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A self-contained window-mounted, heat/cool room air conditioner for automatically maintaining a predetermined indoor room temperature over a wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures. The air conditioner includes a reverse cycle refrigeration system having an inside heat exchange coil and an outsid

A self-contained window-mounted, heat/cool room air conditioner for automatically maintaining a predetermined indoor room temperature over a wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures. The air conditioner includes a reverse cycle refrigeration system having an inside heat exchange coil and an outside heat exchange coil, the coils being series-connected with an associated refrigerant compressor via a reversing valve wherein the system in addition to functioning in a conventional room air cooling mode can also function as a heat pump to heat room air over a limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures. Low and high wattage resistance heating elements supplement or replace the heating action of the reverse cycle refrigeration system under certain operating conditions. Four thermistor temperature sensors are used to provide precise control of the air conditioner for maximum efficiency.

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1. A self-contained room air conditioner for heating or cooling air within a room to maintain a predetermined indoor room temperature over a wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures comprising: a refrigerant compressor, an inside heat exchange coil, an outside heat exchange coil, and a reversin

1. A self-contained room air conditioner for heating or cooling air within a room to maintain a predetermined indoor room temperature over a wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures comprising: a refrigerant compressor, an inside heat exchange coil, an outside heat exchange coil, and a reversing valve, said compressor, coils, and valve being interconnected to provide a reverse cycle refrigeration system having a cooling mode of operation wherein heat is extracted from the room air via said inside coil, and having a heat pump mode of operation wherein heat is provided to the room air via said inside coil, said reverse cycle refrigeration system when in said heat pump mode being operable only over a limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures within said wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures; and heating element means of the electrical resistance type for automatically providing heat to said room air when said outdoor ambient temperature is greater than the upper limit of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures, and said predetermined indoor room temperature is to be maintained above said outdoor ambient temperature greater than said upper limit. 2. A room air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said heating element means is operable to automatically provide heat to said room air when said outdoor ambient temperature is less than the lower limit of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures, and said predetermined indoor room temperature is to be maintained above said outdoor ambient temperature less than said lower limit. 3. A room air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein said heating element means is operable in a low wattage heating mode and a high wattage heating mode, the heating element in its low wattage heating mode supplementing the heating action of the reverse cycle refrigeration system when operating in its heat pump mode over a predetermined lower temperature portion of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures. 4. A self-contained room air conditioner for heating or cooling air within a room to maintain a predetermined indoor room temperature over a wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures comprising: a refrigerant compressor, an inside heat exchange coil, an outside heat exchange coil, and a reversing valve, said compressor coils and valve being interconnected to provide a reverse cycle refrigeration system having a cooling mode of operation wherein heat is extracted from the room air via said inside coil, and having a heat pump mode of operation wherein heat is provided to the room air via said inside coil, said reverse cycle refrigeration system when in said heat pump mode being operable only over a limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures within said wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures; a low wattage resistance heater element for automatically providing additional heat to said room air when said reverse cycle refrigeration system is operating in a heat pump mode, and said outdoor ambient temperature is within a lower temperature portion of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures; and a high wattage resistance heater element for automatically providing heat to said room air only when said outdoor ambient temperature is above an upper limit or below a lower limit of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures, and said predetermined indoor room temperature is to be maintained above the outdoor ambient temperature. 5. A room air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein said low wattage resistance heater element operates simultaneously in conjunction with said high wattage resistance heater element, said heaters simultaneously providing heat to the room air only when said outdoor ambient temperature is above the upper limit or below the lower limit of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures, and said predetermined indoor room temperature is to be maintained above the outdoor ambient temperature. 6. A room air conditioner according to claim 4, including means to preclude the simultaneous energization of said reverse cycle refrigeration system and said high wattage resistance heater element. 7. A room air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein said means for precluding is constituted by a relay via which electrical power is provided to said reverse cycle refrigeration system and to said high wattage resistance heater element, said relay including a single-pole, double-throw switch, said switch having a common terminal connected to an electrical power supply, a first power providing terminal connected to the said refrigeration system, and a second power providing terminal connected to the high wattage resistance heater element, said common terminal of said switch being electrically connectable to only one of said power providing terminals at any one time. 8. A self-contained room air conditioner for heating or cooling air within a room to maintain a predetermined indoor room temperature over a wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures comprising: a refrigerant compressor, an inside heat exchange coil, an outside heat exchange coil, a refrigerant flow controller of the capillary tube type series-connected between the inside coil and the outside coil, and a reversing valve, said compressor coils, controller, and valve being series-interconnected to provide a reverse cycle refrigeration system having a cooling mode of operation wherein heat is extracted from the room air via said inside coil, and having a heat pump mode of operation wherein heat is provided to the room air via said inside coil, said reverse cycle refrigeration system when in said heat pump mode being operable only over a limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures within said wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures, said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures extending between approximately 35° F. and 70° F.; and heat element means of the electrical resistance type for automatically providing heat to said room air when said outdoor ambient temperature exceeds approximately 70° F., and said predetermined indoor room temperature is to be maintained above said outdoor ambient temperature greater than 70°. 9. A room air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein said heating element means is operable to automatically provide heat to said room air when said outdoor ambient temperature is less than approximately 35° F. and when the predetermined indoor temperature is to be maintained above said outdoor ambient temperature less than 35°. 10. A room air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein said heating element means is operable in a low wattage heating mode and a high wattage heating mode, the heating element in its low wattage heating mode supplementing the heating action of the reverse cycle refrigeration system when operating in its heat pump mode over a predetermined lower temperature portion of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures, the range of said lower temperature portion extending between approximately 35° F. and 60° F. 11. A self-contained room air conditioner for heating or cooling air within a room to maintain a predetermined indoor room temperature over a wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures, comprising: a refrigerant compressor, an inside heat exchange coil, an outside heat exchange coil, and a reversing valve, said compressor, coils and valve being interconnected to provide a reverse cycle refrigeration system having a cooling mode of operation wherein heat is extracted from the room air via said inside coil, and having a heat pump mode of operation wherein heat is provided to the room air via said inside coil, said reverse cycle refrigeration system when in said heat pump mode being operable only over a limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures within said wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures; a first temperature sensor mounted for sensing the outside ambient temperature; a second temperature sensor mounted for sensing the indoor room temperature; and a heating element means of the electrical resistance type for automatically providing heat to said room when said outdoor ambient temperature sensed by said first temperature sensor is greater than the upper limit of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures, and when said predetermined indoor room temperature is greater than the temperature sensed by said second temperature sensor. 12. A room air conditioner according to claim 11, including a third temperature sensor mounted on said outside heat exchange coil for sensing the outside coil temperature and a fourth temperature sensor mounted on said inside heat exchange coil for sensing the inside coil temperature, said third and fourth temperature sensors indicating a frost/no-frost condition of said outside and inside coils. 13. A room air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein said heating element is operable to supplement the heating action of the reverse cycle refrigeration system, when operating in its heat pump mode over a predetermined lower temperature portion of said limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures, said supplemental heating action by said heating element occurring only if a predetermined differential temperature exists between said predetermined indoor temperature and the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor. 14. A room air conditioner according to claim 13, wherein said supplementral heating action by said heating element terminates when the temperature sensed by said second temperature sensor changes by a first predetermined amount, said heating action by said reverse cycle refrigeration system continuing until the temperature sensed by said second temperature sensor changes by a second predetermined amount.