Rotatable Drain Pan Water Sensor for Air Conditioner Overflow Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners face issues with detecting water levels in drain pans, leading to potential overflow due to blockages and difficulty in recognizing condensate water overflow in hard-to-reach basement or attic installations, where the drain pipe is prone to clogging and overflow occurs without immediate detection.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner design incorporating a water level sensor that can detect water levels in drain pans regardless of the unit's installation direction, using a rotatable sensor positioned relative to both drain pans, and a controller that stops refrigerant flow when the water level exceeds a predetermined threshold to prevent overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a water level sensor is installed to detect condensate water level in the drain pan, then overflow prevention capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensor installation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The water level sensor is designed with a rotatable detection section that can detect water levels in multiple drain pans through rotation, allowing one sensor to perform multiple detection functions that would otherwise require multiple sensors, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive overflow prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The detection section of the water level sensor is made rotatable rather than fixed, enabling it to dynamically change its detection direction to monitor different drain pans as needed, providing adaptive overflow detection without requiring separate fixed sensors for each drain pan location
2Adaptability or versatility
If the indoor unit is installed in hard-to-reach locations like basement or attic, then installation flexibility is improved, but detection capability deteriorates because overflow cannot be recognized immediately
Solution Approach 1:
The water level sensor provides continuous feedback on the condensate water level in the drain pan, enabling the control section to detect when the water level reaches a critical threshold and trigger appropriate responses, ensuring timely overflow detection even when the unit is installed in hard-to-reach locations where visual inspection is difficult
3Ease of manufacture
If the drain pipe is installed in basement or attic areas, then installation convenience is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to frequent blockage by contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The water level sensor detects high water levels in the drain pan before overflow occurs, allowing the system to take preliminary actions such as triggering alarms or activating pump systems to prevent overflow, thereby compensating for the higher blockage risk in basement or attic installations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for effective detection of water levels and prevention of overflow, ensuring reliable operation of air conditioners installed in various orientations, enhancing safety and reducing maintenance needs by alerting users to potential issues.
Implementation Method 1
a water level sensor detecting a water level of water gathered in a drain pan for containing condensate water generated by a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger exchanging heat between air and refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
exchanging heats between air and refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
exchanging heat between refrigerant flowing in an evaporator or a condenser and air
Implementation Method 5
Moisture contained in air during exchanging heats between air and refrigerant may be condensed, and then the condensate water may be gathered in a condensate water reservoir
Implementation Method 6
a fan discharging air toward the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
The air conditioner according to the present disclosure may comprise a heat exchanger exchanging heat between air and refrigerant, a fan discharging air toward the heat exchanger, a first drain pan disposed in a direction crossed to a direction of air flowing from the fan to the heat exchanger, wherein the first drain pan has an inlet opening through which air discharged from the fan flows toward the heat exchanger, a second drain pan disposed in a direction parallel to a direction of air flowing from the fan to the heat exchanger and a water level sensor rotatably disposed with reference to a rotating center spaced apart from the first drain pan and the second drain pan, wherein the water level sensor detects a water level of water gathered in one of the first drain pan and the second drain pan.