Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COVER ~OR WALL MO~NTED AIR CONDITIONER
TEC~lNICl~L FIELD
This invention pertains generally to the field of
accessories used with air conditioning equipment and par-
ticularly to products which cover or seal air conditioningunits.
BACKGROUND P.RT
Room air conditioning UllitS are often mounted in openings
in the outer walls of buildings and are left in place through-
out the year. Such through the wall units must be mounted
so that they can be replaced when necessary; in a typical
installation, the Wlit rests within a metal sleeve or frame
mounted around the wall opening, with the sleeve usually~
extending an inch or two from the wall into the interior of
the room. An air conditioning unit can be replaced by
simply sliding it out of the metal sleeve and sliding a new
unit in place. I~here an air conditioning unit is not desired
by the occupant of the apartment, the wall opening can be
closed off, typically by fitting a box-like metal cap over
the ends of the sleeve on the interior and exterior sides of
the wall.
In colder climates, the through the wall air conditioning
units can be a major source of heat loss from a building
during the winter montils. The air conditioner unit itself
is not air tight and can allow cold outside air to pass
through into the room interior. In addition, since the air
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conditioner sits loose]y within the sleeve w~ich surrounds
it, cold air can blow through the areas between the sleeve
and the air conditioner, and sometimes between the sleeve
and the adjacent wall structure, resulting in a substantial
heat loss from the ~partment. ~eatherstripping placed
between the air conditioller and the sleeve can be helpful
but does not totally eliminate seepage of cold air into the
room between the sleeve and the air conditioner, and does
nothing to prevent heat loss through the air conditioner
itself. This heat loss has prompted apartment dwellers to
attempt to cover the air conditioner with plastic sheet
material or blankets, remedies which are both unsightly and
largely ineffective. With rising energy costs, the lost
heat due to the air conditioner openings requires attention
on the part of landlords, but the only reasonably effective
solution has been to remove the air conditioner each fall
and to fill and cover the wall opening--operations which are
time consuming and expensive. Air leaks still occur even
about the openings that have been filled and capped because
there are often cracks between the sleeve and the wall and
because the seal between the cap and the sleeve is generally
not air-tight.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The air conditioner cover of the present invention is
adapted to be readily installed and removed from a position
sealing the interior end of a wall air conditioner. The
unit is designed so that it can be initially assembled and
mounted in a few minutes, and can thereafter be removed and
reinstalled in a few seconds. After initlal installation,
the air conditioner cover is removably held in place by
retainers which are permanently attached to the wall of the
room at positions around the opening in which the air con-
ditioner is mounted.
The body o~ the cover is preferably integrally formed
and molded out of one piece of high impact polystyrene. The
cover body includes a flat, rectangular back panel which is
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selected to be about the same size as the inner face of the
air conditioner which is heing covered. Top, bottom and end
side walls are formed integrally with the back panel and
extend outwardly from the four edges of the back panel at a
slight flared angle. ~ curved joint section extends around
the periphery of the four joined side walls to divide each
of the side walls into first and second sections. The joint
section curves slightly outwardly from each of the four
first side wall sections and then downwardly into the second
side wall sections. An outwardly extending flange, formed
integrally with the side walls, extends around the entire
periphery of the side walls in a plane substantially parallel
to the back panel. A lip, comprising a short inwardly
curved section, is integrally formed on the outer edge of
the flange. The lip rigidifies and strengthens the flange
area and also cooperates with weatherstripping material
which is secured to the inner side of the periphery of the
flange just adjacent to the lip on the flange.
Installation is accomplished by placing the cover over
the portion of the air conditioner that sticks out into the
room such that the weatherstripping material rests against
the wall surrounding the air conditioner. Several retainers
are mollnted to the wall at various positions about the
periphery of the flange and are adapted to engage the cover
to hold it on the wall. Each retainer preferably has a
cantilevered portion extending out from the retainer base at
a position spaced away from the wall. The retainer can be
turned so that the cantilevered portion engages the outer
surface of the adjacent flange and urges the flange inwardly
toward the wall to cornpress the weather stripping. This
results in a tight seal around the entire periphery of the
cover, prevent-ing cold air from leaking through the air
conditioner, through the openings between the air conditioner
and the sleeve, or through cracks in openings between the
sleeve and tlle wall structure itself.
The side walls of the cover are preferably flared out
as indicated to accommodate nestable stacking of the covers,
thereby providing a compact package for shipment and storage.
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~he curved jolnt section between the first and second side
wall sections allows the covers to fit together without
jamminq, so that they may be more easily ~nstacked. The
joint section also increases the rigidity of the side walls
and~strenythens the cover structure,
The air conditioner cover may be modified to adapt to
those situations where the alr conditioner e~tends directly
underneath a window so that the top edge of the air conditioner
abuts a portion of the window frame or sill. In this situation,
a flange extending out from the top side wall would interfere
with placement of the cover. Thus, the modified cover has a
top side wall WlliCIl iS shorter than the other three side
walls so that an indentatioll or gap is defined between the
top edges of the two end side walls and -the inner edge of
the top side wall, This indentation is sized to accomm~3~ e
a window frame which extends out from the wall into the
room. A plastic cl.p connection strip having weatherstripping
material secured to one surface is fitted over the protruding
edge of the top side wall, and similar strips, shorter in
length, fit over the protruding edges of the two end side
walls. The weatherstripping along these edges engages the
bottom and/or sides of the window frame to complete the seal
about the air conditioner.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention
will be apparent from the following detailed description,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing
preferred embodiments of the invention.
B~IEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the air
conditioner cover of the invention mounted on an interior
wall. -~
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cover of Fig. 1
taken along tile lines 2~2 of Fig. 1.
Flg. 3 is a top plan view of the air conditioner cover
of Fig. 1.
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I;`ig. ~ is a cross-sectional view showiny ~he side walls
of two covers placed ln stacked relation.
Fig. 5 is a top side elevation view of another embodiment
of the cover in accordance with the lnvention.
5Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cover of Fig.
5 taken alony the lines 6-6 of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a connection strip
utilized in the cover of Fig. 5.
Fig. g is a cross-sectional view of a modified connection
strip utilized in the cover of Fig. 5.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to the drawings~ an air conditioner
cover in accordance with the invention is shown generally at
10 in Fig. 1 mounted illustratively on the inside wall 11 of
a building such as an apartment or a home. The cover 10 has
a one piece cover body including a generally rectangular
back panel 13 which is sized and shaped to approximately
conform to the face of -the air conditioner being covered.
For standard sized room air conditioners, a back panel
having dimensions of approximately 18 inches on its short
side and 26 inches on its long side has been found satisfactory.
Extending inwardly, toward the wall 11, from the four edges
of the back panel 13 are four side walls 14, 15, 16 and 17;
the top side wall 14 and bottom side wall 16 extending aiong
the long sides of the back panel 13 and the end side walls
15 and 17 extending along the short sides of the back panel,
as best shown in Fig. 3. ~he four side walls 14-17 are
formed integrally with the back panel 13, flare away from
the back panel at a slight outward angle, and are integrally
connected together to form a continuous side wall around the
back panel.
Each of the side walls is divided into first and second
side wall sections by a curved joint section l9, which
extends entirely around the periphery of the side walls
parallel to the back panel. The joint section 19 curves
outwardly from the first section of each side wall and
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downwardly to the second sec~ion of each side wal,l, so that
the second section of each side wall is spaced slightly
outwardly of the f;,rst side wall section, as illustrated in
the cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 showing the first section
16a and seconcl section 16b of the bottom side wall 16. As
explained further below, the prime purpose of the joint
section 19 is to facilitate the stacking and unstacking of
several covers for shipping or storage.
A flange 20 extends outwardly from the bottom of the
side walls 14, 15, 16 and 17 and lies in a plane substantially
parallel to that of the back panel 13. The flange 20 has
flat outer and inner surfaces approximately three-quarters
half inch wide. The flange provides additional structural
rigidity to the cover and also provides a surface which can
be engaged by rota~able retainers 22 which are mounted on
the wall 11 around the periphery of the cover. The retainers
preferably have a base portion and a cantilevered portion
extending from the base at a position spaced away from the
wall. As shown in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 2, the
retainers 22 can be attached to the plasterboard wall 11 by
any suitable wall connectors such as a plastic expansion
clamps 23, to which the retainers 22 are connected by a
screw 24. The flanges 20 preferably extend outwardly just
beyond the stud 26 wllich typically surrounds the wall, opening
so that the clamps 23 can be passed through the plasterboard
wall 11, although the clamps shown and mar-y other types of
suitable fasteners can be anchored in the stud where necessary.
An illustrative mounting arrangement having two retainers
along each side is shown in Fig. 3. Other suitable arrange-
ments include two retainers along the top and bottom only,
or a single retainer along each side. Non-rotating, offset
clips may be mounted along one side such that the flange
along that side slips under the clip, whereas rotating
retainers are mounted on the opposite side of the cover.
With'further reference to the cross-sectional view of
Fig. 2, a metal sleeve 28 fits within the wall opening just
inside of the studs 26, and the air conditioner unit 29
slides into place within the sleeve 28. The sleeve extends
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from the wall 11 for an inch or two, and the air condltioner
29 extends outwardly illtO -the room usually another two
inches beyond the .s~eeve, so that the height of the side
walls 14-17 generally must be at least four to five inches.
S There will be inevitable gaps between the slee-ve 28 and the
air conditioner 29, allowing cold air and moisture to leak
into the house, and allowing warm air to leak out; and the
air conditioner unit 29 itself will often not be completely
sealed to prevent passaye of air therethrough, thereby
contributing to the loss of heat from the house. The cover
10 seals off the air conditioner from the room by providing
a weather tight seal around the air conditioner of weather-
stripping material 30 which is attached to the inside surface
of the flange 20. ~s shown in Fig. 2, when the retainers 22
are turned so their cantilevered portions engage the top
surface of the flange 20, they compress the weatherstripping
material 30 ~lownwardly to form an air tight seal. The
material 30 is preferably open cell foam rubber or plastic,
in contrast to closed cell foam, to allow the material to
more readily compress under the pressure of the retainers
22.
As best shown in the view of Fig. 4, a lip 32 is formed
on the outer edge of the flange 20 and extends upwardly from
the flange for approximately one-sixteenth inch. The lip 32
presents a more finished and smooth appearance to the observer
in the room, and also serves to stiffen and reinforce the
flange against the pressure that is applied by the retainers
22 so that the flange does not substantially bend where it
is pressed upon by the retainers; if such bending occurred,
the areas of the flange between the retainers would bulge up
and diminish the effectiveness of the seal.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, two or more of the cover
bodies of the covers 10 can be stacked one inside the other
to minimize the space taken up by several covers during
shipping or storage. The curved joint section 19 of a
second cover placed within a first cover will engage the
first cover at the corner connection between the side walls
(bottom side wall 16 shown) and the flange 20 of tl-e first
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cover. ~ side w~ll structurc having the joint section 19 is
preferred to a straight flared side wall for stacking
purposes, since straight side walls would tend to tightly
engage one another so that it might be difficult to remove
the covers from -the stack once they are packed tightly
together. It is further preferred, as shown in Fig. 4, that
the first section of each side wall, such as the side wall
section 16a, extends inwardly from the back panel 13 at a
slight flare angle to a perpendicular to the back panel
(e.g., 5), and that the second section of each side wall,
such as the side wall section 16b, also extends inwardly
from the jOillt section 19 at a flare angle which is less
than the angle at which the first side wall section 16a is
disposed (e.g., the side wall section 16b may make an angle
of 2 with respect to a perpendicular to the plane of the
back panel 13). By offsetting the angles of the upper and
lower sections of the side walls, the corner at which the
flange 20 meets the side wall will engage the joint section
19 of the next higher cover to support the cover in this
~0 position.
A modified embodiment of the cover which is particularly
adapted for emplacement over air conditioners mounted under
windows is shown generally at 40 in Fig. 5. The cover 40 is
substantially similar to the cover 10, having a one piece
cover body including a back panel 41, a top side wall 42, a
short end side wall 43, a long bottom side wall 44, and
another short end side wall 45. The side walls 43, 44 and
45 are identical to the side walls described above with
respect to the cover 11, and a flange 46 is formed integrally
with the three side walls and extends outwardly therefrom,
with a lip 47 being formed on the outer edge of the flange.
Sealing strips 49, preferably of open celled foam plastic,
are adhered to the inner side of the flange 46 just inside
the lip 47. Each of the side walls 4~, 44 and 45 is divided
by a curved joint section 51 into first and second sections.
The construction, materials, and dimensions of the side wall
sections 43, 44, 45, the joint section 51, the flange 46,
the lip 47 and the sealing strips 49, are preferably as
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described above for the corresponding structural portions of
the cover 10.
Ilowever, the top side wall 42 is shorter than any of
the other side walls 43-45 and terminates in a straight
inner edge spaced below the height of the flange 46. The
distance between the height of the inner edge of the top
side wall 42 and the height of the flanges 46 depends upon
the distance which the window frame, against which the cover
will abut, sticks Ollt from the wall into the room. Thus,
the modified embodiment 40 of the cover may be formed to the
required dimensions at the time of production or may be cut
from the cover 10 by the user to yield a cover having a top
wall 42 of the proper height to fit a particular window
frame.
In order to prvvide a tight seal between the edges of
the short top wall 42 and the top edges of the end side
walls 43 and 45, these edges have a plastic clip connection
strip 53 mounted thereon. The connection strips 53 carry
weatherstripping material 54, such as the foamed rubber or
plastic described above for the strips 49, on the particular
surface of each connection strip that will be abutting the
window frame or adjacent portions of the wall. Detailed
views of the plastic connection strips with associated
weatherstripping are shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The strip
shown 'in Fig. 7 is a commercially available type of plas,tic
attachment strip and has opposed leg strips which can clip
over and be held onto the-exposed portion of a wall, such as
the side wall 42 shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, the weather-
stripping material 54 is adhered to the top shoulder surface
of the connection strip 53, which is the positioning of the
weatherstripping on the connection strips 53 which is shown
in the views of Figs. 5 and 6. In this position the weather-
stripping would be adapted to press against the front of the
window frame, whereas the positioning of the weatherstrippi~g
on the strip 53 as shown in Fig. 8, wherein the weatherstripping
is adhered to a leg of the connection strip, would allow the
weatherstripping to seal up agai,nst the bottom of a window
frame. It may also be noted that, for certain installations
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where the air conditioner is clirectly beneatll the window,
only the flange extending from the side wall 42 will be
removed, so that the side wall ~2 will be substantially the
same height as the other side walls. In this case, a con-
5 nection strip 53 may be attached to the straiyht inrler edgeof the top side wall ~2 in position to have the weather-
stripping 54 seal against either any exposed space on the'
wall or against the bottom or sides of the window frame.
It is understood that the covers 10 and 40 may be
10 provided in the form of a kit wherein the various components
are assemhled by the user to provide a cover emplaced properly
over the air conditioner in the wall. For the cover 10, the
kit includes the one piece cover body comprising the back
panel 13, side walls 14-17! and the flange 20 with the lip
15 32 thereon. :rn addition, a plurality of rotatable retainers
22 are provided as well as a corresponding number of wall
expansion clamps 23 and the screws 24 which connect the
retainers 22 to the expansion clamps 23. Adhesive backed
weatherstripping, sufficient in length to cover the inner
20 surface of the flange, is also provided in the kit. To
assemble the kit, the user cuts the weather- stripping
material to size to fit each of the inner surfaces of the
four side portions of the flange 20, peels the paper backing
off of the pressure sensitive adhesive on the weatherstripping
25 material and secures it to the inner surface of the flan,ge,
places the cover over the air conditioner in the proper
desired position, marks the position where the retainers 22
should go to hold the cover in place, drills holes in the
wall to accommodate the expansion clamps 23, inserts the
30 clamps, and then inserts the screws 24 through the screw
holes in the retainers 22 and into the clamps 23 to secure
the retainers to the wall. The retainers 22 are then turned
so that their cantilevered portions are not directed inwardly
toward the position where the cover will be placed, and the
35 cover is then fitted to its proper position over the extending
air conditioller and the retainers 22 are turned back to have
the cantilevered portions thereof engage the top surface of
the flange 20 and press the cover tightly against the wall.
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Similarly, the kit for the cover 40 consists of the one
piece cover body comprising the back wall 41, side walls 42-
45, and the flange'46 with the lip 47 thereon. It al50
includes a retainer 22 r wall clamp 23 and screw 24 for each
of the three sides of the cover body which have the flange
46 thereon. ~lso inclucled is a strip of foarn weatherstripping
material having adhesive backing thereon, and a length 53 of
the plastic retainer strip clip member sufficient to cover
the exposed straight edges of the top wall 42 and the
adjacent exposed edges of the side walls 43 and 45. The
user can cut down the size of the top side wall 42 to fit
underneath the window frame in proper position, and then cut
the plastic clip strip 53 to the proper size to fit the
length of the edge of the short top side wall 4~ and the
adjacent short edges of the ènd walls 53 and 54. The
weatherstripping material 54 may then be cut -to size to fit
the flanges 46 extending from t}~e side walls 43, 44-alld 45,
the paper backing peeled off, and the weatherstripping
material adhered to the flanges; similarly the weather-
stripping material is cut to a size to fit the lengths ofthe connection strips 53 which are to be mounted onto the
edges of the side walls 42, 43 and 45. The connection
strips 53 with weatherstripping 54 are then emplaced in
proper position, the cover is placed in its desired position
covering'the air conditioner, the retainers 22 are then
placed in their desired position to engage the flanges 46,
holes are drilled by the user at the desired position of the
retainers 22, the wall holding clamps 23 are inserted in the ~,
holes, and the screws 24 are screwed in to mount the retainers
on the wall. The cover is then placed back in proper position
on the wall and the cantilevered portions of the retainers
22 are turned to engage the top surfaces of the flange 46
and hold the cover in position over the air conditioner.
It is apparent that the kit for a cover for an air
conditioner mounted beneath a window may utilize a one piece
cover body portion identical to that shown in Figs. 1-3,
wherein the one piece cover body includes the back panel 13,
the side walls 14-15, and the flan~e 20 extending entirely
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around all of the side wal]s. '1~he user rnay then simply cut
off the flange along the top side wall 42 and whatever
portion of the top side wall necessary to fit the cover body
into proper posi-tion over the air conditionex and under the
window frame. The ki-t would further include weatherstripping
material and a length of plastic connection strip 53 which
would be cut to si~e by the user to connect to the edges Of
the top and end side walls in the manner described above.
It is understood that the invention is not confined to
the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein
illustrated and described, but embraces such modified forms
thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.
