US 12,222,114 B2
Air conditioner unit having a sterilization light assembly
Dong Soo Shin, Seoul (KR); Timothy Scott Shaffer, La Grange, KY (US); Jaebong Lee, Seoul (KR); and Je Kwon Yoon, Seongnam (KR)
Assigned to Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed by Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on May 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/330,666.
Prior Publication US 2022/0381451 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. A61L 2/00 (2006.01); A61N 5/00 (2006.01); F24F 1/022 (2019.01); F24F 1/0284 (2019.01); F24F 1/029 (2019.01); F24F 1/0323 (2019.01); F24F 1/0353 (2019.01); F24F 8/22 (2021.01); G01N 23/00 (2006.01); F24F 110/30 (2018.01)
CPC F24F 1/0353 (2019.02) [F24F 1/022 (2013.01); F24F 1/0284 (2019.02); F24F 1/029 (2019.02); F24F 1/0323 (2019.02); F24F 8/22 (2021.01); F24F 2110/30 (2018.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air conditioner unit for conditioning an indoor space, the air conditioner unit comprising:
a housing defining an indoor portion and an outdoor portion, the housing further defining an exhaust outlet downstream from the indoor portion to exhaust air therefrom;
an outdoor heat exchanger assembly disposed in the outdoor portion and comprising an outdoor heat exchanger;
an indoor heat exchanger assembly disposed in the indoor portion and comprising an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan, wherein the indoor fan is disposed along an airflow path between an intake segment of the indoor portion and an exhaust segment of the indoor portion upstream from the exhaust outlet;
a compressor in fluid communication with the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger to circulate a refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger;
a sterilization light assembly disposed within the indoor portion to transmit an ultraviolet light emission thereto; and
a flow sensor disposed within the indoor portion upstream from the exhaust outlet, the flow sensor being operably coupled to the sterilization light assembly and configured to activation of sterilization light assembly in response to detecting a predetermined airflow within the indoor portion; and
a cutoff panel separating the intake segment from the exhaust segment,
wherein the flow sensor is attached to the cutoff panel and comprises an air vane extending thereabove downstream from the indoor fan,
wherein the sterilization light assembly is attached to the cutoff panel and disposed therebelow, and
wherein the sterilization light assembly is coupled to the air vane through the cutoff panel to transmit the ultraviolet light emission based on a position of the air vane.