Water-control support assembly for air handling unit

Abstract

The invention provides an outdoor rooftop HVAC assembly comprising: (i) a roof curb or an equipment rail, and (ii) an air handling unit. The roof curb and equipment rail each have bottom and top ends. The bottom end is mounted on a roof deck of a building. The air handling unit is mounted on the top end. When provided, the roof curb includes a housing that surrounds an HVAC passage extending from the building, through the roof deck, and to the air handling unit. The air handling unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger. When provided, the equipment rail includes a housing to which a gutter assembly is integral. The gutter assembly includes a water trough alongside the housing. The water trough is upwardly open and located below the outdoor heat exchanger to receive water that melts from the outdoor heat exchanger.

1 . An outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly comprising a roof curb and an air handling unit, the roof curb having a bottom end and a top end, the bottom end of the roof curb mounted on a roof deck of a building, the air handling unit mounted on the top end of the roof curb, the roof curb comprising a housing that surrounds an HVAC passage extending from inside the building, through the roof deck, and to the air handling unit, the air handling unit including an outdoor heat exchanger, the roof curb including a gutter assembly that is integral to the housing of the roof curb, the gutter assembly including a water trough alongside the housing of the roof curb, the water trough being upwardly open and located below a bottom region of the outdoor heat exchanger so as to be configured to receive water that melts from the outdoor heat exchanger during a defrost cycle thereof. 
     
     
         2 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly further includes a supply duct and a return duct, both the supply duct and the return duct are disposed in the HVAC passage and surrounded by the housing of the roof curb, and the water trough of the roof curb is positioned at an elevation where the supply duct and the return duct are also located. 
     
     
         3 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 2  wherein an entirety of the gutter assembly is located at an elevation lower than an entirety of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the top end of the roof curb includes a wood header. 
     
     
         5 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 4  wherein the gutter assembly is anchored to the wood header at the top end of the roof curb. 
     
     
         6 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the housing of the roof curb comprises four metal walls that collectively delineate a rectangular shape, and the top end of the roof curb includes four wood header boards respectively extending along the four metals walls of the housing of the roof curb. 
     
     
         7 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the air handling unit has a bottom base with a downwardly directed flange that extends along a perimeter of the bottom base, and the air handling unit is mounted on the top end of the roof curb such that the bottom base of the air handling unit rests on the top end of the roof curb with the downwardly directed flange at least partially surrounding the top end of the roof curb, and wherein the downwardly directed flange is located further from the HVAC passage than at least part of the gutter assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the air handling unit includes a heat exchanger fan, at least part of the gutter assembly being in vertical alignment with the heat exchanger fan. 
     
     
         9 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the gutter assembly further includes a water drain line in fluid communication with the water trough of the gutter assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 9  wherein the water drain line passes through an opening in the roof deck of the building, such that the water drain line is configured to deliver water from the water trough of the gutter assembly into the building. 
     
     
         11 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 9  wherein the water trough of the gutter assembly is located alongside an upper portion of the housing of the roof curb, and the water drain line of the gutter assembly is located alongside a lower portion of the housing of the roof curb. 
     
     
         12 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the water trough of the gutter assembly includes one or more heating elements. 
     
     
         13 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein either (i) the water trough of the gutter assembly is elongated so as to extend along at least two sides of the air handling unit, or (ii) the water trough of the gutter assembly extends along one side of the air handling unit and a second water trough of the gutter assembly extends along another side of the air handling unit. 
     
     
         14 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outdoor heat exchanger has a length, the water trough of the gutter assembly has a length, and the length of the water trough of the gutter assembly is equal to or greater than the length of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC curb assembly of  claim 1  wherein the air handling unit includes a fan configured to move outdoor air over the outdoor heat exchanger, and the air handling unit is in fluid connection with both a return duct and a supply duct, wherein the air handling unit has a bottom side attached to both the return duct and the supply duct, wherein the air handling unit further includes an evaporator heat exchanger configured to cool air that flows from the return duct, into the air handling unit, over the evaporator heat exchanger, out of the air handling unit, and into the supply duct, and the air handling unit further includes a drip pan located directly under the evaporator heat exchanger to catch water that condenses on the evaporator heat exchanger and drips downwardly when the evaporator heat exchanger cools humid air. 
     
     
         16 . The outdoor HVAC assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outdoor heat exchanger is a component of an air-source heat pump, such that the outdoor heat exchanger is configured to selectively serve as either an evaporator heat exchanger or a condenser heat exchanger. 
     
     
         17 . An outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly comprising a plurality of equipment rails and an air handling unit, each of the equipment rails having a bottom end and a top end, the bottom ends of the equipment rails being mounted on a roof deck of a building, the air handling unit being mounted on the top ends of the equipment rails, the air handling unit including an outdoor heat exchanger, at least one of the equipment rails being a drainage rail comprising a housing to which a gutter assembly is integral, the gutter assembly including a water trough alongside the housing of the drainage rail, the water trough being upwardly open and located below a bottom region of the outdoor heat exchanger so as to be configured to receive water that melts from the outdoor heat exchanger during a defrost cycle thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the water trough is surrounded by the housing of the drainage rail. 
     
     
         19 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein an entirety of the gutter assembly is located at an elevation lower than an entirety of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the top end of the drainage rail includes a wood header. 
     
     
         21 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the housing of the drainage rail comprises four metal walls that collectively delineate an elongated generally rectangular shape, and the top end of the drainage rail includes four wood header boards respectively extending along the four metals walls of the housing of the drainage rail. 
     
     
         22 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the air handling unit is equipped with a bottom base having a downwardly directed flange that extends along a perimeter of the bottom base, and the air handling unit is mounted on the top ends of the equipment rails such that the bottom base of the air handling unit rests on the top ends of the equipment rails with the downwardly directed flange surrounding at least part of the top ends of the equipment rails, and wherein the downwardly directed flange projects downwardly into the trough of the gutter assembly of the drainage rail. 
     
     
         23 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the air handling unit is equipped with a heat exchanger fan, and at least part of the gutter assembly of the drainage rail is in vertical alignment with the heat exchanger fan. 
     
     
         24 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the housing of the drainage rail surrounds an interior rail region, the water trough is located in the interior rail region, and the gutter assembly further includes a water drain line in fluid communication with the water trough of the gutter assembly, the water drain line passing through the interior rail region. 
     
     
         25 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 24  wherein the water drain line passes through an opening in the roof deck of the building, such that the water drain line is configured to deliver water from the water trough of the gutter assembly into the building. 
     
     
         26 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 24  wherein the water trough of the gutter assembly is located alongside an upper portion of the housing of the drainage rail, and the water drain line of the gutter assembly is located alongside a lower portion of the housing of the drainage rail. 
     
     
         27 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the water trough of the gutter assembly includes one or more heating elements. 
     
     
         28 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the water trough of the gutter assembly extends along one side of the air handling unit and a second water trough of the gutter assembly extends along an opposite side of the air handling unit. 
     
     
         29 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the outdoor heat exchanger has a length, the water trough of the gutter assembly has a length, and the length of the water trough of the gutter assembly is equal to or greater than the length of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         30 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the air handling unit includes a fan configured to move outdoor air over the outdoor heat exchanger, and the air handling unit is in fluid connection with both a return duct and a supply duct, wherein the air handling unit further includes an evaporator heat exchanger configured to cool air that flows from the return duct, into the air handling unit, over the evaporator heat exchanger, out of the air handling unit, and into the supply duct, and the air handling unit further includes a drip pan located directly under the evaporator heat exchanger to catch water that condenses on the evaporator heat exchanger and drips downwardly when the evaporator heat exchanger cools humid air. 
     
     
         31 . The outdoor rooftop HVAC equipment rail assembly of  claim 17  wherein the outdoor heat exchanger is a component of an air-source heat pump, such that the outdoor heat exchanger is configured to selectively serve as either an evaporator heat exchanger or a condenser heat exchanger.