Ventilator assembly having a variable fan control for air flow in an air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner unit or ventilator assembly may include a ventilator cabinet, a fan, a capacitor assembly, and a user input. The ventilator cabinet may define a path for a flow of air relative to the air conditioner unit. The fan may be mounted within the ventilator cabinet to urge the flow air. The capacitor assembly may be in electrical communication with the fan to control an electrical current to the fan. The capacitor assembly may be configured to selectively operate across a predetermined capacitance range. The user input may be in operable communication with the capacitor assembly. The user input may be configured to set an operable capacitance of the capacitor assembly within the predetermined capacitance range.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ventilator assembly for an air conditioner unit, the ventilator assembly comprising:
 a ventilator cabinet defining a primary path for a flow of make-up air to an indoor portion of the air conditioner unit;   a primary fan mounted within the ventilator cabinet to urge the flow of make-up air into the indoor portion;   a primary capacitor assembly in electrical communication with the primary fan to control an electrical current to the primary fan, the primary capacitor assembly being configured to selectively operate across a predetermined primary capacitance range; and   a primary user input in operable communication with the primary capacitor assembly, the primary user input being configured to set an operable capacitance of the primary capacitor assembly within the predetermined primary capacitance range.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the primary capacitor assembly comprises a plurality of selectable fixed-capacitance capacitors. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the primary capacitor assembly comprises a variable run capacitor. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilator assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the variable run capacitor comprises a rotor and stator, and wherein the primary user input comprises a knob in mechanical communication with the rotor to rotate the rotor relative to the stator. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the primary user input is mounted on the ventilator cabinet. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the ventilator cabinet further defines an energy recovery path for a flow of exhaust air from the air conditioner unit, and wherein the ventilator assembly further comprises:
 a heat exchanger positioned within the ventilator cabinet along the energy recovery path; and   an auxiliary fan mounted within the ventilator cabinet to urge exhaust air through the energy recovery path.   
     
     
         7 . The ventilator assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the ventilator cabinet is attached to an air plenum receivable within a structure wall, the ventilator cabinet defining a fresh air inlet downstream from the air plenum and a fresh air outlet above and downstream from the fresh air inlet along the primary path, the ventilator cabinet further defining an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet along the energy recovery path. 
     
     
         8 . The ventilator assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 an auxiliary capacitor assembly in electrical communication with the auxiliary fan to control an electrical current to the auxiliary fan, the auxiliary capacitor assembly being configured to selectively operate across a predetermined auxiliary capacitance range.   
     
     
         9 . The ventilator assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an auxiliary user input spaced apart from the primary user input and in operable communication with the auxiliary capacitor assembly, the auxiliary user input being configured to set an operable capacitance of the auxiliary capacitor assembly within the predetermined auxiliary capacitance range.   
     
     
         10 . An air conditioner unit defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the air conditioner unit comprising:
 a cabinet defining an indoor inlet and an indoor outlet;   a bulkhead mounted within the cabinet to define an indoor portion and an outdoor portion;   an indoor heat exchanger mounted within the cabinet at the indoor portion;   an outdoor heat exchanger mounted within the cabinet at the outdoor portion; and   a ventilator assembly mounted to the cabinet apart from the indoor and outdoor portions, the ventilator assembly comprising:
 a ventilator cabinet defining a primary path for a flow of make-up air to the indoor portion of the air conditioner unit, 
 a primary fan mounted within the ventilator cabinet to urge the flow of make-up air into the indoor portion, 
 a primary capacitor assembly in electrical communication with the primary fan to control an electrical current to the primary fan, the primary capacitor assembly being configured to selectively operate across a predetermined primary capacitance range, and 
 a primary user input in operable communication with the primary capacitor assembly, the primary user input being configured to set an operable capacitance of the primary capacitor assembly within the predetermined primary capacitance range. 
   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , wherein the primary capacitor assembly comprises a plurality of selectable fixed-capacitance capacitors. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , wherein the primary capacitor assembly comprises a variable run capacitor. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 12 , wherein the variable run capacitor comprises a rotor and stator, and wherein the primary user input comprises a knob in mechanical communication with the rotor to rotate the rotor relative to the stator. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , wherein the primary user input is mounted on the ventilator cabinet. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 10 , wherein the ventilator cabinet further defines an energy recovery path for a flow of exhaust air from the air conditioner unit, and wherein the ventilator assembly further comprises:
 a heat exchanger positioned within the ventilator cabinet along the energy recovery path; and   an auxiliary fan mounted within the ventilator cabinet to urge exhaust air through the energy recovery path.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 15 , wherein the ventilator cabinet is attached to an air plenum receivable within a structure wall, the ventilator cabinet defining a fresh air inlet downstream from the air plenum and a fresh air outlet above and downstream from the fresh air inlet along the primary path, the ventilator cabinet further defining an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet along the energy recovery path. 
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 15 , wherein the ventilator assembly further comprises:
 an auxiliary capacitor assembly in electrical communication with the auxiliary fan to control an electrical current to the auxiliary fan, the auxiliary capacitor assembly being configured to selectively operate across a predetermined auxiliary capacitance range.   
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 17 , wherein the ventilator assembly further comprises:
 an auxiliary user input spaced apart from the primary user input and in operable communication with the auxiliary capacitor assembly, the auxiliary user input being configured to set an operable capacitance of the auxiliary capacitor assembly within the predetermined auxiliary capacitance range.   
     
     
         19 . A ventilator assembly for an air conditioner unit, the ventilator assembly comprising:
 a ventilator cabinet defining an exhaust path for a flow of exhaust air from a portion of the air conditioner unit to an outdoor environment;   an auxiliary fan mounted within the ventilator cabinet to urge the flow of exhaust air to the outdoor environment;   an auxiliary capacitor assembly in electrical communication with the auxiliary fan to control an electrical current to the auxiliary fan, the auxiliary capacitor assembly being configured to selectively operate across a predetermined auxiliary capacitance range; and   an auxiliary user input in operable communication with the auxiliary capacitor assembly, the auxiliary user input being configured to set an operable capacitance of the auxiliary capacitor assembly within the predetermined auxiliary capacitance range.