Condensate evaporator for refrigeration apparatus

Abstract

The condensate evaporator has a pan that is pivotally mounted on a fulcrum defined by two posts to depress the plunger of a switch as condensate collects in the pan. The switch and posts form a three point support for the pan on a flat surface. The switch is actuated by the pivoting of the pan to deliver power to a heater pad for heating the condensate.

Claims

1. A condensate evaporator comprising a pan having a cavity for receiving condensate therein and a pair of posts on an underside of said pan for pivoting of said pan on a surface about a horizontal axis passing through said posts towards one end of said pan under the weight of condensate in said cavity; wherein said pan is of elongated rectangular structure having said cavity therein and having a second pair of posts on an underside thereof at said one end of a shorter length than said first pair of posts a heater pad on said pan for heating condensate in said cavity to a point of evaporation; a plunger type push button switch mounted on said underside of said pan at said end of said pan, said switch having a movably mounted vertically disposed plunger for movement between an extended position corresponding to a raised position of said end of said pan relative to said surface and a retracted position corresponding to a lowered position of said end of said pan relative to said surface; and an electrical circuit electrically connecting said heater pad and said switch to an electrical supply whereby electrical power is supplied to said heater pad with said plunger in said retracted position thereof and electrical supply is interrupted to said heater pad with said plunger in said extended position thereof.

2. A condensate evaporator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second pair of posts is positioned between said first pair of posts and said plunger type push button switch.

3. A condensate evaporator for refrigeration apparatus comprising a pan having a cavity for receiving condensate therein and a fulcrum on an underside for pivoting of said pan on a horizontal surface towards one end of said pan under the weight of condensate in said cavity; a heater pad on said pan for heating condensate in said cavity; a switch mounted on said underside of said pan at said end of said pan, said switch having a movably mounted vertically disposed plunger for movement between an extended position corresponding to a raised position of said end of said pan relative to said surface and a retracted position corresponding to a lowered position of said end of said pan relative to said surface; wherein a pair of posts define said fulcrum with said posts and said plunger defining a triangular array on said underside of said pan for supporting said pan on said horizontal surface; and an electrical circuit electrically connecting said heater pad and said switch to an electrical supply whereby electrical power is supplied to said heater pad with said plunger in said retracted position thereof and electrical supply is interrupted to said heater pad with said plunger in said extended position thereof.

Description

(1) These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a condensate evaporator in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the bottom of the condensate evaporator of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a view of a switch as mounted in a removable housing on the condensate evaporator in accordance with the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of an electrical circuit for the condensate evaporator in accordance with the invention; and

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the condensate evaporator of FIG. 1.

(7) Referring to FIG. 1, the condensate evaporator 10 is constructed for use in refrigeration apparatus for collecting and evaporating condensate that forms within the refrigeration apparatus.

(8) In particular, the condensate evaporator 10 is constructed for use in a walk-in refrigerator having a raised floor. In this respect, the condensate evaporator 10 is sized to be slid into an opening below the floor of the walk-in refrigerator so as to collect condensate from a drain hole in the floor of the refrigerator.

(9) As indicated, the condensate evaporator 10 has a pan 11 of elongated rectangular structure having a cavity for receiving condensate. The underside of the pan 11 is provided with two posts 12, each of which is located at or near a corner of one end of the pan 11. The topside of the pan 11 is open to receive condensate.

(10) Referring to FIG. 2, the pan 11 is provided with an elongated recess 13 in the underside as well as a cover plate 14, for example of aluminum, that is secured to the underside of the pan 11 by a pair of screws 15 to close off the recess 13 to the outside environment. The recess 13 is sized to receive a heater pad 16 made with a Balco resistance wire. In this respect, the heater pad 16 is clamped to the bottom of the pan 11 by the aluminum plate 14. In addition, a silicone foam pad 17 is provided between the heater pad 16 and the aluminum plate 14.

(11) Referring to FIG. 3, one end of the pan 11 is bifurcated with a pair of parallel flanges 18 that slidingly receive a removable U-shaped housing 19. Together with the two flanges 18, the housing 19 provides an enclosed compartment at the end of the pan 11. As illustrated, each flange 18 has a shouldered recess 20 at the periphery of each of three sides to receive the U-shaped housing 19 in recessed manner.

(12) The pan 11 is also provided with a pair of enlarged piers 21 at the two corners where the flanges 18 meet the remainder of the pan 11.

(13) The U-shaped housing 19 has a pair of parallel legs 22 that slide within the recesses 20 of the pan 11 in a flush manner to lie over the piers 21. Each leg 22 has a pair of openings 23 to match with threaded bores 24 in the enlarged piers 21. Four screws 36 (see FIG. 5) serve to secure the housing 19 to the pan 11 by passing through the openings 23 in the housing 19 into threaded engagement in the bores 24. The legs 22 extend from a flat body 25 of the housing 19 that serves as a face on the end of the evaporator 10

(14) Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, a switch 26 is mounted on the inside of the housing 19 so as to be housed in within the compartment at the end of the pan 11. This switch 26 is mounted on the bottommost leg 22 of the housing 19 and includes a plunger 27 that extends through the bottommost leg 22 as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 5.

(15) In addition, a power inlet 28, such as a T12-X035 male snap-in power inlet, is mounted on the body 25 of the housing 19. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the power inlet 28 has an exposed entry in the face of the evaporator 10 to receive a power cord plug in a conventional manner.

(16) Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the power inlet 28 is connected via a lead 29 to a COM contact 30 of the switch 26; the switch 26 has N.O. contact connected via a lead 31 to the heater pad 16; and the heater pad 16 is connected to the power inlet 28 via a lead 32 to complete a circuit. A third lead 33 from the power inlet 28 is connected to the pan 11 by a screw 34 to serve as a ground.

(17) Referring to FIG. 1, the underside of the pan 11 is also provided with a pair of posts (or studs) 35 at an intermediate point of the pan 11 for supporting the pan 11 on a flat surface, for example, a floor under a raised floor of a walk-in refrigerator. The posts 35 extend from the pan 11 slightly more than the two cast on posts 12 at the corners of the pan 11 and are positioned to act as a fulcrum about which the pan 11 pivots when sufficient water is in the cavity of the pan 11. In this regard, the posts 35 are positioned closer to the end of the pan 11 that is opposite from the end of the pan 11 on which the U-shaped housing 19 is mounted, i.e. the end at which the plunger 27 of the switch 26 is mounted.

(18) When placed on a flat support surface, the pan 11 is supported at three points, namely by the two intermediately disposed posts 35 and the plunger 27 of the switch 26. The posts 35 and the plunger 27 define a triangular array on the underside of the pan 11 for supporting the pan 11 on the flat surface.

(19) The plunger 27 of the switch 26 is spring loaded by a spring (not shown) that has a spring constant which is sufficient to hold the pan 11 in the horizontal position indicated in FIG. 1 on a flat surface when the pan 11 is empty but insufficient to prevent the pan 11 from pivoting under the added weight of a predetermined amount of condensate in the pan 11 about the fulcrum provided by the two posts 35. Thus, after the evaporator pan 11 has been positioned within a refrigerator to collect condensate from the refrigerator, the pan 11 is in the position shown in FIG. 1.

(20) As condensate begins to fill the cavity of the pan 11, the weight of the condensate causes the plunger 27 to begin to depress towards an actuation point thereby allowing the pan 11 to pivot about the two posts 35 in the direction of the end of the pan 11 in which the plunger 27 of the switch 26 is located. As the weight of the water increases, the amount of retraction of the plunger 27 into the switch 26 increases.

(21) Once the plunger 27 has retracted to an actuation point, the switch 26 closes and power is delivered to the heater pad 16 causing the pad 16 to heat the pan 11 and, thus, the condensate within the pan 11.

(22) As the condensate evaporates from the pan 11, the weight of water within the pan 11 begins to decrease thereby allowing the pan to pivot under the force of the spring on the plunger 27 of the switch 26. At some point, the plunger 27 is extended from the switch 26 an amount sufficient to cause the switch 26 to “open” and, thus, interrupt the power supply to the heater pad 16. That is, the switch 26 has a deactivation point between the retracted position of the plunger 27 and the extended position of the plunger 27 at which the electrical circuit interrupts the electrical supply to the heater pad 16. At this time, the pan 11 is in a slightly tilted position due to the weight of the remaining water in the pan 11. However, the water and pan 11 remain sufficiently hot to continue to evaporate the water in the pan 11. Eventually, as the water is evaporated, the pan 11 returns to a horizontal position with the plunger 27 in the fully extended position.

(23) The invention thus provides a condensate evaporator that provides substantial energy savings, in particular, the invention reduces the electrical energy required to operate a condensate evaporator in refrigeration apparatus.

(24) The invention further provides a simple, economical sensing device in the form of a plunger type push button switch for sensing when condensate collected in a condensate evaporator is to be evaporated.

(25) In accordance with the invention, a pan of conventional structure such as one having four corner located posts as described above may be modified so as to be retrofitted with the two posts for pivoting of the pan and the switch. In this respect, the four cast on posts need not be removed when the studs and switch are added.

(26) A tool to make the pan may have removable pins to be able to make (1) a conventional pan with four corner posts and no intermediately disposed posts, or (2) a pan with two corner posts and two intermediately disposed posts for use with a switch as described above.