning unit. More 
particularly, this invention relates to a method and apparatus for 
atomizing collected liquid condensate in a central air conditioning unit 
or convector unit and dispersing the atomized condensate outside of the 
conditioned air space. Still more particularly, this invention relates to 
an atomization device, provided as a part of an air conditioning unit or 
easily retrofitted to an existing unit, having a pump and nozzle 
arrangement for cooperating with the unit to atomize and disperse 
collected condensate from the air conditioning unit to a space outside of 
the unit, optionally under the control of a liquid level sensor. 
Various types of central air conditioning systems are known for 
conditioning an interior space to improve the comfort level of the 
inhabitant. Such air conditioning units are available in many forms, such 
as window-mounted air conditioners, units mounted through the wall of a 
dwelling or building, forced-air convector units, or a centrally located 
air conditioning unit with ducting arrangements for distributing 
conditioned air throughout the premises. As is well known in the art, such 
units generally include an evaporator, a fan, a condenser, and a 
refrigerant system with appropriate valving in order to condition treated 
air moved past the evaporator and the condenser. 
In such centralized air conditioning systems, the evaporator coil is 
customarily mounted in a cabinet which contains a blower for moving air 
through the evaporator and into the area to be cooled. Such units 
typically include a condensate collector for collecting condensate formed 
on the evaporator. In such systems, therefore, it is a continuous problem 
to collect and remove the condensate collected in such units to avoid 
contact between the condensate and the electrical components in the 
cabinet, and to avoid overflow of the condensate from the condensate 
collector which might cause damage to adjacent flooring and furnishings. 
Such a problem is particularly acute in apartment buildings having a 
number of forced-air convector units in the apartments. 
Thus, it is a continuing problem in connection with such air conditioning 
systems to effectively remove the condensate from the condensate collector 
portions. A number of approaches have thus been tried to overcome this 
difficulty. For example, the condensate collector may be provided with an 
evaporative pad to assist in evaporating the collected condensate from the 
condensate collector to accelerate its dispersal. Another proposed 
solution has been to locate the condensate collector in a heated portion 
of the air conditioning system so that heat applied to the condensate 
collector assists in evaporation and dispersal of the condensate. 
A more common solution is to provide a collection system for disposing of 
the condensate either on a unit-by-unit basis, such as from each 
convector, or for a plurality of units through a centralized condensate 
dispersal system. In an apartment building, for example, interior and 
exterior forced-air convector units when provided on an 
apartment-by-apartment basis may include a network of horizontal and 
vertical conduits interconnected to receive collected condensate from the 
individual units and to dispose of the collected condensate through the 
water waste system for the apartment. Such installations are costly and 
are generally most suitably provided during construction of the building. 
Such systems are not completely satisfactory, particularly in humid 
environments or during peak cooling seasons, because of the tendency of 
such systems to clog by the presence of deposits, dirt, and the like. Such 
clogging generally occurs in such horizontal runs of conduit, making it 
desirable to eliminate or reduce such runs. When the disposal system 
becomes clogged, the condensate tends to overflow from a condensate 
collector creating a potential safety hazard and a potential for damage to 
the surroundings. 
Moreover, in older situations, such units of the through-the-wall variety 
have been accompanied by a condensate conduit connected from the 
condensate collector to the outside of the unit. Such conduits may exit 
the dwelling on a unit-by-unit basis and have generally proved 
satisfactory in providing an outlet for collected condensate. Such a 
solution is, however, unsatisfactory in the sense that the aesthetic look 
of a building is marred by the presence of a plurality of conduits 
extending from the building face and by the tendency of such conduits to 
agglomerate and coalesce the condensate resulting in noticeable drippings 
on the face of the building and potentially on passersby and on objects 
below. 
Accordingly, it is a continuing problem in air conditioning systems, 
particularly for apartment buildings, to attend to disposal of collected 
condensate and to eliminate or reduce the maintenance costs involved when 
condensate systems become plugged. 
It is thus an overall object of this invention to provide an improved 
method and apparatus for dispersing collected condensate from a central 
air conditioning unit. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus 
for atomizing collected condensate for inoffensive discharge to the 
atmosphere. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a pump and nozzle 
arrangement in connection with the central air conditioning unit for 
atomizing collected condensate for discharge to an exterior space from the 
unit. 
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a condensate 
atomization unit which is readily adapted for connection to an existing 
central air conditioning unit for atomizing and discharging condensate 
from the condensate collector of the unit. 
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a fluid level 
sensor for controlling the operation of the condensate collector as a 
function of the fluid level in the condensate collector. 
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the 
detailed written description of the invention which follows, taken in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Directed to achieving the foregoing objects, and overcoming the problems of 
the prior art, means are provided for atomizing and dispersing condensate 
in a central air conditioning unit collected in a condensate collector of 
the unit. In a preferred embodiment, the condensate atomizer comprises a 
pump having an inlet in fluid communication with a condensate collector 
and having its outlet connected to a nozzle for atomizing the condensate 
for discharge into the atmosphere. In an alternative embodiment, the pump 
is connected upstream of the condensate source to thus pressurize the 
condensate source upstream of the nozzle. In an alternative embodiment, a 
fluid sensor is provided for the condensate collector to sense the level 
of fluid in the collector for actuating the pump at predetermined fluid 
levels, thus to eliminate constant operation of the pump in the absence of 
collected condensate. 
The condensate atomizer according to the invention may be provided as a 
part of the original equipment manufacture of the air conditioning unit, 
or as a retrofit kit for converting existing central air conditioning 
equipment to utilize the features of the invention. The invention is 
useful in connection with room air conditioners of the through-the-wall 
variety or the window-mounted variety, or in centralized air conditioning 
equipment having a plurality of air conditioning units connected to a 
common collector system. It is a particular advantage of the invention to 
eliminate or minimize horizontal runs, thus minimizing the tendency of the 
condensate to deposit salts and thus clog the system, while assuring a 
positive yet inoffensive discharge of atomized condensate to the 
atmosphere. 
These and other features of the invention will become apparent from the 
written description of the invention which follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In FIG. 1, a central air conditioning system is shown in phantom outline 
and designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The system 10 
includes an air conditioning unit 12 connected to a power supply 14 and 
further includes a condensate collector 16, such as a drip pan. Typically, 
such air conditioning systems include, as a part of the air conditioning 
unit 12, an evaporator, a condenser, a cooling coil, fans, and valves, 
cooperating with conduits to condition air in a conditioned space relative 
to an outside space. Such units take a variety of forms, including 
window-mounted air conditioning units, through-the-wall mounted air 
conditioning units, or centralized air conditioning units for providing 
conditioned air through ducts to a plurality of conditioned spaces, as is 
well known in the art. 
Typically, such air conditioning systems 10 include a condensate collector 
16 for collecting condensate accumulating in the air conditioning unit 12 
for discharge from the conditioned space to the outside or to a common 
collector for a plurality of such units, as is shown diagrammatically in 
FIGS. 6 and 7. 
The improvement according to the invention includes a condensate atomizer 
20 connected to the power supply 14 for cooperating with the air 
conditioning system 10, and in particular with the condensate collector 16 
for atomizing the collected condensate and discharging the condensate from 
an atomized condensate discharge member 22. 
Such a system is advantageous in controllably dispersing collected 
condensate away from the unit by atomizing collected condensate to a 
sufficiently fine mist or plurality of droplets so as to be inoffensive 
and unnoticeable, thus reducing or eliminating agglomeration or 
coalescense of such particles on the outside of the unit, or on the 
outside of a building. Use of the improvement according to the invention, 
therefore, eliminates dripping of collected condensate, reducing an 
opportunity for overflow and damage to surroundings. 
FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the basic components of the 
invention wherein the condensate collector 16 is shown in the form of a 
drip pan 24 which is typical of most air conditioning units 10. The 
condensate collector 16 includes a drip pan 24 having collected condensate 
26 therein and an outlet conduit 28 connected to the drip pan 24. The 
condensate atomizer 20 includes a pump 30 connected directly to a power 
source 14, or through a transformer 32 for transforming line voltage to a 
low voltage for actuating a low voltage pump. The inlet of the pump 30 is 
connected to the conduit 28 and its outlet 34 is connected to a suitable 
nozzle 36 for atomizing the condensate for discharge through the 
condensate discharge member 22. In its simplest form, the condensate 
discharge member 22 may be in the form of a conduit connected at the 
outlet of the nozzle, and in close proximity thereto, to the outside of 
the unit. The outside edge of the condensate discharge conduit may be 
aesthetically and cosmetically covered, to shield the open end of the 
conduit from view, but without affecting its mist disposal function. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the pump may constantly run when the air 
conditioning unit is running, or when a selected fan in the air 
condtioning unit is running. In an alternative, as shown in FIG. 4, the 
drip pan 24 may include a fluid level sensor 40 for sensing a level of 
condensate fluid in the collector 16. When the fluid is above a 
predetermined upper level, the sensor 40 closes to actuate a relay coil 
42a of a relay 42 to close a switch 42b to the pump 30. When the collected 
condensate 26 reaches a lowermost level as sensed by the switch 40, the 
relay coil 42a is opened, thus causing the contact 42b to open, ceasing 
operation of the pump. In this way, intermittent operation of the pump is 
achieved for efficiency reasons. The sensor 40 is commercially available 
and may be selected from a fluid sensitive switch, or a float/switch 
device. 
In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the pump 30 is located 
upstream of the conduit 28 from the drip pan 24 so as to avoid passing all 
of the collected condensate through the pump, while at the same time 
pressurizing the condensate in the nozzle 36 to atomize the condensate for 
discharge from the condensate discharge device 22. The positioning of the 
pump 30 as shown in FIG. 3 will also assist entraining the condensate 26 
in the air, further enhancing its misting for discharge, as described 
above. 
In its preferred embodiment, the nozzle 36 may take a variety of forms, 
having a single orifice as shown in FIG. 5a (such as a hose nozzle), or a 
plurality of orifices as shown in FIG. 5b (such as a shower head). The 
orifice, in combination with the inside diameter of the inlet conduit, the 
pressure provided by the pump on the condensate, and the parameters needed 
to produce droplets, or a fine mist, or an atomized discharge, are known 
to the art, and may be selected in accordance with a particular 
installation to achieve an inoffensive discharge. 
It is a feature of this invention that the improvement may be provided in 
connection with the original equipment manufacutre, as shown in FIG. 6, or 
as a retrofit as shown in FIGS. 2 or 3, wherein a kit comprising a pump, a 
nozzle and necessary conduits and pipe fittings are provided as part of a 
maintenance conversion. For example, the conduit 28 may be cut, a tee 
inserted, the pump and nozzle connected, and an outlet conduit connected 
to the nozzle. In the unit of FIG. 6, a through-the-wall air conditioner 
is shown wherein the unit 10a is mounted in a wall 50 for conditioning the 
interior space 50a relative to the exterior space 50b. In such an 
embodiment, the atomized discharge member 22 takes the form of a conduit 
either connected directly to the unit 10a as shown in FIG. 5, or connected 
to an interior portion of the conduit having its outlet exiting on the 
outlet side 50b of the wall. In practice, such a conduit may be located in 
an opening drilled in the wall of the building, thus avoiding long 
horizontal runs for the condensate collector system. 
FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment wherein a plurality of air conditioners 
10b, 10c and 10d are connected with a common collector 54 to which a pump 
30 and discharge 22 are provided to achieve the objectives of the 
invention, as described above. 
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing 
from its spirit or esssential characteristics. The present embodiments 
are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not 
restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims 
rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come 
within the meaning and range of the equivalents of the claims are 
therefore intended to be embraced therein.