Supporting device particularly for condensing units of air conditioning systems

Abstract

 A supporting device (1) used particularly for condensing units of air conditioning systems, which is constituted by a wall-mounted profiled bar (2) provided with hinge-like engagement means (5) for a pair of uprights (6). A bracket (13) which can be arranged approximately horizontally is rotatably associable by interlocking with one end (7b) of the uprights (6). There are also means (10) for adjusting and locking the angular position of the pair of uprights (6) with respect to the bar (2) and of the bracket with respect to the pair of uprights (6).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a supporting device particularly for condensing units of air conditioning systems.

[0002] Currently it is known to use wall fixing devices for condensing units whenever it is not possible to arrange them at floor level, for example on a balcony.

[0003] Accordingly, it is known to use a pair of substantially L-shaped brackets made of stamped plate: a first vertical wing of which is placed against the wall and rigidly coupled to it by means of appropriate wall anchors.

[0004] At the other wing, which is horizontal, it is possible to arrange the condensing unit, which is locked by using additional suitable bolts and nuts.

[0005] This solution suffers considerable drawbacks, such as difficult installation, which requires the provision of multiple holes in the wall, with consequent difficulties in horizontal positioning of the condensing unit, and an inherent structural weakness caused by the use of pressed or stamped plate.

[0006] As a partial solution to this drawback, it is known to use a bracket, made of stamped plate, which is associated with a wall in a horizontal position; the lower end of said bracket is L-shaped, and its free wing lies in a plane which is approximately perpendicular to the plane of arrangement of the wall and is obtained by pressing.

[0007] Two L-shaped brackets, suitable to support the condensing unit, are coupled at said smaller wing through interlocking or by way of suitable screws.

[0008] Also this solution suffers drawbacks, because any interlocking coupling can lead to the possible failure of the wing of the bracket, possibly causing the fall of the condensing unit.

[0009] Using additional wall anchors to lock the additional supports of the condensing unit to the wall entails further installation costs due to the additional time and operations.

[0010] Moreover, all of this prior art entails additional costs for the storage and transport of the condensing unit supports.

[0011] A device is also known which uses first L-shaped brackets which at one end are coupled, by interlocking, to a single second bracket being fixed in the wall; the smaller wing of the first brackets, which lies horizontally, is rotatably coupled, at one end, by means of a suitable nut and bolt, to an end of the larger wing, which is arranged vertically.

[0012] Also this solution suffers the drawbacks mentioned above regarding the installation of the condensing unit, except for easier packaging of the L-shaped brackets, whose smaller wing can be folded onto the larger one.

[0013] In any case, there is an additional drawback, due to the fact that the interlocking coupling of the tips of the larger wing of the first brackets to the second bracket, which is fixed to the wall, forces the former to be arranged on an axis which is inclined with respect to the axis of the wall; this entails that if the installer seeks to achieve workmanlike installation, he has to space the smaller wing from the wall in order to position the condensing unit horizontally.

[0014] This can occur by using suitable wall anchors with spacers, which again entails an increase in installation costs.

[0015] Moreover, it is noted that all of the cited prior art provides for the manufacture of the supporting components by using folded metal plate, and this increases the possibilities of deformation, due to accidental loads, and therefore of axial displacement or fall of the condensing unit.

[0016] The aim of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned technical problems, eliminating the drawbacks of the cited prior art by providing a device which allows to support in an optimum manner the condensing unit of air conditioning systems and which can be applied in a workmanlike manner rapidly and easily.

[0017] Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a supporting device in which the position of the condensing unit can be adjusted rapidly and in an optimum manner even after said unit has been installed.

[0018] Another object is to provide a supporting device for condensing units of air conditioning systems which is safely associable for example with a wall and allows safe support of the condensing unit.

[0019] Another object is to provide a device which associates with the preceding characteristics that of being structurally simple and compact for storage and transport.

[0020] Another object is to provide a device which associates to the preceding characteristics that of having low overall and installation costs and that it can be obtained with conventional and known machines and equipment.

[0021] This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a supporting device particularly for condensing units of air conditioning systems, characterized in that it is constituted by a wall-mounted profiled bar provided with hinge-like engagement means for a pair of uprights, with one end of which a bracket which can be arranged approximately horizontally is rotatably associable by interlocking, means being provided for adjusting and locking the angular position of said pair of uprights with respect to said bar and of said bracket with respect to said pair of uprights.

[0022] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description of some particular but not exclusive embodiments thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figures 1 and 2 are a front view and a side view of one of the uprights;

Figures 3 and 4 are a side view and a plan view of a bracket;

Figure 5 is a front view of the wall-mounted profiled bar;

Figure 6 is a side view of an upright uncoupled from a bracket;

Figure 7 is a view of the rotary interlocking connection between an upright and a bracket;

Figure 8 is a view of a detail of the hinge-like engagement of one end of an upright to the profiled bar in the initial engagement condition;

Figure 9 is a view, similar to Figure 8, of the installation condition;

Figure 10 is a side perspective view of the supporting device;

Figures 11 and 12 are a front view and a sectional view, taken along the line XII-XII, of another embodiment;

Figures 13 and 14 are partially sectional views of a detail of two further embodiments;

Figure 15 is a view of a step of the coupling between an upright and a bracket;

Figure 16 is a view, similar to Figure 8, of a still further embodiment;

Figure 17 is a view, similar to Figure 9, of yet another embodiment.

[0023] The figures illustrate the components of a supporting device, generally designated by the reference numeral 1 and particularly suitable to be used to support condensing units of air conditioning systems, especially whenever an external supporting surface, such as the floor of a balcony, is not available.

[0024] The supporting device 1 comprises a profiled bar, designated by the reference numeral 2, which is produced by aluminum extrusion and has a flat surface 4 which can be rigidly coupled to the wall by means of a connection with mechanical means of a known type, such as for example expansion screws which pass through appropriate slots 3 which are preferably formed horizontally.

[0025] The bar 2 has hinge-like engagement means being constituted by an advantageously cylindrical lug 5 which protrudes outwardly at its lower end, is advantageously hollow, and is arranged so that its axis is horizontal; said lug acts as a hinge-like engagement means for a pair of uprights designated by the reference numeral 6 and obtained by injection-molding.

[0026] Each one of said pair of uprights 6 is rotatably connected, at a first end 7a thereof, to the lug 5 of the bar 2 by means of a pair of first seats, designated by the reference numeral 8, which are approximately semicircular, so that they are shaped complementarily to said lug 5.

[0027] Said first seats 8 are formed at a first face of said upright 6, designated by the reference numeral 9a, which is conveniently directed toward the wall.

[0028] At the second face 9b, which lies opposite the first face 9a, there are instead means which are suitable to adjust and lock the angular position of said pair of uprights 6 with respect to said bar 2; said means are constituted by a through hole 10 which is formed at the first end 7a in the second face 9b of the upright 6 that lies opposite the first face 9a.

[0029] A socket head screw 11 is rotatably associable in said through hole, and its tip interacts with the lug 5 by entering it so as to lock the angular position of the upright 6 with respect to the bar 2.

[0030] A third end 12 of a bracket 13 provided by injection-molding is rotatably associable by interlocking at the second end 7b of each one of said pair of uprights 6.

[0031] Said third end 12 is hook-shaped, its lower surface 14 blending with the upper surface 15 along an arc of circumference, a second seat 16, preferably semicircular, being formed at said upper surface.

[0032] Said third end 12 can be arranged at a third seat 17 which is formed in the second end 7b of each pair of uprights 6: the coupling, shown in Figures 6 and 7, entails placing at an angle the third end 12 of the bracket 13 within the third seat 17 and then turning said profiled bracket 13 clockwise until the lower surface 14 arranges itself in abutment on the slightly inclined base 18 of the second end 7b. In this condition an interlocking coupling between the bracket and the upright is obtained, since the second seat 16 arranges itself at a suitable pivot 19 which is formed transversely to said upright at a first partition 20 which lies opposite the base 18 for connecting the first face 9a and the second face 9b of the upright 6.

[0033] Moreover, in this condition, a suitable tooth 21 which is adjacent to the second seat 16 also abuts against the partition 20.

[0034] In order to allow the insertion of the third end 12 in the third seat 17, said third end 12 is slightly narrower than, or as wide as, the third seat 17.

[0035] Moreover, in order to allow easy insertion of the third end 12 within the third seat 17, the first partition 20 has, in the space between the pivot 19 and the second face 9b of the upright 6, an inclined plane 22; stable connection between the bracket 13 and the upright 6 when installed is also allowed by a second partition 23 which mutually connects, along an approximately perpendicular plane, the first partition 20 and the base 18 in a region which is adjacent to the wall; the flat back 24 of the third end 12 abuts against said second partition 23.

[0036] Again to allow optimum coupling between the bracket and the upright, at the lateral surfaces 25 of the profiled bracket 13, in the region for connection to the third end 12, a step 26 is formed which is arc-shaped complementarily to the perimetric edge 27 for the lateral surfaces 28 of the profiled bracket 13 at the third end 12.

[0037] Means are also provided for adjusting and locking the angular position of the bracket with respect to the pair of uprights 6; said means are constituted by a suitable second hole 29 which is formed in the second partition 23 and is suitable to rotatably accommodate a screw; the stem of said screw protrudes beyond the first face 9a of the upright, which is adjacent to the wall, and spaces said upright by the extent determined in advance by the arrangement of the socket head screw 11 with respect to the first hole 10.

[0038] The partial rotation of said upright with respect to said bar is allowed by the presence of a cutout 33 formed in the second face 9b of the upright 6 which protrudes beyond said lug.

[0039] It has thus been found that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects, a supporting device for condensing units of air conditioning systems having been provided which can be applied in a workmanlike manner rapidly and easily and is very compact in the unassembled condition, since it is possible to stack, in an appropriate package, the profiled bar 2, the pair of brackets 13 and the pair of uprights 6.

[0040] Moreover, the provision of the bar by aluminum extrusion makes such bar very strong, further increasing the safety of the support of the condensing unit.

[0041] The possibility to rotatably couple the uprights to the profiled bar by means of a hinge-like engagement also allows to achieve both optimum support and correct angular positioning of said uprights, together with the presence of the second hole 29 formed at the second partition 23.

[0042] The device is of course susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept.

[0043] Thus, for example, in Figures 11 and 12 the second end 107 of each pair of uprights 106 has a third seat 117 for the third end 112 of each bracket 113, in which the first partition 120 again has a first horizontal portion which is adjacent to the first face 109a at which the tooth 121 of said bracket abuts.

[0044] An arc-like blending portion 116 is provided adjacent to said tooth and blends with the upper surface 115 and interacts with a complementarily shaped lug or protrusion 119 which protrudes downwardly at said first partition 120.

[0045] Adjacent to the lug or protrusion 119, the first partition 120 has an inclined plane 122 which allows the insertion of the third end 112 of the bracket 113 in the third seat 117.

[0046] Figure 13 illustrates another embodiment, in which the third seat 217 formed at the second end 207b of each pair of uprights 206 has a first partition 220 which is shaped like an inclined plane and connects the first face 209a to the second face 209b.

[0047] A pivot 219 is provided transversely to the lateral surfaces 225 of the third end 212.

[0048] At said third end 212 of each bracket 213 a second seat 216 is provided, which is essentially L-shaped; a first wing 230a thereof is formed axially with respect to said bracket and is blended, along a curved shape, with a second wing 230b which is arranged at right angles to the preceding one; said second seat slidingly accommodates said pivot 219, which abuts against the end of said second wing 230b, the back 224 abutting against a second partition 223 which advantageously coincides with the first face 209a.

[0049] Figure 14 illustrates still another embodiment, in which each pair of uprights 306 has, at the second end 307b, a third seat 317 for a bracket 313.

[0050] Said third seat 317 is formed by said flat base 318, which is contiguous to a back 324 which is in turn contiguous to a first partition 320 which is flat and approximately parallel to said base 318 and ends with an inclined plane 322 for blending with a second flat face 309b of each pair of uprights 306.

[0051] The means for locking the position of said bracket with respect to said pair of uprights are constituted by a pin 331 which protrudes from said base 318 proximate to the front perimetric edge 327, which advantageously has a linear shape.

[0052] Also these embodiments achieve the intended aim and objects.

[0053] Figures 16 and 17 illustrate a profiled bar, designated by the reference numeral 402, which is formed by aluminum extrusion and has a flat surface 404 which can be coupled to a wall by a connection with mechanical means of a known type, such as for example expansion screws which pass through appropriately provided slots which are preferably horizontal.

[0054] Said bar 402 has hinge-like engagement means which consists of a lug 405 which protrudes outwardly at its lower end, is advantageously hollow and is arranged so that its axis is horizontal; said lug 405 is shaped so as to have, starting from the lower end, a first portion 430 which is advantageously cylindrical, followed by a second portion 431 which is approximately parallel to the flat surface 404 and by a third portion 432 which is approximately S-shaped and blends with said flat surface 404.

[0055] A curved shape is thus formed which allows said lug to act as a hinge-like engagement means for a pair of uprights 406 advantageously obtained by injection-molding.

[0056] Each one of said two uprights 406 is in fact rotatably interconnected, at a first end 407a, to the lug 405 of the bar 402, by means of a pair of second seats, designated by the reference numeral 408, which are shaped complementarily to said lug 405.

[0057] Said first seats 408 are formed at a first face of said upright 406 which is designated by the reference numeral 409a and is conveniently directed toward the wall.

[0058] At the second face 409b, which lies opposite the first face 409a, it is instead optionally possible to provide means which are suitable to adjust and lock the angular position of said pair of uprights 406 with respect to said bar 402; said means consists of a through hole 410 formed at the first end 407a in the second face 409b of the upright 406 that lies opposite the first face 409a.

[0059] A socket head screw is rotatably associable within said through hole, and its tip interacts with the lug 405 and penetrates it so as to lock the angular position of the upright 406 with respect to the bar 402.

[0060] Alternatively, the angular position of the bar 402 can be set by associating with the second end, which lies opposite the first end 407a, a spacer, such as a screw whose head is rotatably associated with said bar 402 and whose stem interacts with the wall through its free end.

[0061] The partial rotation of said upright with respect to said bar is allowed by the presence of a cutout 433 which is formed in the second face 409b of the upright 406 which protrudes beyond said lug.

[0062] This particular configuration of the lug allows to achieve the intended aim and all the stated objects, ensuring additional resistance to greater loads and thus increasing safety.

[0063] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. TV2000A000117 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0064] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A supporting device particularly for condensing units of air conditioning systems, characterized in that it is constituted by a wall-mounted profiled bar (2) provided with hinge-like engagement means (5) for a pair of uprights (6), with one end (7b) of which a bracket (13) which can be arranged approximately horizontally is rotatably associable by interlocking, means (10) being provided for adjusting and locking the angular position of said pair of uprights (6) with respect to said bar (2) and of said bracket (13) with respect to said pair of uprights (6).

2. The supporting device according to claim 1, characterized in that said profiled bar (2) is provided by aluminum extrusion.

3. The supporting device according to claim 1, characterized in that said hinge-like engagement means consists of an advantageously cylindrical lug (5) which protrudes outward at the lower end, is advantageously hollow and is arranged so that its axis is horizontal.

4. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that said lug (5) acts as a hinge-like engagement means for the pair of uprights (6) which is obtained by injection-molding.

5. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that each one of said pair of uprights (6) has, at a first end (7a), a pair of first substantially semicircular seats (8) which are adapted for rotatable connection to said lug (5).

6. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 5, characterized in that said first seats (8) are formed at a first face (9a) of said uprights (6), which is conveniently directed toward the wall, whereas at the second face (9b), which lies opposite said first face (9a), means are provided which are suitable to adjust and lock the angular position of said pair of uprights (6) with respect to said profiled bar (2), said means consisting of a through hole (10) formed at said first end (7a) on said second face (9b) of said uprights (6).

7. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 6, characterized in that a socket head screw (11) is rotatably associable in said through hole (10), the tip thereof interacting with said lug (5) and penetrating it so as to lock said uprights (6) with respect to said bar (2) in a chosen and presettable angular position.

8. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 7, characterized in that a third end (12) of a bracket (13) formed by injection-molding is rotatably associable by interlocking at said second end (7b) of each one of said pair of uprights (6).

9. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 8, characterized in that said third end (12) is hook-shaped, the lower surface (14) blending along a circular arc with the upper surface (15), a second preferably semicircular seat (16) being formed at said upper surface (15).

10. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 9, characterized in that said third end (12) can be arranged at a third seat (17) formed in said second end (7b) of each one of said pair of uprights (6), the coupling providing for the inclined arrangement of said third end (12) of said bracket (13) within said third seat (17), followed by subsequent clockwise rotation of said profiled bracket (13) until said lower surface (14) arranges itself in abutment on a slightly inclined base (18) of said second end (7b), an interlocking coupling between said bracket (13) and said upright (6) being provided in this condition.

11. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 10, characterized in that in the condition of interlocking coupling between said bracket (13) and said upright (6), said second seat (16) arranges itself at a suitable pivot (19) formed transversely to said upright (6) at a first partition (20) which lies opposite said base (18) for blending said first face (9a) and said second face (9b) of said upright (6).

12. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 11, characterized in that in the condition of interlocking coupling between said bracket (13) and said upright (6), a suitable tooth (21) adjacent to said second seat (16) also abuts against said first partition (20).

13. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 12, characterized in that in order to allow the insertion of said third end (12) in said third seat (17), said third end (12) is slightly narrower than, or as wide as, said third seat (17).

14. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 13, characterized in that in order to allow the insertion of said third end (12) in said third seat (17), said first partition (20) has an inclined plane (22) in the space between said pivot (19) and said second face (9b) of said upright (6).

15. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 14, characterized in that stable connection between said bracket (13) and said upright (6) when installed is facilitated by a second partition (23) which mutually connects, along an approximately perpendicular plane, said first partition (20) and said base (18) in a region which is adjacent to the wall, the flat back (24) of said third end (12) abutting on said second partition (23).

16. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 15, characterized in that in order to allow coupling between said bracket (13) and said upright a step (26) is formed at the lateral surfaces (25) of said profiled bracket (13) and in the region for blending with said third end, said step having an arc-like shape which is complementary to the shape of the perimetric edge (27) of said lateral surfaces (28) of said bracket (13) at said third end (12).

17. The supporting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for adjusting and locking the angular position of said bracket with respect to said pair of uprights, said locking and adjusting means consisting of a suitable second hole (29) which is formed in said second partition (23) and is suitable to rotatably accommodate a screw whose stem protrudes beyond said first face (9a) of said upright (13) which is adjacent to the wall, spacing it by the extent preset by the position of said socket head screw (11) with respect to said first hole (10).

18. The supporting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second end (107) of each one of said pair of uprights (109) has a third seat (117) for said third end (112) of each bracket (113) in which said first partition (120) has a first horizontal portion which is adjacent to said first face (109a) and at which said tooth (121) of said bracket (113) abuts, an arc-like blending portion (116) being provided adjacent to said tooth (121) and being in turn blended with said upper surface (115) and interacting with a complementarily shaped protrusion (119) which protrudes downward at said first partition (120).

19. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 18, characterized in that said first partition (120) has, adjacent to said protrusion (119), an inclined plane (122) which allows the insertion of said third end (112) of said bracket (113) in said third seat (117).

20. The supporting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said third seat (217), formed at said second end (207b) of each one of said pair of uprights (206), has a first partition (220) which is shaped like an inclined plane and blends said first face (209a) with said second face (209b).

21. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 20, characterized in that a pivot (219) is provided transversely to said lateral surfaces (225) of said third end (212), a second essentially L-shaped seat (216) being formed at said third end (212) of each bracket (213), a first wing (230a) of said seat (216) being formed axially with respect to said bracket (213) and being blended, along a curved shape, with a second wing (230b) which is arranged at right angles to the first wing (230a), said second seat (216) slidingly accommodating said pivot (219), which abuts at the end of said second wing (230b), said back (224) abutting against a second partition (223) which advantageously coincides with said first face (209a).

22. The supporting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each one of said pair of uprights (306) has, at said second end (307b), a third seat (317) for a bracket (313), said third seat (317) being defined by said flat base (318), which is adjacent to a back (324) which is in turn contiguous to a first partition (320) which is flat and approximately parallel to said base (318) and ends with an inclined blending plane (322) for said second flat face (309b) of each one of said pair of profiled uprights (306).

23. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 22, characterized in that said means suitable to lock the position of said bracket with respect to said pair of uprights are constituted by a pin (331) which protrude from said base (318) proximate to the front perimetric edge (327), advantageously provided with a linear shape.

24. The supporting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said profiled bar (402) has hinge-like engagement means constituted by a lug (405) which protrudes outward at the lower end, is advantageously hollow and arranged with the axis thereof horizontal, the lug (405) being shaped so as to have, starting from the lower end, a first advantageously cylindrical portion (430), then a second portion (431) which is approximately parallel to said flat surface (403), and then a third portion (432) which is approximately S-shaped and blends with said flat surface (404).

25. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 24, characterized in that said lug (405) has a curved shape which is suitable to form a hinge-like engagement means for said pair of uprights (406) which are rotatably connected, at a first end (407a), to said lug (405) through a pair of first seats (408) which are shaped complementarily to said lug (405).

26. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 25, characterized in that said first seats (408) are formed at a first face (409a) of said upright (406) which is conveniently directed toward the wall, means being instead optionally provided at the second face, opposite said first face, which is suitable to adjust and lock the angular position of said pair of uprights (406) with respect to said bar (402), such as a through hole (410), formed at said first end (407a) on said second face (409b) of said upright (406), in which a socket head screw can be placed whose tip interacts with said lug (405) and penetrates it.

27. The supporting device according to claims 1 and 26, characterized in that the partial rotation of said upright (406) with respect to said bar (402) is allowed by the presence of a cutout (433) formed in said second face (409b) of said upright (406) which protrudes beyond said lug (405).

Drawing