AIR TREATMENT SYSTEM FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

Abstract

This present invention relates to a single body air treatment system for recreational vehicles and is a combination of components working in a scheme so to provide heating, cooling, dehumidification, ventilation, air-purification, heavy-duty drying, into a single body. The system comprising of a cooling air plant having a refrigerating cycle and air heat exchangers acting with electricity and a heating plant having an incorporated fuel/Natural-Gas burner acting as air furnace. The system operates heating and cooling simultaneously with in the same air-flow and provides air purification through an antibacterial electrical device. The system also integrates extra pipes to produce extra hot-water in winter while the system operates in heating. The system is integrated with a dedicated resonator chamber to minimize the external noise produce by extraction blowers.

Claims

1. A single metal sheet body air treatment system configured for use in recreational vehicles, the system comprising: a refrigerator compressor; a condenser heat exchanger; an evaporator heat exchanger; a furnace; a burner assembly; and a set of blowers, wherein the set of blowers comprises: a first blower, a second blower, and a third blower adjacent to the burner assembly, wherein the set of blowers directs airflow through the air treatment system from the refrigerator compressor to the condenser heat exchange, the evaporator heat exchange and to feed combustion at the burner assembly.

2. The single metal sheet body air treatment system configured for use in recreational vehicles of claim 1, wherein the burner assembly is electric driven.

3. The single metal sheet body air treatment system configured for use in recreational vehicles of claim 1, wherein the system utilizes fuel or natural gas.

4. The single metal sheet body air treatment system configured for use in recreational vehicles of claim 1, further comprising a flange for air distribution.

5. A method for enhanced dehumidification of an airflow operated by a single metal sheet body air treatment system for recreational vehicles comprising: producing air-cooling and air heating simultaneously of the same air-flow using a combination of the fuel burner with air conditioning; condensate water from the airflow according to the humidity/temperature conditions of the airflow for cooling the air; and simultaneously blowing the airflow into a chamber through a heat exchanger to start the air heating.

6. The air-cooling and air heating of claim 5, are operated by a user through a remote switchboard.

7. The remote switchboard of claim 6 may be operated manually or remotely by mean of wi-fi applications.

8. The condensate water of claim 5, is dripped outside the system through a dripping pipe.

9. The single metal sheet body air treatment system for recreational vehicles of claim 5, further reduces the air temperature and improves air density during the cooling phase to remove the humidity contained in the air.

10. The single metal sheet body air treatment system for recreational vehicles of claim 5, further expands the air, increases the temperature of the air through heat and decreases density during the heating process, to supply warm and dehydrated air.

11. The single metal sheet body air-conditioning system for recreational vehicles of claim 5, further comprising an antibacterial electrical device to eliminate airborne spores produced by plants, fungi and molds and purify the indoor air from most of airborne bacteria.

12. The antibacterial electrical device of claim 11, is placed between a blower and a heat exchanger to purify indoor airflow.

13. The single metal sheet body air-conditioning system for recreational vehicles of claim 5, further comprising an additional heat-exchanger to form a separated closed circuit of coolant wherein the coolant enters from a fitting present on the top section of the body to produce extra hot water.

14. The single metal sheet body air-conditioning system for recreational vehicles of claim 5, further uses a secondary closed-circuit using antifreeze as a transfer heat fluid instead of water to prevent oxidations and freezing when the system is not used.

15. The single metal sheet body air-conditioning system for recreational vehicles of claim 5, comprising a sealed burner/heat-exchanger containing the combustion chamber isolated by the air-flow used for heating/air-conditioning.

16. A single metal sheet body air treatment system for recreational vehicles to reduce outside ventilation noise comprising: a chamber operating as a resonator; wherein the sound waves reflect against each other within the resonator; and punched shields present in the resonator helps in dying the sound waves to reduce the noise.

17. The single metal sheet body air treatment system for recreational vehicles of claim 16, further automatically reduces the exhaust ventilation speed at night based on temperature when no solar radiation hit the RV/Trailer by means of the controllers provided by power board, to further attenuate outside ventilation noise.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of the metal body illustrating the distribution of main components of the air treatment system of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of the electrical distribution between the components of the air treatment system of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view showing scheme of airflow distribution, airflow entry and exit in the air treatment system of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative scheme of airflow distribution, airflow entry and exit in the air treatment system of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the metal body of the air treatment system of the present invention illustrating the internal separation of the apparatus made of three main chamber and an optional fourth chamber;

[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates a top perspective view of the air treatment apparatus body of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0029] FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the air treatment apparatus body of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0030] FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrates a schematic example illustrating an application of producing extra hot water by the apparatus such as for used in large RV's; and

[0031] FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic view of the placement of metal body of the air treatment system in the space available under the RV/Trailer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS

[0032] The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

[0033] As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles which performs multiple functions such as cooling, heating, dehumidification, ventilation, etc. There is also a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles that can be easily installed on the vehicle without any assistance from an expert or trained person. There is also a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles which is light weight and small in size, therefore occupies less space of the recreational vehicle. There is also a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles that maintains the center of gravity of the vehicle and does not creates unbalancing and rocking instability. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles that is installed in a position such that the system does not collides with trees, wires, etc., thereby preventing any damages caused to the vehicle and the user due to such collision. Also, there is a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles to be installed in a position such that the system is easily reachable and servicing can be performed conveniently. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles which comprises more than one system such as heating unit, cooling unit, or the like in a single integrated structure. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles that complies with the modern environmental protection protocols and treaty, and accordingly use the refrigerants in limited quantity. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for an air treatment system for recreational vehicles that is efficient, light weight, cost effective and provides user convenience.

[0034] Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of the metal body illustrating the distribution of main components of the air treatment system 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The components used in the present invention are all disposed into a single metal sheet body 101 and is specifically treated to resist corrosion and shocks, acting as the containment. Electrical power supply to the components are facilitated by Electrical power line socket 102, a selector 103 and a power board 104. The electrical power line socket 102 feeds the selector 103 which connects and transforms the power supply commonly available 12 Volts, 24 Volts, 115 Volts or 220 Volts into the voltage required by the components of the system 100 to work. A remote switchboard (not shown) provides the normal voltage to the powerline 102.

[0035] The apparatus 100 of the present invention for cooling the air utilizes a refrigerator compressor 105 for the compression of a refrigerant material into a condenser heat exchanger 107 through a first piping 106. From the condenser heat exchanger 107, through an orifice tube 108, the refrigerant expands into an evaporator heat exchanger 109 crossed by air-flow introduced into the apparatus 100 through the air intake 112 which is sucked in by the blower 113. During the expansion, the refrigerant reduces its temperature, thus, cooling the evaporator heat exchanger 109. Also, the refrigerant absorbs the heat from the indoor air-flow and then the heated refrigerant returns to the refrigerator compressor 105 through a second piping 110.

[0036] The condenser heat exchanger 107 during the cooling operation is kept ventilated by the airflow generated by the first blower 111. The air flow from the first blower 111 is required to cool the refrigerator compressor 105 and remove the heat from the condenser heat exchanger 107. The exhausted airflow is expelled to the outside by means of the first blower 111. During the crossing of indoor-air-conditioned air flow through the evaporator heat exchanger 109, the air gets refrigerated and dried into a chamber. From the chamber, the refrigerated airflow leaves the apparatus through the flanges at the left extreme of the chamber and becomes available for the air-distribution.

[0037] During the air-cooling process, the power board 104 supplies and controls the refrigerator compressor 105, the first blower 111, and the blower 113. The power board 104 also controls the heavy-duty dehumidification and the air purification device.

[0038] The air treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention for heating the air operates in a heating mode and can be operated through a remote switchboard 127. The apparatus 100 integrates a furnace, burning fuel or natural gas. The combustible fuel is provided to the burner through a fitting 116 and its pipe which feeds a valve 117 which supplies the combustible fuel to a burner assembly 118. The burner assembly 118 includes sensors and electrodes and fuel orifice. The combustible fuel then flows through the orifice before and get ignited. The combustible fuel burns into a sealed heat-exchanger/burner 119 positioned in line after the burner assembly 118. The power board 104 controls the entire burning process that takes place in the apparatus 100. The sealed heat-exchanger/burner 119 acts as burning chamber and heat-exchanger at the same time. The function of the sealed heat-exchanger/burner 119 is to safely exchange the heat generated by the combustion through its surfaces into the chamber present on the left extreme where the heat gets released. From the chamber, the heated air leaves the apparatus 100 through the flanges at the left extreme of the chamber and becomes available for the air-distribution.

[0039] The sealed heat-exchanger/burner 119 contains the combustion chamber isolated by the air-flow used for heating/air-conditioning, thus, it requires a dedicated air-flow to operate the internal combustion. To provide the proper quantity of air/oxygen required for the combustion, the third blower 121 feeds the sealed heat-exchanger/burner 119.

[0040] The third blower 121 forces air, through the Burner assembly 118 into the Sealed burner/heat-exchanger 119 to make combustion possible and also to blow out exhaust gasses through the extension pipe 122. The extension pipe 122 and its external flange 123 are made of stainless steel to extend the lifespan of the apparatus 100.

[0041] An additional heat-exchanger 128 is placed in the extreme left chamber in the same airflow generated by the blower 113 after the heat-exchanger 119. The additional heat-exchanger 128 is placed to produce extra hot water in winter particularly in large RV's where hot-water demand can be increased by the number of people or when water tanks may chill down in very cold environment.

[0042] The temperatures of the exhausted gases, the water and the acids produced during the combustion by the system, therefore, the extension pipe 122 and its external flange 123 are made of stainless steel to extend the lifespan of the apparatus 100.

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of the electrical distribution between the components of the air treatment system 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The electrical power line socket 102 feeds the selector 103 which connects and transforms the power supply commonly available 12 Volts, 24 Volts, 115 Volts or 220 Volts into the voltage required by the apparatus to work. The power supply lines 102, 103, 104 and the remote switchboard 127 provide the necessary electrical power for the components to work for cooling the air, heating the air, and indoor ventilation. The cooling mode and heating mode are selected by a user through the remote switchboard 127. The power-board 104 supplies and controls the refrigerator compressor 105, the blower 111, the second blower 113. The power board 104 also controls the entire burning process.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the electrical power is supplied from power board 104 to various components such as thermostat 120, third blower 121, antibacterial electrical device 126, burner assembly 118 through electrical connections. The electrical distribution between the components of the air treatment system 100 of the present invention is supplied in the voltage required for the components to work. It should be appreciated that any component used in the Air treatment system body 101 of the present invention which require electrical power would be provided the power through the power-board 104 which takes the electrical power from remote switchboard 127. The remote switchboard 127 is to be wired from the power-board into the RV/Trailer where users can operate temperatures, ventilation speeds and functions. The remote switchboard 127 can be operated manually or remotely by mean of wi-fi applications through a wireless communication technology such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, Infrared and the like. The switchboard 127 may be operated using a smartphone application remotely.

[0045] The thermostat 120 works as an essential safety device to interrupt combustible supply and avoid overheating in case of faults.

[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view showing scheme of airflow distribution, airflow entry and exit in the air treatment system 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As shown in the FIG. 3, the flanges 115 are used to vent out the refrigerated airflow for air distribution. Similarly, the heated air leaves the system 100 through the flanges 115 and becomes available for the air-distribution. It should be appreciated that flanges 115 installed on the main body 101 can be multiple and in various direction to simplify apparatus 100 installation and efficiency. The airflow enters from the flange 112 passes through the blower, crosses the heat-exchangers before leaving the apparatus 100 through the flanges 115 and becomes available for distribution. Also, the condensate water extracted during the cooling of the air is drip outside the apparatus 100 through the dripping pipe 124. As shown, punched shields 134 are used to remove noise are present in the right most chamber of the apparatus 100 which operates as a resonator, in which the sound waves reflect against each other and loose energy by mean of punched shields 134.

[0047] Air flow enter from the ventilation air intake 114, flows around the compressor 105, then through the heat-exchanger 107 and get expelled to the outside through the first blower 111, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0048] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative scheme of airflow distribution, airflow entry and exit in the air treatment system 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. In the present embodiment, the apparatus 100 does not have the right most chamber which works as a resonator and in this embodiment, the exhausted airflow is expelled to the outside by means of the blower 111. The length and size of the system 100 of the present embodiment is shorter thus, it is beneficial for smaller RVs with less space and also in which less noise is created.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the metal body of the air treatment system of the present invention illustrating the internal separation of the apparatus made of three main chamber and an optional fourth chamber. As shown, first chamber 510 is responsible for the air treatment, Heating, Cooling, dehumidification and Air-Purification. The first chamber 510 also has multiple flanges to vent out both cold and hot air for circulation. A second chamber 520 receives the return air, before treatment. A third chamber 530 contains the components in charge to remove the extra heat absorbed by the apparatus during the air-cooling. An optional fourth chamber acts as a noise containment, with perforated shields and resonators to low the blower's extraction noise for user convenience. The main body 101 of the apparatus as well as the components used in the present invention are designed to be shock-proof, compatible with water splashes and the impact of little stones, as per automotive good practice. Further, all internal components are suspended inside to allow a fast and quick inspection of the apparatus from below by just removing the lower part 135 of the body 101. One additional advantage that the present invention offers is that the lower part 135 is also replaceable in case of damages or oxidations to increase the life of the apparatus and internal components. The entire lower panel 135 can also be lowered and removed for inspection, cleaning, maintenance or replacement of the components.

[0050] FIG. 6 illustrates a top perspective view of the air treatment apparatus body of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. From the top view, an air intake position 112, electrical power line socket 102, flanges 115, fitting 116, first fitting 129 and a second fitting 130 are visible. The coolant enters from the first fitting 129 by mean of a water pump and leaves from the second fitting 130 to reach a plate-heat-exchanger located inside the RV/Trailer. The combustible is provided to the burner through the fitting 116. The airflow enters into the body 101 from the flange 112. It should be appreciated that the body 101 is closed from the top such that the efficiency and protection of the components are maintained.

[0051] FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the air treatment apparatus body of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. A dripping pipe 124 is visible which is used to drip the condensate water extracted during the cooling of the air. The entire lower panel 135 is visible of the body 101 in the bottom perspective view of the body 101. From the bottom, air intake ventilation 114 is shown from which airflow is entered which is expelled outside through the first blower.

[0052] FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrates a schematic example illustrating an application of producing extra hot water by the apparatus such as for used in large RV's. This present embodiment gives the advantage of producing extra hot water in winter particularly in large RV's where hot-water demand can be increased by the number of people or when water tanks present in the RV may chill down in very cold environment. The present embodiment builds a secondary closed-circuit using antifreeze as transfer heat fluid instead of water which result also better to prevent oxidations and freezing. As shown in FIG. 8B, an additional heat-exchanger 128 is placed in the first chamber 510 in the same air-flow generated by the blower 113 after the heat-exchanger 119. In cold environments the usage of antifreeze as transfer heat is furthermore recommended to protect the heat-exchanger 128 when the apparatus is not working. The Coolant enters from the fitting 129 by mean of the water pump 132 and leaves from the fitting 130 to reach a plate-heat-exchanger 131 located inside the RV/Trailer. In FIG. 8A, an expansion/refill tank 133 is part of the circuit. The plate-heat-exchanger 131 can be connected accordingly to satisfy various needs and desires of the user. The present embodiment may be used to provide hot water to store into an insulated tank or keeping existing water tanks protected from freezing.

[0053] FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic view of the placement of metal body of the air treatment system in the space available under the RV/Trailer. It should be appreciated that the present embodiment does not limit the placement of the metal body in RV/Trailers and alternatively, the metal body can be installed in a storage compartment of the RV/Trailers. The metal body 101 of the present invention can be fixed between the structural frames present under the RV/Trailer or Storage compartment 910.

[0054] The air treatment of the present invention has the ability to operate heating and cooling simultaneously with in the same air-flow, even controlling temperature cold or hot, thus becoming an effective drier all year around to eliminate damp, humidity, molds, dry cloths and furniture's and provide a healthy environment even in rainy and wet days. Additionally, air purification is obtained by an antibacterial electrical device capable to eliminate airborne spores produced by plants, fungi and molds thus purifies the indoor air from most of airborne bacteria. Moreover, the system may integrate extra pipes to produce extra hot-water in winter while the system operates in heating. Finally, the system may be integrated with a dedicated resonator chamber to minimize the external noise produce by extraction blowers.

[0055] The air treatment apparatus of the present invention is a combination of components working in a scheme to provide Heating, Cooling, Dehumidification, Ventilation, Air-Purification, heavy-Duty Drying, into a single body thus is easy to install, maintain, replace and maintain. Further, the apparatus is lightweight, consumes less space and is installed in the lower section of RV thus does not reduce the appearance of the RV/Trailer.

[0056] The cooling air plant of the apparatus has a refrigerating cycle and air heat exchangers acting with electricity. The heating plant has an incorporated fuel/Natural-Gas burner acting as air furnace.

[0057] The system of the present invention reduces the quantity of the refrigerant fluid used for cooling, thus is environmentally friendly, which may affect the global warming and reconsidered a new way of miniaturization to spare space and raw materials. Alternative sources such as solar energy, wind energy, generators may be used. The single body of the present invention is designed to be placed unconventionally in the lower part the RV/Trailer. The various size of the existing vehicles or trailers impose a minimum and a maximum apparatus thickness to respect the distance from the ground and possibly fit between the frames. The inner components are sized to satisfy air cooling needs in the range from one to three times the today's most popular standards, taking as reference one roof-top ac's, so eliminating a multitude of air-conditioners as used nowadays.

[0058] Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “air treatment system of RV”, “air treatment system”, “apparatus”, and “air system” are interchangeable and refer to the air treatment system of RV 100 of the present invention. The terms “recreational vehicles”, “RV”, “trailers”, “motorhomes”, “campervans”, “caravans”, “fifth-wheel trailers”, “popup campers” and “truck camper” are interchangeable and refer to the recreational vehicle which is a motor vehicle comprising of living quarters designed for accommodation, and is often used by people for travelling places nearby home, with home like comfort.

[0059] Notwithstanding the forgoing, the air treatment system of RV 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the air treatment system of RV 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the air treatment system of RV 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the air treatment system of RV 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the air treatment system of RV 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

[0060] Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

[0061] What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.