Patent Abstract:
An outdoor unit for an air conditioner/heat pump is provided with a bracket which is attached to the tube sheet of the heat exchanger coil for routing the electrical leads from the electronic components within the unit to a control box located outside thereof. The bracket is mounted without fasteners and is preferably clipped onto a planar structure on the tube sheet by way of opposing tabs on the bracket. The bracket is preferably secured to the planar wall by way of dimples that engage with holes formed in the planar wall.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to air conditioning/heat pump units and, more particularly, to apparatus for routing and retaining electrical wires therein. 
         [0002]    Air conditioning systems for conditioning residences and other interior spaces provide a condenser unit located outside the residence and an evaporator unit located in communication with the interior spaced to be cooled. In heat pump applications, a reversing valve is provided and the roles of the two units are reversed. 
         [0003]    In both air conditioner and heat pump applications, the outdoor unit has an electric motor and fan associated therewith such that the outdoor air may be drawn through the heat exchanger of the unit. In addition to the fan motor, other electrical components, such as a compressor, heater, and pressure switches, are located in the interior of the unit and are commonly connected by way of electrical wires to a control unit mounted outside of the heat exchanger coil. 
         [0004]    Various problems have arisen from the routing of the electrical wires from the internal components to the outside control box. For example, in order to prevent damage to the wires, they must remain free from possible contact with the rotating fan which could cause them to be severed. Also, since they are likely to be routed to the vicinity of the coil tube sheets, it is necessary to prevent their rubbing against the edge of the tube sheet which can cause them to be severed. Finally, in order to aid in the orderly assembly of the unit, it is desirable that the electrical wires be maintained in a unitary bundle so that they can be easily routed to the control box. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Briefly, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a bracket is mounted within the unit and has an opening formed therein for routing each of the electrical wires from the internal components through the opening as they pass to the control box outside the unit. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the bracket is attached to a tube sheet of the heat exchanger coil with the wires passing through the bracket opening and then through an opening in the housing of the unit to be connected to the control box. 
         [0007]    By yet another aspect of the invention, the tube sheet has an exposed edge, and the bracket is attached to the exposed edge without the use of fasteners. 
         [0008]    By still another aspect of the invention, the bracket is clipped to the tube sheet edge by way of opposed fingers extending from the bracket on either side of the tube sheet edge and engaging with openings therein. 
         [0009]    In the drawings as hereinafter described, a preferred embodiment is depicted; however, various other modifications and alternate constructions can be made thereto without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention as incorporated into an outdoor unit of an air conditioning system. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the wire retainer portion thereof as installed in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the control box in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the present invention as seen from a position near the fan. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 5A-5C  are right side, rear side, and left side views of the retainer clip in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the wire retainer in its installed position in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the invention is shown generally at  10  as applied to an air conditioning outdoor unit  11  having a wrap-around heat exchanger coil  12  terminating at either end by tube sheets  13  and  14 . A compressor  16  is disposed within the confines of the coil  12  and is serially connected in a vapor compression cycle arrangement in a common manner. The compressor  16  is preferably a hermetic compressor with an internal electric motor for driving the compressor. A heater is also preferably provided to heat the compressor during operation in low temperature conditions. Both the drive motor and the heater are connected by electric wires  17  to a control box located outside the coil  12 . 
         [0017]    Near the top of the unit  11  there is disposed a motor driven fan  18  for drawing outdoor air radially inwardly through the coil  12  so as to be discharged upwardly to the atmosphere. The wire lead of the electric drive motor for the fan  18  is routed radially outwardly to the edge of the coil  12  and then downwardly to eventually lead to the control box outside of the coil  12 . 
         [0018]    In order to control the operation of the unit, it is desirable to sense various operating parameters at various points within the vapor compression cycle. For that purpose, a pair of pressure switches  21  and  22 , with respective leads  23  and  24  are provided to electrically connect the switches to the control box. 
         [0019]    As will be seen in  FIG. 1 , each of the electrical leads as described hereinabove are routed to a wire retainer  26 , which is attached to the tube sheet  14  in a manner to be described hereinafter. The leads are then routed by the bundle to the control box outside of the coil  12  in a manner to be described hereinafter. 
         [0020]    The tube sheet  14  of the coil  12  is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 2  wherein it will be seen that a pair of longitudinally extending walls  27  and  28  are shown, with each of these walls having a relatively sharp edge protruding in a direction away from the coil  12 . Each of the walls  27  and  28  has a plurality of notches  29  formed therein, as well as a plurality of knock out openings  31 . As will be seen, the wire retainer  26  is secured to the wall  27  and is retained in place by attachment to the knock out openings  31  in a manner that will be more fully described hereinafter. 
         [0021]    Each of the electrical leads as described hereinbefore, passes through an opening  32  in the wire retainer  26 , with the resulting bundle then being routed away from the walls  27  and  28 , against which they might otherwise rub to cause damage to the wires, and to the control box as will now be described. 
         [0022]    There is shown in  FIG. 3  a control box assembly  33  having a back wall  34 , top wall  36 , and bottom wall  37 . As will be seen, various electronic components are contained within the control box assembly  33 , with connections being made thereto by way of the various electrical leads. The leads as described hereinabove (i.e. those from the compressor  16 , the fan  18 , and the pressure switches  21  and  22 ), all pass through an opening  38  in the wall  34  after which they are routed and connected to the appropriate electronic components within the control box assembly. This arrangement is facilitated by the use of the wire retainer  26  which brings the individual leads together and then allows them to be routed to and through the opening  38  as a bundle. 
         [0023]    In addition to the function of preventing the wire leads from rubbing against the sharp edges of the tube sheet walls  27  and  28 , as described hereinabove, the wire retainer  26  functions to guide the routing of the fan motor leads to the fixed location of the wire retainer  26  to thereby prevent the leads from accidentally being in the area of the fan  18  where they might be damaged or severed. This can be seen in  FIG. 4  wherein the fan leads  19  are lead away from the fan  18  and downwardly to the wire retainer  26 , thereby preventing the leads  19  from being in the near vicinity of the fan  18  where they could be damaged. 
         [0024]    The details of the wire retainer  26  can be seen in  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C wherein there is provided a planar body  39  having upper and lower fingers  41  and  42  attached thereto and extending inwardly toward each other, to the extent that they are in overlapping relationship as shown. The lower finger  42  has an end  43  that angles outwardly away from the finger  41 , and an inwardly extending spur  44  at an intermediate position as shown. The wire retainer  26  is preferably made of a plastic material such that the upper and lower fingers  41  and  42  are flexible. Thus, in order to install the wires in the opening  32 , the individual wires can be brought to bear against the outer side of the upper finger  41  so as to thereby flex the end of the upper finger  41  inwardly while passing behind the finger end  43  and along the inner side of the lower finger  42  and over the spur  44  to enter the opening area  32 . 
         [0025]    The structure on the other side of the planar body  39  is provided for the purpose of attaching the wire retainer  26  to the tube sheet wall  27 . The structure includes three longitudinally aligned tabs  46 ,  47  and  48  on the one side and two longitudinally aligned tabs  49  and  51  on the other side, with the two sides being laterally spaced as shown in  FIG. 5B . In addition to the tabs  49  and  51 , there are provided pins  54 ,  56  and  57  that are longitudinally aligned but spaced from the tabs  49  and  51  as shown. The tabs  49  and  51  have dimples  52  and  53  formed thereon and extending inwardly in the direction of the tabs  46 ,  47  and  48 . 
         [0026]    The wire retainer  26  is attached to the wall  27  of the tube sheet  14  by straddling the tabs  49  and  51  and pins  54 ,  56  and  57  on one side thereof and the tabs  46 ,  47  and  48  on the other side thereof. Retention is accomplished by engaging the dimples  52  and  53  with the knock out openings  31  of the tube sheet wall  27 . 
         [0027]    The resulting installation of the wire retainer  26  as attached to the tube sheet wall  27  is shown in  FIG. 6 . For simplicity there are only two lead wires shown as installed in the opening  32 , but it should be understood that multiple wires would pass through the opening  32  and be retained in place by way of the wire retainer  26  as they pass from the space within the coil  12  and extend outwardly through the opening  38  of the control box back wall  34 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 5