Condensate management system for an air conditioner appliance

Abstract

An air conditioner unit includes a bulkhead mounted within a cabinet to define an indoor portion and an outdoor portion, an indoor heat exchanger positioned within the indoor portion, an outdoor heat exchanger positioned within the outdoor portion, a base pan positioned under the outdoor heat exchanger, and an elevated wall that extends upward from the base pan along the vertical direction to define a condensate collection reservoir.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner unit defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the air conditioner unit comprising: 
 a bulkhead mounted within a cabinet to define an indoor portion and an outdoor portion; an indoor heat exchanger positioned within the indoor portion;   an outdoor heat exchanger positioned within the outdoor portion; a base pan positioned under the outdoor heat exchanger; and   an elevated wall that extends upward from the base pan along the vertical direction to define a condensate collection reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the condensate collection reservoir defines a reservoir footprint in a horizontal plane and the outdoor heat exchanger defines a heat exchanger footprint in the horizontal plane, wherein the reservoir footprint is less than 5 times the heat exchanger footprint. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 2 , wherein the reservoir footprint is less than 3 times the heat exchanger footprint. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated wall fully encloses the outdoor heat exchanger within a horizontal plane. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated wall defines a height that is greater than 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated wall is positioned between the outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor fan. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated wall is continuous along a width of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the condensate collection reservoir is positioned entirely in front of or spaced apart from a fan shroud. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated wall is integrally formed with the base pan. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the base pan defines one or more pan holes within the condensate collection reservoir. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the base pan is formed from plastic. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner unit of  claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner unit is a single-package vertical unit (SPVU) or a package terminal air conditioner (PTAC). 
     
     
         13 . A base pan assembly for an air conditioner unit, the air conditioner unit comprising a bulkhead mounted within a cabinet to define an indoor portion and an outdoor portion, an indoor heat exchanger positioned within the indoor portion, and an outdoor heat exchanger positioned within the outdoor portion, the base pan assembly comprising: 
 a base pan positioned under the outdoor heat exchanger; and an elevated wall that extends upward from the base pan along a vertical direction to define a condensate collection reservoir.   
     
     
         14 . The base pan assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the condensate collection reservoir defines a reservoir footprint in a horizontal plane and the outdoor heat exchanger defines a heat exchanger footprint in the horizontal plane, wherein the reservoir footprint is less than 5 times the heat exchanger footprint. 
     
     
         15 . The base pan assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the reservoir footprint is less than 3 times the heat exchanger footprint. 
     
     
         16 . The base pan assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the elevated wall fully encloses the outdoor heat exchanger within a horizontal plane. 
     
     
         17 . The base pan assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the elevated wall defines a height that is greater than 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         18 . The base pan assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the elevated wall is positioned between the outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor fan. 
     
     
         19 . The base pan assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the elevated wall is continuous along a width of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . The base pan assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the elevated wall is integrally formed with the base pan.