Wall mount air conditioner with system for impeding removal of heat exchanger coils

Abstract

A single package, wall mount air conditioner including a cabinet, an evaporator coil assembly, a condenser coil assembly, and a theft deterrent system. The theft deterrent system including metal straps securing the coil assemblies to the cabinet and impeding their removal from the cabinet. The straps having boxed cross-sections and being attached by specialty fasteners requiring a non-standard tool to remove, wherein the heads of the fasteners are shielded to only permit the axial access required by the tool. The theft deterrent system further including a sensor configured to monitor a condition of the air conditioner, wherein the condition is indicative of an attempt to remove the coil assemblies from the cabinet, and to communicate an alarm signal through a speaker or to a remote monitoring station if the condition occurs. The sensor may include one or more of a plunger-type switch, a vibration sensor, or a refrigerant monitoring sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A single package, wall mount air conditioner comprising:
 a cabinet which is mountable to an exterior wall of a building;   an evaporator coil assembly contained within an upper portion of the cabinet;   a condenser coil assembly contained within a lower portion of the cabinet; and   a theft deterrent system configured to discourage unauthorized removal of the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, the theft deterrent system including—
 one or more metal straps mechanically securing the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly to the cabinet and physically impeding removal of the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, wherein the one or more metal straps are attached to the cabinet by a plurality of specialty fasteners that require a non-standard tool to remove, and 
 a sensor configured to monitor a condition of the single package, wall mount air conditioner, wherein the condition is indicative of an attempt to remove the evaporator coil assembly or the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, and to communicate an alarm signal if the condition occurs. 
   
     
     
         2 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more metal straps extend over a top portion of the evaporator coil assembly so as to physically impede upward movement of the evaporator coil assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more metal straps has a substantially boxed cross-section. 
     
     
         4 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more metal straps include a first member cooperating with and mechanically secured to a second member to create the substantially boxed cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the first member is at least partially nested within the second member. 
     
     
         6 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of specialty fasteners is elongated along a central axis and has a head portion with which the non-standard tool interacts, and the head portion is mechanically shielded so as to be accessible only from a direction that is coincident with the central axis of the specialty fastener. 
     
     
         7 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a switch associated with an access panel of the cabinet and configured to communicate the alarm signal if the access panel is unauthorizedly removed. 
     
     
         8 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a vibration sensor configured to communicate the alarm signal if a vibration is detected which is indicative of an attempt at unauthorized entry into the cabinet. 
     
     
         9 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a refrigerant monitoring sensor configured to communicate the alarm signal if a loss of refrigerant is detected which is indicative of an attempt to unauthorizedly remove the evaporator coil assembly or the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet. 
     
     
         10 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the alarm signal is communicated to a remote monitoring station. 
     
     
         11 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , further including a speaker, wherein the alarm signal is communicated as a loud noise emitted by the speaker. 
     
     
         12 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 1 , further including a camera configured to provide a visual image of one or more components of the air conditioner, and to communicate the visual image to a remote monitoring station. 
     
     
         13 . A single package, wall mount air conditioner comprising:
 a cabinet which is mountable to an exterior wall of a building;   an evaporator coil assembly contained within an upper portion of the cabinet;   a condenser coil assembly contained within a lower portion of the cabinet; and   a theft deterrent system configured to discourage unauthorized removal of the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, the theft deterrent system including—
 one or more metal straps mechanically securing the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly to the cabinet and physically impeding removal of the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, wherein—
 at least one of the one or more metal straps extends over a top portion of the evaporator coil assembly so as to physically impede upward movement of the evaporator coil assembly, 
 each of the one or more metal straps includes a first member at least partially nested within and mechanically secured to a second member to create a substantially boxed cross-section, and 
 the one or more metal straps are attached to the cabinet by a plurality of specialty fasteners that require a non-standard tool to remove, and each of the plurality of specialty fasteners is elongated along a central axis and has a head portion with which the non-standard tool interacts, and the head portion is mechanically shielded so as to be accessible only from a direction that is coincident with the central axis of the specialty fastener; and 
 
 a sensor configured to monitor a condition of the single package, wall mount air conditioner, wherein the condition is indicative of an attempt to remove the evaporator coil assembly or the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, and to communicate an alarm signal if the condition occurs. 
   
     
     
         14 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the sensor includes a switch associated with an access panel of the cabinet and configured to communicate the alarm signal if the access panel is unauthorizedly removed. 
     
     
         15 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the sensor includes a vibration sensor configured to communicate the alarm signal if a vibration is detected which is indicative of an attempt at unauthorized entry into the cabinet. 
     
     
         16 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the sensor includes a refrigerant monitoring sensor configured to communicate the alarm signal if a loss of refrigerant is detected which is indicative of an attempt to unauthorizedly remove the evaporator coil assembly or the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet. 
     
     
         17 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the alarm signal is communicated to a remote monitoring station. 
     
     
         18 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 13 , further including a speaker, wherein the alarm signal is communicated as a loud noise emitted by the speaker. 
     
     
         19 . The single package, wall mount air conditioner as set forth in  claim 13 , further including a camera configured to provide a visual image of one or more components of the air conditioner and to communicate the visual image to a remote monitoring station. 
     
     
         20 . A single package, wall mount air conditioner comprising:
 a cabinet which is mountable to an exterior wall of a building;   an evaporator coil assembly contained within an upper portion of the cabinet;   a condenser coil assembly contained within a lower portion of the cabinet; and   a theft deterrent system configured to discourage unauthorized removal of the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, the theft deterrent system including—
 one or more metal straps mechanically securing the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly to the cabinet and physically impeding removal of the evaporator coil assembly and the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, wherein—
 at least one of the one or more metal straps extend over a top portion of the evaporator coil assembly so as to physically impede upward movement of the evaporator coil assembly, 
 each of the one or more metal straps includes a first member at least partially nested within and mechanically secured to a second member to create a substantially boxed cross-section, and 
 the one or more metal straps are attached to the cabinet by a plurality of specialty fasteners that require a non-standard tool to remove, and each of the plurality of specialty fasteners is elongated along a central axis and has a head portion with which the non-standard tool interacts, and the head portion is mechanically shielded so as to be accessible only from a direction that is coincident with the central axis of the specialty fastener; and 
 
 a sensor configured to monitor a condition of the single package, wall mount air conditioner, wherein the condition is indicative of an attempt to remove the evaporator coil assembly or the condenser coil assembly from the cabinet, and to communicate an alarm signal if the condition occurs, wherein—
 the sensor includes a switch associated with an access panel of the cabinet and configured to communicate the alarm signal if the access panel is unauthorizedly removed, and 
 the alarm signal is communicated to a remote monitoring station.