United States. Google could be developing a new idea for an air conditioner without a window blade that allows you to see through it. A new patent application details the idea of a fanless air conditioner that is quiet, not obstructive, and doesn't even necessarily use refrigerant to help cool your home.
The patent filed this week seeks to offer a solution with a fanless design that allows you to see directly through the machine, while offering various cooling modes to minimize noise and power.
Google's idea seems to operate similarly to Dyson's bladeless fan designs. By using that concept along with a large section of insulated glass, Google's air conditioner could allow light in from the outside, thereby reducing the obstruction to the outside created by traditional window air conditioning units.
Moreover, Google's design also looks at different methods of cooling the interior of a house. By making the air conditioner lower profile and fixed on the window frame, it would allow the window to open to let the air flow. The air conditioner itself could do this, if the outside temperatures are cold enough not to require compression-based cooling.
As a more mid-range solution for cooling, Google has discussed evaporator loops that could, when combined with a sleek thermostat, help cool a house or room without much energy consumption.
For a more powerful solution, the design also discusses the use of Peltier-based cooling, rather than phase-change units, which help reduce the size of the air conditioning unit. Theoretically, this could be used as a heating element for a house as well.
