Patent Publication Number: US-11644200-B2

Title: Window air conditioner support apparatus and method

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/117,725, entitled Window Air Conditioner Support Apparatus and Method, filed on Aug. 30, 2018, the contents all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     This invention relates to window air conditioners, and more particularly to a support that facilitates installation and removal of the air conditioner from a window. 
     Background Information 
     Window air conditioners are routinely installed in double-hung windows by opening the lower sash of the window, resting the air conditioner on the window sill, and then lowering the window sash. In this scenario, one person typically holds the air conditioner in place on the sill while another person lowers the sash into engagement with the air conditioner. The sash is thus used to secure the air conditioner in place. It will be recognized that this approach tends to be cumbersome and may be dangerous, e.g., if the sash is inadvertently moved upwards without otherwise securing the air conditioner. 
     A wide variety of mounting and support assemblies for window-type air conditioners have been devised in an effort to enhance such installation. Conventional approaches include any number of braces and supports that are mechanically fastened to both the air conditioner and the jamb/casings of the window into which the air conditioner is to be installed. Supports may also be provided outside the window, extending beneath the air conditioner to an exterior window sill or secured to an exterior building façade with mechanical fasteners such as screws or bolts. Drawbacks associated with many of these approaches include relatively time consuming and complex multi-component installations, and the need for mechanical fasteners that tend to be unsightly and require undesirable penetrations into window moldings/casings and/or building facades. Conventional approaches also typically place metallic components of the braces and/or air conditioners in positions where they contact and potentially scratch or otherwise damage woodwork such as window moldings and casings. 
     Still other potential drawbacks include the need for components of the brace/support to be installed before placing the air conditioner unit thereon. This approach is often complicated, requiring external access to the window by ladder. These pre-installed approaches also generally fail to address the problem of lifting the air conditioner into the window and onto the brace/support, which tends to be cumbersome and often requires at least two people to complete. 
     Thus, a need exists for a system and method that addresses the aforementioned drawbacks. 
     SUMMARY 
     The appended claims may serve as a summary of the invention. The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated advantages. Additionally, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and not to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: 
         FIG.  1 A  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  1 B  is an elevational side view of the embodiment of  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIG.  1 C  is an enlarged view of a portion of the embodiment of  FIG.  1 B ; 
         FIG.  2    is a view similar to that of  FIG.  1 B , in a typical installation; 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective rear view of the installation of  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  4 A  is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  4 B  is an elevational side view of the embodiment of  FIG.  4 A ; 
         FIG.  5 A  is an elevational side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  5 B  is cross-sectional view taken along  5 B- 5 B of  FIG.  5 A ; 
         FIG.  6    is an elevational side view, with portions broken away, of the embodiment of  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B ; and 
         FIG.  7    is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the present invention with optional features shown in phantom. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described below. Additionally, unless otherwise specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In addition, well-known structures, circuits and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of this description. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     General Overview 
     Embodiments of the invention include a support that facilitates installation and removal of an air conditioner from a window. Referring to  FIGS.  1 A- 1 C , in one embodiment, the support includes two horizontal members connected to one another with adjustable cross-members that enable the support to be clamped onto a window air conditioner as shown in  FIG.  2   . As also shown in  FIG.  2   , the horizontal members are long enough to engage the window frame, so that the user may simply place the air conditioner with the support into the window opening, where the weight of the air conditioner will hold the horizontal members against the window frame. The user may therefore easily place the air conditioner into the window without having to hold it in place, and without the need, as used in the prior art, to use the window sash to keep the air conditioner from falling out the window. These embodiments thus also eliminate the need for a second person to lower the sash while a first person holds the air conditioner in place in the window. As shown in  FIG.  3   , the support securely holds the air conditioner in place within the window opening without resting on the exterior window sill, and without the need for an exterior brace. As shown in  FIG.  4   , in an alternate embodiment, the support may be fabricated as a one-piece unit, e.g., from a structural polymer such as polyethylene (PE) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sized and shaped for specific makes and models of air conditioners. 
     Terminology 
     As used in the specification and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, reference to “a member” includes a plurality of such members. 
     Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, as used herein, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs unless a term has been otherwise defined. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning as commonly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure. Such commonly used terms will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless the disclosure herein expressly so defines otherwise. 
     An aspect of the present invention was the recognition by the present inventor that it would be desirable to provide an air conditioner support of relatively simple, substantially one-piece molded construction, with custom dimensions to receive particular air conditioner units therein, and/or with some adjustability to accommodate a range of air conditioners. It was further realized that although conventional wisdom may teach against the idea of relying on end-users to make significant modifications in the field, demarcations and/or score lines on plastic components may be used to make such field modifications simple and relatively error-free. The present inventor also recognized, contrary to conventional wisdom, that a substantially one-piece plastic construction would have sufficient structural integrity to support an air conditioner, even without exterior braces fastened to the window sill or building façade. It was still further recognized that eliminating the need for exterior supports would enable the support to be pre-installed onto the air conditioner, and then used to lift and slide the air conditioner into place in the window. 
     Referring now to the Figures, embodiments of the present invention will be more thoroughly described. Turning now to  FIGS.  1 A- 1 C , an apparatus, in the form of a support  10 , is used to mount an air conditioner  11  for operative disposition with respect to a window  12  ( FIG.  2   ) having a moveable sash  13 , while being free of any supports external to the window, while also being free of metallic contact with the window. As shown, support  10  includes an elongated bottom member  14  of polymeric molded construction, sized and shaped to extend along an interior window sill  16  ( FIG.  2   ) of the window  12 , with opposite ends thereof extending beyond vertical side jambs  18 ,  20  of the window. 
     Support  10  also includes an elongated top member  22  of polymeric (e.g., molded) construction, sized and shaped to extend in superposed orientation with the bottom member  14 , with opposite ends thereof extending beyond the vertical side jambs  18 ,  20  of the window. First and second transverse members  24 ,  26  of polymeric construction, extend in spaced relation to one another between the bottom member  14  and top member  22 , wherein the transverse members  24 ,  26 , the bottom member  14 , and the top member  22  define a receptacle  30  ( FIG.  1 B ) sized and shaped to slidably receive the air conditioner therein and to interferingly engage an elongated flange  32  ( FIG.  2   ) extending along an upper surface of the air conditioner. As shown in  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the receptacle  30  is sized and shaped to extend 360 degrees about a vertical cross-section taken through the air conditioner when the air conditioner is disposed in its operative orientation. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1 A , demarcations and/or score lines  34  are molded into at least one of bottom member  14  and top member  22  to facilitate trimming the opposite ends to accommodate windows of various widths. In this regard, the opposite ends may be trimmed as desired to provide members  14  and/or  22  with sufficient overlap with vertical side jambs  18 ,  20  as shown in  FIG.  2    to prevent the support  10  from sliding out the window, without the members being so long as to be unsightly or to otherwise interfere with architectural features such as window trim. Particular embodiments of support  10  also include a plurality of hand-holds  36  ( FIG.  1 B ) or  38  ( FIG.  4   ) molded into at least one of the members  14 ,  22 . 
     These embodiments form a unitary, lightweight polymeric air conditioner support  10  being free of any exposed metallic components, with hand-holds  36 ,  38  graspable by a user to lift and extend the air conditioner  11  out the window  12 , as shown in  FIG.  3   , until the bottom member  14  rests on the window sill  16  and the opposite ends of at least one of the bottom member  14  and the top member  22  engage the vertical jambs and/or casings  18 ,  20  of the window, as shown in  FIG.  2   . Once so positioned, the weight of the air conditioner extending outside the window maintains the ends of at least one of the members  14 ,  22  in surface to surface engagement with the vertical side jambs and/or casings  18 ,  20  to maintain the air conditioner  11  in operative disposition with the window  12  independently of the movable sash  13 . In other words, the support  10  maintains the air conditioner  11  within the open window  12 , without having to rely on leaning the flange  32  against the sash  13 . This tends to simplify and improve the safety of installing the air conditioner into the window relative to conventional approaches, since it enables the sash  13  to be open widely during installation, e.g., as shown in  FIG.  2   . The ability to widely open the sash provides ample clearance to install the air conditioner without scraping or otherwise damaging the sash or other window components without risk of the air conditioner falling out the window. Moreover, support  10  provides these features without the need for any supports external (i.e., exterior) to the window, and without the need for any metallic contact with the window either in the form of metallic components resting against the window or in the form of screws or other mechanical fasteners anchored to the window or the surrounding building structure. 
     In various embodiments, the transverse members  24 ,  26 , and the bottom and top members  14 ,  22 , are fabricated from structural polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and mixtures and combinations thereof. For example, these members may be molded with a corrugated or honeycomb core to provide the requisite structural rigidity. 
     It should be recognized that embodiments of the present invention may be fabricated as substantially unitary, molded components, in which the top, bottom, and transverse members are molded as a single component as shown in  FIG.  4    as support  10 ′. As discussed herein, such unitary plastic construction provides relatively light weight while having sufficient structural rigidity to enable it to be used to lift an air conditioner into and out of a window, and to support the air conditioner within the window during use. The plastic construction also helps to prevent damage to the window that may otherwise be caused by metallic components scratching painted trim or by drilling and/or screwing anchors into window jambs, sills, or building facades. In these one-piece embodiments, support  10 ′ may be provided with a receptacle  30  sized and shaped for specific makes and models of air conditioners. The particular make and model may also be permanently affixed, such as by molding or embossing, into one of the members such as into top member  22  as shown in  FIG.  4   . 
     Referring back to  FIGS.  1 B and  1 C , in some embodiments the transverse members  24  and  26  may be fabricated as telescopingly adjustable components with internally captured and/or recessed fasteners, to permit the transverse members to be tightened to clamp the transverse members  24  and  26  to the air conditioner  11 . or example, each member  24 ,  26  may include telescoping inner and outer tubes  36  and  38  which are adjustable by use of a threaded fastener  40  with a head  42  countersunk in one of the members  14 ,  22 , and which extends through one of the tubes  36 ,  38  to a nut  44  captured in the other of the tubes  36 ,  38 . In this regard, the nut  44  may be molded in-situ in one end of the tube as shown, or may be placed into the tube from the opposite end thereof. The fastener  40  may be loosened to facilitate receiving the air conditioner  11  into receptacle  30  and into engagement with the elongated flange  32  as shown in  FIG.  2   . The user may then tighten fastener  40  to effectively clamp members  14 ,  22  onto the air conditioner to secure the support  10  to the air conditioner. In this manner, support  10  has characteristics of the aforementioned unitary molded construction (support  10 ′), including being free of any external metallic components, while also being adjustable to accommodate air conditioners  11  of various sizes. This support  10  may thus be viewed as having an adjustable, unitary molded construction. 
     Indeed, like the embodiment of  FIG.  4   , support  10  may be molded from a single mold. In this regard, it should be noted that as shown, support  10  may be fabricated from two substantially identical components that are fastened to one another after inverting one into the other. For example, in the embodiment shown, bottom member  14  may be molded integrally with the outer telescoping tube of member  24 , and with the inner telescoping tube of member  26 , along with in-situ nut  44 , to form a lower assembly  47 . A copy of this assembly  47  may then be simply inverted to form an upper assembly  49 , including top member  22  and the remaining telescoping tubes of members  24  and  26 . Since the upper assembly is effectively a mirror image of the lower assembly, both of these assemblies  47 ,  49  may be fabricated using a single mold, to simplify manufacture and inventory requirements. Final assembly then simply involves fastening assemblies  47 ,  49  to one another using the threaded fasteners  40 . 
     As best shown in  FIG.  4   , in particular embodiments, supports  10 ,  10 ′ are provided with a web  46 , e.g., fabricated from plastic materials similar to those used to fabricate the support  10 ,  10 ′, extending between the top member and the bottom member outside of the receptacle  30  to form an ambient air barrier between the receptacle  30  and the vertical side jambs  18 ,  20 , when installed into a window. Web  46  is thus configured to be coextensive with ends of the top member and the bottom member effectively close the gap between the receptacle  30  and jambs  18 ,  20 . The web may be adjustable, such as provided by configuration as an accordion style baffle. Alternatively, the web  46  may take the form of plastic sheets that are slidable relative to one another to provide adjustability. Still further, the web  46  may take the form of one or more plastic sheets that are adjustable by being trimmed, e.g., using scissors or the like. 
     Turning now to the following Table I, a method of fabricating support  10 ,  10 ′ is shown and described. 
                                    52   Bottom member 22 sized and shaped       54   Top member 14 sized and shaped       56   Transverse members 24, 26 extended between members 22, 14       58   demarcations/score lines 34 are molded       60   hand-holds 36, 38 are molded       62   Optionally, use polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene,           polyvinyl chloride, and mixtures and combinations thereof       64   Optionally mold the support as a unitary, one-piece construction       66   Optionally fabricate transverse members 24, 26 to be telescopingly           adjustable with internally captured and/or recessed fasteners       68   Optionally extend polymeric web 46       70   Optionally provide web with adjustability                    
Method  50  includes sizing and shaping  52  the bottom member  22  to extend along an interior window sill of the window, with opposite ends thereof extending beyond vertical side jambs of the window. At  54 , top member  14  is sized and shaped to extend in superposed orientation with the bottom member, with opposite ends thereof extending beyond the vertical side jambs of the window. At  56 , first and second transverse members  24 ,  26  are extended in spaced relation to one another between the bottom and top members  22 ,  14 , to define the receptacle  30 . At  58 , the demarcations/score lines  34  are molded into at least one of the members  22 ,  14  to facilitate trimming to accommodate windows of various widths. A plurality of hand-holds  36 ,  38  are molded  60  into at least one of the members  22 ,  14 , wherein the apparatus forms a unitary, lightweight polymeric air conditioner support being free of any exposed metallic components, with hand-holds graspable by a user to lift and extend the air conditioner out the window opening until the bottom member rests on the window sill and the opposite ends of at least one of the top and bottom members engage the vertical jambs and/or casings of the window so that weight of the air conditioner extending outside the window maintains the ends of at least the top member in surface to surface engagement with the vertical side jambs and/or casings to maintain the air conditioner in operative disposition with the window independently of the movable sash, while being free of any supports external to the window and being free of any metallic contact with the window.
 
     Optional aspects of method  50  include molding  62  the support  10 ,  10 ′ from structural polymers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and mixtures and combinations thereof, and optionally molding  64  the support as a unitary, one-piece construction. At  66 , transverse members  24 ,  26  are fabricated to be telescopingly adjustable with internally captured and/or recessed fasteners, to provide the support with adjustable, unitary molded construction. At  68 , a polymeric web  46  is extended between the top member and the bottom member outside of said receptacle to form an ambient air barrier between the receptacle and the vertical side jambs of the window. At  70 , the web is fabricated to be adjustable, e.g., as an accordion style baffle or overlapping sheets, or by being trimmable. 
     Turning now to  FIGS.  5 A- 7   , alternate embodiments are substantially as shown and described hereinabove, but for the following modifications. As best shown in  FIGS.  5 A,  5 B and  6   , a support  10 ″ includes a top member  22 ′ having at least two members configured for telescoping laterally relative to one another, e.g., in overlapping relationship, to accommodate windows of various widths. As best shown in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , this telescoping functionality may be provided, for example, by the use of at least two overlapping members each having a series of demarcations  34  in the form of holes spaced along the lengths thereof. The two overlapping members may be moved telescopingly relative to one another so proximal end portions thereof overlap with one another, while distal end portions respectively overlap with the vertical jambs  18 ,  20  ( FIG.  2   ) of a window  12  as shown and described hereinabove. Fasteners such as metallic nuts and bolts may be passed through overlapping holes in the proximal end portions to secure the overlapping members to one another, as shown in  FIGS.  5 A and  6   . These fasteners and/or additional fasteners may be used to fasten the overlapping members to a backing member  23  as shown in  FIG.  5 B . In particular embodiments, backing member  23  is secured to the flange  32  of the air conditioner  11  as shown and described hereinabove with respect to  FIG.  2   . It should also be recognized that instead of using a backing member  23 , the overlapping members of top member  22 ′ may be fastened directly to the air conditioner  11 , e.g., via flange  32  ( FIG.  2   ). The overlapping members may be fabricated from any material having desired structural integrity, as discussed hereinbelow. In one example, the two overlapping members of top member  22 ′ may be fabricated from 1.5 inch 14 Gauge zinc-plated slotted angle stock as shown in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B . Moreover, although a particular style of overlapping member has been shown and described, it should be recognized that substantially any form of telescoping structure, including, for example, elongated concentric tubes such as commonly used in collapsible antennae and/or collapsible telescopes, may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     It should be recognized that the telescoping top member  22 ′ facilitates use of support  10 ″ with a relative wide variety of windows, especially those of a relatively large width, and/or which are inset within relatively thick walls as shown in  FIG.  7   . This capability is provided by enabling the distal ends of top member  22 ′ to easily extend beyond the jambs  18 ,  20  if desired, e.g., to overlap with window casing (trim) as shown in  FIG.  7    and/or with the wall beyond the window trim. The use of this telescoping construction enables the top member to be fabricated from relatively strong materials, such as steel or other metallic materials, carbon fiber, and/or reinforced polymeric materials, whose lengths may not be easily adjusted by trimming, e.g., at score lines, as described hereinabove. And because the telescoping construction permits sizing without making permanent alterations, the support  10 ″ is easily re-sized for relatively large windows after having been previously sized for smaller windows. 
     In particular embodiments, the series of demarcations/holes  34  may be spaced along both the proximal and distal end portions, or along substantially the entire lengths, of the overlapping members of top member  22 ′. Stops (e.g., pegs)  50  ( FIG.  7   ) may thus be fastened to top member  22 ′, e.g., by bolts extending through holes  34  in the distal end portions, to extend orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the top member  22 ′ as shown in  FIG.  7   . The particular placement of the stops  50  may be selected so that the stops  50  extend in superposed, e.g., spaced, relation to inner surfaces of the vertical window frame as shown, e.g., to help restrict sideways movement (towards or away from the jambs  18 ,  20 ), of the support  10 ″ and air conditioner  11 , e.g., during installation and/or operation of the air conditioner. It should be noted that the distal ends of top member  22 ′ and/or stops  50  may optionally be provided with end caps as shown in phantom at  52 . End caps  52  may be fabricated from a resilient material such as rubber or plastic, to help prevent damage to the window  12  and/or walls by effectively preventing any contact of metallic components of the support  10 ″ with the window and/or walls. 
     As also shown, in particular embodiments, the bottom member  14 ′ of support  10 ″ may be shorter in length than the top member  22 ″, so that it does not necessarily extend into overlapping engagement with the vertical side jambs  18 ,  20 , etc., of the window. This feature tends to simplify installation and/or enhance the aesthetics of the support  10 ″ by eliminating the need to adjust the size of the bottom member or to extend it into the aforementioned overlapping engagement. Moreover, this feature enables the bottom member  14 ′ to be fabricated from a wide range of materials, including the molded polymeric materials described hereinabove with respect to supports  10 ,  10 ′. Accordingly, the alternate embodiment shown and described with respect to  FIGS.  5 A- 7    provides a support  10 ″ for mounting an air conditioner for operative disposition with respect to a window having a moveable sash, while being free of any supports external to the window. The support  10 ″ is also free of any metallic fastener contact with the window, since the support does not need to be screwed, bolted, or otherwise fastened to the sash, jambs, or other parts of the window. Instead, as shown and described hereinabove, in these embodiments, the weight of the air conditioner extending outside the window maintains the opposite ends of at least one of the bottom member and the top member in surface to surface engagement with the vertical side jambs and/or casings to maintain the air conditioner in operative disposition with the window independently of the movable sash. Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, the components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order. It should be further understood that any of the features described with respect to one of the embodiments described herein may be similarly applied to any of the other embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used in this document, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set. 
     To aid the Patent Office and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants wish to note that they do not intend any of the appended claims or claim elements to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.