US20200173669A1

US20200173669A1 - Portable Air Conditioning Device

Info

Publication number: US20200173669A1
Application number: US16/700,350
Authority: US
Inventors: Solomon Sophus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-12-03
Filing date: 2019-12-02
Publication date: 2020-06-04

Abstract

A portable air conditioning device. The portable air conditioning device has a housing which defines a hollow interior cavity and a primary compartment. The primary compartment can store ice or other cold materials. A pump is in fluid communication with the primary compartment and pulls water that forms from the melting ice out of the primary compartment into a hollow tubing. A fan blows air across a portion of the hollow tubing and a vent enables the air to pass to a space exterior to the housing. A power source is operably connected to the fan and the pump. The portable air conditioning device can provide cool air to a user by blowing air across the tubing and through a vent, thereby providing a cooling breeze to a user, while keeping food, beverages, and similar items stored within the primary compartment at a cold temperature.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/774,401 filed on Dec. 3, 2018. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to air conditioning devices. More particularly, the present invention provides a portable air conditioning device that can create a cooling breeze for a user while keeping items stored within the device fresh and cold.
Many people enjoy traveling and spending time outdoors. Keeping cool while outdoors, in a vehicle, and the like can be difficult on warm and hot days. Some vehicles may have malfunctioning air conditioning systems or poor airflow, leading to people becoming hot and potentially overheated. Opening the windows of the vehicle may provide some relief, but this is typically not enough to keep an individual cool. People who spend a considerable amount of time outdoors may be unable to find enough shade to keep cool throughout the day or may not want to root themselves to one area and would rather wander and explore.
Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to air conditioning devices. These include devices that have been patented and disclosed in patent application publications. However, the devices in the known art have several drawbacks. Some devices are insulated chests with holes to allow cold air to be blown therethrough. Such devices do not have an isolated storage space which can be used to keep food and beverages cold and separated from water resulting from melting ice. Some devices include a separate storage compartment for storing food and beverages, but these devices blow warm outside air directly across the food and beverage compartment. These devices also do not include a pump to remove water from the primary compartment that forms as the ice melts.
The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing air conditioning devices. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of air conditioning devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a portable air conditioning device wherein the same can be utilized for creating a cooling breeze for a user while keeping items stored within the device fresh and cold. The present portable air conditioning device comprises a housing which defines a hollow interior cavity and a primary compartment. The primary compartment can store ice or other cold materials. A pump is in fluid communication with the primary compartment and pulls water that forms from the melting ice out of the primary compartment into a hollow tubing. A fan blows air across a portion of the hollow tubing and a vent enables the air to pass to a space exterior to the housing. A power source is operably connected to the fan and the pump.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a top-down view of an embodiment of the portable air conditioning device.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the portable air conditioning device.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of an embodiment of the portable air conditioning device.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the portable air conditioning device with a focus on the tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the portable air conditioning device. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for creating a cooling breeze and providing insulated storage for food, beverages, or similar items. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a top-down view of an embodiment of the portable air conditioning device. The portable air conditioning device comprises a housing 100 defining a hollow interior cavity 210 and a primary compartment 120. In the shown embodiment, the housing 100 also includes a hingedly connected lid 190 that provides access to the hollow interior cavity 210 and the primary compartment 120 of the housing 100. Further, in the shown embodiment, the lid 190 can lock into a closed configuration to enclose the hollow interior cavity 210 and the primary compartment 120. A pair of buttons 191 disposed on opposing sides of the lid 190 can be depressed to enable the lid 190 to rotate about an axis, thereby exposing the primary compartment 120. In this manner, a user can fill the primary compartment 120 with desired materials, such as ice to keep the primary compartment cold, as well as food, beverages, and other items the user desires to keep cold. The lid 190 can then be rotated about the axis back to an closed configuration, at which point the lid 190 is locked in a closed position until the buttons 191 are depressed again. In other embodiments, the lid 190 is removably securable to the housing 100. In the shown embodiment, the lid 190 comprises a triangular cross-section, wherein a handle is disposed on an apex of the lid 190 which can be used to transport the device (as shown if FIG. 2).
In another embodiment, the primary compartment 120 is composed of an aluminum material. Aluminum is a material with a high thermal conductivity. Because of the utilization of aluminum materials, when the primary compartment 120 is filled with a cold material, such as ice, the aluminum material will cool down to a cold temperature. Heat that is present in an attached tubing and liquid therein, as described below, can be drawn out by contact with the cold aluminum, thereby cooling the tubing and the water contained therein. In another embodiment, the primary compartment 120 is composed of a material having a low thermal conductivity. Such a material is advantageous in that heat escapes less quickly from the primary compartment 120 into the surrounding environment. In this manner, the primary compartment 120 is adapted to maintain temperatures therein that are colder than the surrounding environment. In one embodiment, the material with a low thermal conductivity is steel.
A pump 130 is in fluid communication with the primary compartment 120. The pump 130 is configured to pull water out of the primary compartment 120 and into a hollow tubing 200. In the shown embodiment, the pump 130 is disposed in a bottom portion of the primary compartment 120. As ice melts, or condensation forms, water will form and pool in the bottom of the primary compartment 120. The pump 130 is oriented and configured to pull such melt-water, condensation, and other liquids from the bottom of the primary compartment 120 and pump them into the hollow tubing 200. In one embodiment, the pump 130 is configured to circulate the liquid through the hollow tubing 200 and deposit the liquid back to the primary compartment 120 via an exit port 201. The pump 130 is operably connected to a power source as further detailed below.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the portable air conditioning device, and a side view of an embodiment of the portable air conditioning device, respectively. The hollow tubing 200 is configured to receive and circulate a fluid therethrough. In the shown embodiment, the hollow tubing 200 is operably connected to the pump 130 disposed in the bottom of the primary compartment 120. Further, in the shown embodiment, the hollow tubing 200 extends through a sidewall 209 of the primary compartment 120 and into the hollow interior cavity 210. In one embodiment, the hollow tubing 200 comprises an aluminum material. Such an aluminum material has a high thermal conductivity, such that heat can be transferred from an outside source to the hollow tubing at greater efficiency than when using materials having a lower thermal conductivity. The aluminum material also allows the heat to be transferred from the hollow tubing 200 to the fluid therein. Where the primary compartment 120 is filled with a cold substance, such as ice 121, the hollow tubing 200 will cool down. Air from an external source is introduced to the system, as further detailed below, and is cooled by transferring heat from the air to the hollow tubing 200, and the liquid therein. The resulting cooled air can then be blown out of the housing 100 through a vent, as detailed below, to provide a cooling breeze to a user.
In one embodiment, the hollow tubing 200 further comprises a first coil 201 and a second coil 202. The two coils 201, 202 provide additional surface area through which the fluid can contact as the fluid is transported through the hollow tubing 200. The additional surface area provides greater efficiency in heat transfer. In one embodiment, the first coil 201 is disposed in a first end 205 of the hollow interior cavity 210, and the second coil 202 is disposed in a second end 206 of the hollow interior cavity 210. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the two coils 201, 202 are disposed at opposing ends of the primary compartment 120. In this manner, the coils 201, 202 can provide greater surface area to a fan and a vent disposed in opposing ends of the housing 100, as discussed below. In another embodiment, the hollow tubing 200 encircles the primary compartment 120 multiple times via the hollow interior cavity 210 to provide additional surface area through which heat can be transferred from external air to the hollow tubing 200 and liquid therein.
A power source 290 is operably connected to the fan 300 and the pump 130. In the shown embodiment, the power source 290 is a rechargeable battery. In another embodiment, the power source 290 is a removably securable battery. In one embodiment, the power source 290 is operably connected to a USB port 291 disposed on an exterior side of the housing 100. The USB port 291 can be utilized to charge the power source 290 of the device and can also be utilized to charge an external device, such as a cellphone or tablet.
In one embodiment, a drain plug 230 is configured to drain fluid from the hollow interior cavity 210. As fluid travels through the coils and hollow tubing 200, condensation can form on an exterior of the hollow tubing 200. Such condensation can pool at the bottom of the hollow interior cavity 210. The drain plug 230 is removably secured to the housing 100 and provides access to the hollow interior cavity 210 such that a user can drain condensation from the hollow interior cavity 210 by pouring the condensate therethrough.
In one embodiment, the housing 100 comprises an insulating material 220. In the shown embodiment, the insulating material 220 is disposed around an outer surface of the primary compartment 120. The insulating material 220 can maintain a temperature in the primary compartment 120 relative to an outside temperature. For example, where the primary compartment 120 is filled with a cold material, such as ice, the insulation material 220 is configured to insulate the primary compartment 120 from an external source of heat, thereby preventing the pre-mature melting of the ice. In various embodiments, the insulating material 220 comprises multiple layers and various materials such as insulating foam.
In one embodiment, at least one fan 300 is disposed in the housing. In the shown embodiment, the at least one fan 300 is disposed on a first end of the housing. In various other embodiments, the at least one fan 300 can be disposed on any surface of the housing including a front surface and a back surface. For example, in one embodiment, two fans 300 are disposed on a front surface of the housing. The fan 300 is operably connected to the hollow interior cavity 210 such that the fan 300 can blow air from outside the device into the hollow interior cavity 210. In this manner, outside warm air can be introduced to the system via the hollow interior cavity 210. When the outside warm air comes is introduced into the hollow interior cavity 210, it comes into contact with a relatively colder hollow tubing 200 resulting in the air cooling down. In one embodiment, at least one fan 300 is configured to blow air across a portion of the hollow tubing 200. By directly blowing air across at least one portion of the hollow tubing 200, the efficiency at which the warm air cools down is amplified. In one embodiment, the fan 300 is operably connected to a fan control 301 for modulating the speed of the fan 300. In the shown embodiment, the fan control 301 is a dial which can be selectively adjusted to increase or decrease the speed of the fan 300.
At least one vent 310 is configured to enable the air to pass to a space exterior to the housing 100. In the shown embodiment, the vent 310 is disposed in the housing. In the shown embodiment, the at least one vent 310 is disposed on a second end of the housing. In various other embodiments, the at least one vent 310 can be disposed on any surface of the housing including a front surface and a back surface. For example, in one embodiment, two vents 310 are disposed on a back surface of the housing. The vent 310 is operably connected to the hollow interior cavity 210 and provides a pathway through which air can exit the hollow interior cavity 210 into a space exterior to the housing 100. The pathway enables the air to circulate in the hollow interior cavity 210 and maximize the amount of surface area of the primary compartment that the volume of air comes into contact with, such as by circulating the volume of air around the entire perimeter of the primary compartment before leaving the hollow interior cavity 210 into a space exterior to the housing 100 via the at least one vent 310. In various embodiments, the vent 310 can be positioned to enable a user to selectively adjust the flow of air in a chosen direction. In further embodiments, the vent 310 includes movable baffles 311 which can be adjusted to further control the direction of the flow of air out of the hollow interior cavity 210 into a space exterior to the housing 100.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the portable air conditioning device with a focus on the tray. A tray 400 is sized to fit within the primary compartment 120. In the shown embodiment, the tray 400 includes a lip 401 that is configured to be received by a ledge 402 disposed on the primary compartment 120. In this manner, the tray 400 is supported by the ledge 402 and can be disposed at a top portion of the primary compartment 120. In one embodiment, the tray further comprises a removable tray battery 410. In a further embodiment, the tray further comprises a tray USB port 420. The tray USB port 420 is operably connected to the removable tray battery 410 in order to provide power to the tray USB port 420. The tray USB port 420 can power external devices, such as a cellphone or a tablet, attached thereto. In one embodiment, the removable tray battery 410 is encased in a waterproof battery compartment 411 such that moisture and fluids are kept out of the compartment containing the tray battery 410. In another embodiment, the tray USB port 420 is encased in a waterproof USB compartment 421.
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1) A portable air conditioning device, comprising:

a housing defining a hollow interior cavity and a primary compartment;

a pump in fluid communication with the primary compartment;

wherein the pump pulls water out of the primary compartment and into a hollow tubing;

at least one fan configured to blow a volume of air across a portion of the hollow tubing;

at least one vent configured to enable the volume of air to pass to a space exterior to the housing;

a power source operably connected to the at least one fan and the pump; and

a tray sized to fit within the primary compartment.

2) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an insulating material.

3) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the primary compartment comprises an aluminum material.

4) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the hollow tubing comprises an aluminum material.

5) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the pump circulates water through the hollow tubing.

6) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the tray further comprises a removable battery.

7) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the at least one fan is disposed in the housing.

8) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the at least one fan is operably connected to a fan control for modulating the speed of the fan.

9) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the power source is operably connected to at least one USB port.

10) The portable air conditioning device of claim 1, further comprising a drain plug configured to drain a fluid from the hollow interior cavity.

11) A portable air conditioning device, comprising:

a housing defining a hollow interior cavity and a primary compartment;

a pump in fluid communication with the primary compartment;

the hollow tubing comprising a first coil and a second coil;

the first coil disposed in a first end of the hollow interior cavity;

the second coil disposed in a second end of the hollow interior cavity;

a power source operably connected to the at least one fan and the pump; and

a tray sized to fit within the primary compartment.

12) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises an insulating material.

13) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, wherein the primary compartment comprises an aluminum material.

14) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, wherein the hollow tubing comprises an aluminum material.

15) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, wherein the pump circulates water through the hollow tubing.

16) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, wherein the tray further comprises a removable battery.

17) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, wherein the at least one fan is disposed in the housing.

18) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, wherein the at least one fan is operably connected to a fan control for modulating the speed of the fan.

19) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, wherein the power source is operably connected to at least one USB port.

20) The portable air conditioning device of claim 11, further comprising a drain plug configured to drain a fluid from the hollow interior cavity.