AIR DISTRIBUTION APPARATUS

• US 3,699,872 A
• Filed: 03/01/1971
• Issued: 10/24/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael H. Kruger
• Original Assignee: Michael H. Kruger
• Inventors: Kruger, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/122,611
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 98/4D,4C,41,4N 251/304 239/597,562
• US Class Current: 454/303
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2009/026 the supporting ceiling grid acting as air diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/0263 Insulation for air ducts
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/072 of elongated shape, e.g. between ceiling panels
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/10 movable, e.g. dampers

Abstract

Air distribution apparatus including an air distributor designed for connection to ductwork in a building and adapted to be mounted flush with a ceiling. The distributor contains an adjustable plenum chamber rotatable about its axis for selectively determining the quantity and directing air through its outlet angularly outward in any direction into a room without using dampers or other air deflecting or directing vanes. The absence of dampers or other members in the air stream minimizes air turbulence and sound noises while increasing the overall efficiency of the distributor.

Claims

1. An air distributor comprising a duct having walls forming a plenum chamber therein, an air inlet to said duct and outlet openings therein for discharging air therefrom;

means rotatably supporting opposite ends of said duct;

a pair of parallel plates attached to said support means and spaced a distance along their length to embrace said outlet openings and spaced a lesser distance on their opposite sides to form an air discharge orifice, so that air flowing from the duct outlet openings is guided by said plates for discharge through said orifice into a space being conditioned;

an inwardly directed projection on each of said plates adjacent said orifice;

each of said plates further having converging inner walls leading to said orifice; and

whereby when said duct is rotated to position its outlet openings directly over said orifice, air from said openings flows directly downward through said orifice, and when said duct is rotated to a position wherein said outlet openings are not in direct alignment with said orifice, air flowing from said outlet openings primarily is guided by one of said plates toward said orifice and then deflected by the projection on that plate to flow in a direction angularly outward from the orifice.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the surface of said plates between the point of attachment to the support means and a line running through the axis of said spaced plates, lies close to and opposite from said outlet openings when the duct is rotated toward its extreme positions;

and whereby when the duct is rotated to its extreme point, the plate surface presents an impediment to air flow from the outlet openings, and when the duct is rotated to have the outlet openings lie opposite only a portion of said surface, the outlet opening air is partly dampered and only a portion thereof flows through the orifice.

3. An air distributor comprising a duct having walls forming a plenum chamber therein, an inlet to said chamber for receiving air from an air conditioning source and discharge openings along the duct length for directing such air outwardly therefrom;

means associated with said duct for rotatably mounting it on supporting devices positioned adjacent opposite ends thereof;

air channeling and directing members associated with said duct for receiving air from said duct discharge openings and directing it through an orifice into a space being conditioned;

said air channeling and directing members comprising a pair of parallel and immovable plates spaced at their upper ends at least a distance sufficient to embrace said duct discharge openings for receiving air therefrom;

said plates being disposed to converge from said discharge openings toward their opposite ends to define a narrow orifice extending the length of said members through which the conditioned air is discharged into said space;

duct adjusting means on said duct for changing the position of said duct discharge openings relative to said air channeling and directing members; and

the arrangement being such that depending on the position of said duct discharge openings, air therefrom flows directly downward into said space, or strikes at least one of said plates and is directed at an angle through the orifice into said space, or is dampered to limit the volume of air entering said space.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein each of said plates have an inwardly directed flange which lies in the air stream flowing toward said orifice for directing air from said orifice at an angle therefrom into said space.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said adjusting means on said duct includes openings in the walls of said duct and of a size sufficient for engagement by a tool for rotating the duct to a desired position.

6. The combination according to claim 4 wherein the means for rotatably mounting the duct on supporting devices comprises a collar and said supporting devices include a rim of a size sufficient to loosely receive said duct thereby to permit unimpeded rotation thereof when urged in a rotating direction by a tool.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the duct is of circular cross section and said rim is of a diameter less than said duct;

and means associated with said collar for preventing collar movement when the duct is rotated to a desired position.

8. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said collar includes a pair of rims separated by an outwardly projecting flange, said rims being of a diameter less than an air supply hose adapted to be connected to one of said rims, and less than the diameter of a duct arranged to be rotatably mounted on the other of said rims, whereby air delivered through said hose to the plenum chamber in said duct, is caused to flow from the duct through said outlet openings into the space being conditioned.

9. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said collar contains means for supporting said air directing plates;

and air deflecting means adjacent the bottom of each of said plates near said orifice for directing air into said space.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the means for supporting said air deflecting plates includes a groove in said flange on opposite sides of said collar;

and said plates have ends complementary to said grooves so that when the plate ends are positioned in the grooves, the plates are supported throughout their complete length.

11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein the means spacing said plates includes a U-shaped device having legs respectively attached to the inner side walls of said plates;

and an opening in said device of a size sufficient to insert a tool for engaging the adjusting means used in rotating said duct to a desired position.

12. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the outer side walls of each of said plates includes a rib extending the plate length for receiving and aligning ceiling tile when the distributor is installed in a ceiling;

and a flange on the bottom of each of said plates for supporting said tile.

13. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the outer side walls of each of said V-shaped plates includes multiple studs spaced and arranged to pierce ceiling tile when the distributor is installed in a ceiling;

and a flange on the bottom of each of said plates for supporting said tile.

14. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said supporting devices used for rotatably mounting said duct includes a pair of upstanding members respectively located on opposite ends of said duct;

and means pivoting said duct in said members for permitting duct rotation to align the duct slot with said main outlet.

15. The combination according to claim 14 wherein said air directing plates each have an in-turned flange for directing air at an angle into said space or straight downwardly depending on the position of said duct openings with respect to said orifice.

16. The combination according to claim 15 wherein the walls of said duct forming said discharge openings are reversely bent to provide stop members on the terminal ends thereof for limiting the degree of rotation of said duct;

and locking means on said duct coacting with at least one of said up-standing members for locking said duct in a set position.

17. The combination according to claim 3 wherein a tab on said duct adjacent each of said openings diffuses and directs air toward said outlet opening.

18. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said duct contains a channel on one side thereof comprising side walls and a base, outlet openings formed in said base for directing air toward said orifice for discharge into said space.