Portable air conditioner

Abstract

A portable air conditioner ( 10 ) that has a loading chamber ( 30 ) substantially separated from a cooling chamber ( 32 ) within a housing ( 20 ). Heat-transfer cells ( 40 ) for holding a phase-changeable, frozen substance such as ice ( 3 ), have an open end that is accessible from the loading chamber ( 30 ) and have cell housings ( 40, 44 ) disposed within the heat-transfer chamber ( 32 ). An air-flow mechanism ( 62 ) causes air to be drawn in through at least one air-intake opening ( 60 ), circulated among the heat-transfer cells ( 40 ) and urged outwardly of the unit housing ( 20 ) through at least one air-outlet opening ( 70, 72 ).

1 . A portable air conditioner comprising:
 a housing substantially enclosing
 a heat-transfer chamber, 
 a loading chamber substantially separated from said heat transfer chamber, 
 at least one air-intake opening for receiving an air flow into said heat-transfer chamber, and 
 at least one air-outlet opening for venting air from said heat transfer chamber; 
   at least one heat-transfer cell comprising a cell housing adapted for retaining a phase-changeable, frozen substance, said cell housing disposed substantially within said heat-transfer chamber having an upper open end accessible from said loading chamber and terminating in a lower closed end; and   an air-flow mechanism disposed proximate one of said air-intake opening and said air-outflow opening adapted for urging air into said heat-transfer chamber into contact with said at least one heat-transfer cell and then through said at least one air-outlet opening outwardly of said heat transfer chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one heat-transfer cell comprises a substantially cylindrical member. 
   
   
       3 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one heat-transfer cell comprises a plurality of heat transfer cells. 
   
   
       4 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein
 said loading chamber is separated from said heat-transfer chamber by and   said at least one heat-transfer cell comprises:   a tray having a plurality of depending open-top cells.   
   
   
       5 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein said tray further comprises at least one venting aperture for placing said loading chamber and said heat-transfer chamber in air-flow communication with one another. 
   
   
       6 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 5 , wherein said at least one venting aperture is disposed proximate a top region of said tray. 
   
   
       7 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein said tray is removable from said housing. 
   
   
       8 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein said air-flow mechanism is disposed adjacent said air-intake opening. 
   
   
       9 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein said cell housing comprises a material having high thermal conductivity. 
   
   
       10 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 9 , wherein said material having high thermal conductivity comprises a material having a predominant quantity of an element selected from the class consisting of aluminum, copper, gold, silver, and tin. 
   
   
       11 . The portable air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising a phase-changeable, frozen substance disposed within said at least one heat-transfer cell. 
   
   
       12 . The portable air conditioner of  claim 11 , wherein said phase-changeable, frozen substance comprises water ice. 
   
   
       13 . The portable air conditioner of  claim 11 , wherein said phase-changeable, frozen substance comprises frozen carbon dioxide. 
   
   
       14 . The portable air-conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one venting aperture interposed between said loading chamber and said heat-transfer chamber adapted for placing said loading chamber and said heat-transfer chamber in air-flow communication with one another.