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Air conditionerAir conditioner description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080000252, Air conditioner. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]1. Field of the Invention [0002]The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner that is configured to re-circulate water accumulated in a base pan to the top of a heat exchanger to drop by means of gravity or be evaporated through a steam generator, and which has a main drain pan (with installing portions on which a plurality of components are installed) that is provided in a central interior portion of the air conditioner in order to make the product more compact. [0003]2. Description of the Related Art [0004]Generally, an air conditioner includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger, and is used for maintaining an indoor space at a set temperature to make the indoor space a pleasant environment. That is, an air conditioner is a cooling/heating apparatus installed in a predetermined portion or a wall surface of an interior space such as a vehicle, an office, and a home to cool or heat the interior space. The air conditioner employs a cooling cycle involving a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve (a capillary tube), and an indoor heat exchanger or a heating cycle in series using reverse circulation of a coolant. However, since a related art air conditioner is large in scale and is installed and used on a wall of a building, it is difficult to move the air conditioner once it is installed. That is, it is impossible to move the related art air conditioner, which causes inconvenience in using the air conditioner. Therefore, a mobile air conditioner having moving wheels attached on a bottom of the air conditioner to allow a user to easily move the air conditioner has recently been developed. Utility model No. 0252478 registered in the Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) discloses this related art mobile type air conditioner. [0005]However, because this air conditioner according to the related art releases condensed water in the vicinity, components that are nearby are contaminated. Also, because condensed water is only released and not evaporated, the problem of removing the condensed water arises. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006]Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an air conditioner that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. [0007]An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that is configured so that condensed water collected in a base pan moves to a sub-drain pan thereabove to drop onto the upper portion of a heat exchanger by means of gravity and evaporate. [0008]Another object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that evaporates water condensed on the top surface of a base, and uses this water to further cool an outer heat exchanger. [0009]A further object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner in which condensed water generated by means of a heat exchanger is easily collected and guided to flow by means of a guiding structure formed on a main drain pan. [0010]A still further object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner forming a plurality of receptacles for preventing mutual interference of components proximally-installed around a main drain pan that is centrally provided in the air conditioner, so that the product can be compacted. [0011]Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. [0012]To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an air conditioner including: a main drain pan provided between a front frame and a rear frame, for dividing a space between the rear frame and the front frame in a vertical direction; a first heat exchanger provided at a lower portion of the main drain pan, for allowing heat exchange to occur between air and coolant; a second heat exchanger provided at an upper portion of the main drain pan, for allowing heat exchange to occur between air and coolant; a sub-drain pan provided at the lower portion of the main drain pan, for collecting condensed water generated by the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; a condensed water pipe for guiding condensed water collected in a base pan to the sub-drain pan; and a pipe coupling element for detachably coupling one end of the condensed water pipe to the sub-drain pan. [0013]In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner including: a main drain pan provided between a front frame and a rear frame, for dividing a space between the rear frame and the front frame in a vertical direction; a first heat exchanger provided at a lower portion of the main drain pan, for allowing heat exchange to occur between air and coolant; a second heat exchanger provided at an upper portion of the main drain pan, for allowing heat exchange to occur between air and coolant; a control box installed at one side of the main drain pan, and including a plurality of built-in electrical components for controlling an operation of the air conditioner; and an exhaust guide unit installed on the rear frame, for exhausting air that has undergone heat exchange to an outside, wherein the main drain pan forms a control box installation opening formed at a front end thereof for installing the control box in. [0014]In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner including: a main drain pan provided between a front frame and a rear frame, for dividing a space between the rear frame and the front frame in a vertical direction; a first heat exchanger provided at a lower portion of the main drain pan, for allowing heat exchange to occur between air and coolant; a second heat exchanger provided at an upper portion of the main drain pan, for allowing heat exchange to occur between air and coolant; and a sub-drain pan provided at the lower portion of the main drain pan, for collecting condensed water generated by the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, wherein the sub-drain pan is coupled to the main drain pan. [0015]According to an air conditioner of the present invention, after condensed water collected in a base pan is moved upward by means of a pump, the water is distributed at the top of the heat exchanger to fall by means of gravity. Accordingly, the contamination of components by the dispersed condensed water can be prevented, and evaporation of the condensed water is increased so that condensed water may be eliminated more effectively. Furthermore, a connector that is slidingly attached to the sub-drain pan is provided on one end of a condensed water pipe that guides the flow of condensed water upward. Thus, assembly is easier and work efficiency increases. Also, a fixing member for the attached connector fixes and prevents the connector from disengaging, increasing the reliability of the product. Additionally, a rib and a falling hole are formed in the main drain pan and sub-drain pan according to the present invention, in order to guide the flow and falling of condensed water. Therefore, collection of condensed water is performed smoothly, preventing contamination of nearby components by the condensed water. [0016]Also, in the air conditioner according to the present invention, when the components around the main drain pan and the sub-drain pan are coupled, mutual interference thereof is prevented. Accordingly, a relatively large number of components may be installed in a confined space, allowing the product to be compacted. [0017]It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018]The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings: [0019]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0020]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0021]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an inner construction of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention; Continue reading about Air conditioner... Full patent description for Air conditioner Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Air conditioner patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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