Columnar air moving devices, systems and methods
First Claim
1. An air moving device comprising:
- a housing having an air inlet at a first end and an air outlet at a second end spaced from said first end with an air flow passage between said first and second ends, a rotary fan mounted in said housing near said air inlet and having an impeller with a plurality of blades that produce an air flow with rotary and axial air flow components, and a plurality of spaced, axially extending air guide vanes in said housing between said impeller and said air outlet for converting said rotary component of said air flow into combined laminar and axial air flow in said housing, said vanes being spaced from said impeller with a gap of having a selected size, said gap size being selected to be no greater than a selected maximum dimension to avoid generation of turbulence and reduce static back pressure in said air flow, whereby said air flow exits said air outlet in an axial stream extending beyond said air outlet in a columnar pattern with minimal lateral dispersion.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Air moving device includes a housing, an impeller in the housing for generating a downward air flow, and vanes in the housing in close proximity to and a selected distance below the impeller to straighten the air flow. The device produces an air flow that substantially remains in a column over a substantial distance. The method includes producing an air flow that substantially remains in a column over a substantial distance and directing the air flow from the ceiling towards the floor to provide temperature destratification of the air in an enclosed space. The method also includes directing warm air from the ceiling to the floor and storing heat in the floor, apparatus on the floor and ground under the floor. The stored heat is released when the ceiling is cooler than the floor.
78 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. An air moving device comprising:
-
a housing having an air inlet at a first end and an air outlet at a second end spaced from said first end with an air flow passage between said first and second ends, a rotary fan mounted in said housing near said air inlet and having an impeller with a plurality of blades that produce an air flow with rotary and axial air flow components, and a plurality of spaced, axially extending air guide vanes in said housing between said impeller and said air outlet for converting said rotary component of said air flow into combined laminar and axial air flow in said housing, said vanes being spaced from said impeller with a gap of having a selected size, said gap size being selected to be no greater than a selected maximum dimension to avoid generation of turbulence and reduce static back pressure in said air flow, whereby said air flow exits said air outlet in an axial stream extending beyond said air outlet in a columnar pattern with minimal lateral dispersion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. An air moving device comprising:
-
a housing having an a first section, a second section downstream of said first section with a smaller diameter than said first section, and an inner shelf extending radially inwardly from said first section to said second section, a stator nested in said first section and resting on said shelf, a rotary fan mounted in said housing near said air inlet upstream of said housing hub having an impeller with an impeller hub having an outer surface and a plurality of blades extending radially out from said impeller hub, said inner and outer surfaces defining an air flow passage through said housing between said first and second ends, said blades produce an air flow through said air flow passage with a rotary and axial air flow component, and nesting in said housing upstream of said stator and having an impeller with a plurality of blades that produce an air flow with a rotary and axial air flow components, and a cowling mounted on said housing upstream of said fan and extending radially inwardly into said housing along a curve to minimize turbulence, and a plurality of spaced, axially extending air guide vanes in said housing between said impeller and said air outlet for converting said rotary component of said air flow into combined laminar and axial air flow in said housing, said vanes including an upstream portion in said stator and a downstream portion affixed to the inside of said housing, said vanes being spaced from said impeller with a gap of having a selected size, said gap size being selected to be no greater than a selected maximum dimension to avoid generation of turbulence and reduce static back pressure in said air flow, whereby said air flow exits said air outlet in an axial stream extending beyond said air outlet in a columnar pattern with minimal lateral dispersion.
-
-
23. An air moving system comprising:
-
an air moving upper device having an air inlet at a first end and an air outlet at a second end opposite said first end, said device producing an air flow that exits said air outlet in an axial stream extending substantially beyond said air outlet in a columnar pattern with minimal lateral dispersion, an air moving lower device having an air inlet at a first end and an air outlet at a second end opposite said first end, said device producing an air flow that exits said air outlet in an axial stream extending substantially beyond said air outlet in a columnar pattern with minimal lateral dispersion, and a tube coupled between said air outlet of said upper device and said inlet of said lower device to convey air flow from said upper device to said lower device, said lower device being connected to said upper device via said tube. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method of moving air comprising the steps of:
-
producing an air flow through an elongated housing from an air inlet at a first end to an air outlet at a second end, spaced from said first end, and directing said air flow through said housing in a laminar and axial flow and out said air outlet so as to produce an axial stream extending beyond said air outlet in a columnar pattern with minimal lateral dispersion. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
-
-
30. A method of reducing heating requirements for a room having side walls, a ceiling and a floor, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a ductless air moving device that produces an air flow with an axial stream extending beyond said device in a columnar pattern with minimal lateral dispersion, mounting said device at said ceiling, and directing warm air from near said ceiling to said floor with said device, whereby heat from said warm air is transferred into said floor and stored in said floor, and moves along the inside of said side walls and back up to said ceiling and back to said device to be re-circulated in said room. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
-
Specification