Plenum arrangement for an interior mounted condenser of a temperature control system

Abstract

An interior mounted condenser for temperature control in a building has a condenser housing with an inlet opening facing into the building interior, an outlet opening communicating with an exterior outlet through an exterior wall of the building. A condenser coil and a fan are disposed in the housing. The condenser also has a plenum including an inlet section with an inlet end communicating with an exterior inlet section in the exterior building wall and an interior section that runs along an interior surface of the condenser housing. The interior section of the plenum communicates with the inlet opening of the condenser housing. The fan generates a flow of air from regions external of the building, through the inlet section of the plenum, through the interior section of the plenum, to the condenser coil in the condenser housing and subsequently through the exterior outlet section in the exterior wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An interior mounted condenser for a temperature control system of a building ( 14 ), the building ( 14 ) having an exterior wall ( 16 ) separating a building interior from an exterior, the wall ( 16 ) having an opening ( 18 ) with an interior inlet section ( 20 ) and an exterior outlet section ( 22 ), the condenser comprising: a condenser housing ( 40 ) having an inlet opening ( 42 ) facing into the building interior and an outlet opening ( 44 ) communicating with the exterior outlet section ( 22 ), a plenum ( 50 ) including an inlet section ( 52 ) with an inlet end communicating with the exterior inlet section ( 20 ) in the exterior wall ( 16 ) of the building ( 14 ) and an interior section ( 54 ) that runs at least partly along an interior surface of the condenser housing ( 40 ), the interior section of the plenum ( 50 ) communicating with the inlet opening ( 42 ) of the condenser housing ( 40 ), a condenser coil ( 30 ) and a fan ( 32 ) disposed in the condenser housing ( 40 ), the fan ( 32 ) generating a flow of air from regions external of the building ( 14 ) through the exterior inlet section opening ( 20 ) in the exterior wall ( 16 ), through the inlet section ( 52 ) of the plenum ( 50 ) and then through the interior section of the plenum ( 50 ) to the condenser coil ( 30 ) in the condenser housing ( 40 ) and subsequently through the exterior outlet section ( 22 ) of the opening in the exterior wall ( 16 ). 
     
     
         2 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the interior inlet section ( 20 ) and an exterior outlet section ( 22 ) all of the opening ( 18 ) in the exterior wall of the building ( 14 ) are laterally adjacent to one another. 
     
     
         3 . The condenser of  claim 1 , wherein the plenum ( 50 ) directs air substantially horizontally from the inlet section ( 20 ) to the outlet section ( 22 ). 
     
     
         4 . The condenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a control ( 34 ) that functions to generate a flow of refrigerant through the condenser coil ( 30 ) and also functions to control operation of the fan ( 32 ) for generating an airflow across the condenser coil ( 30 ).