Air curtain device

• US 3,886,851 A
• Filed: 03/14/1973
• Issued: 06/03/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Erling Berner
• Original Assignee: Erling Berner
• Inventors: Berner, Erling
• Primary Examiner(s): Perlin, Meyer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tapolcai, Jr., W. E.
• Application Number:
  US05/339,774
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 98/36 432/64 62/256 160/41,202
• US Class Current: 454/192
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/921 with several parts mounted telescopically inside each other
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 9/00 Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains

Abstract

Air curtain device and process in which laterally spaced-apart parallel sliding sections of a closure formed of separable or pivotally connected vertically mounted panels form a flexible air duct between inner and outer sections connected to a nozzle supported at a bottom outlet between the sections to provide an air screen of homogeneity and resistance to lateral air currents in various open, partially open and closed door positions, by air passed into the top between the sections, from a plenum passing air received from a fixed blower mounted above or near the top of the door within a space enclosed by the walls of the opening.

Claims

1. In combination, an air screen device mountable near a wall opening comprising closure elements movable from open through intermediate to closed positions across said wall opening, means for moving said closure elements between open and closed positions in said wall opening, said closure elements comprising spaced-apart inner and outer sections enclosing a central duct-like passageway for air comprising a plenum chamber variably sized with the position of said closure elements, said plenum chamber having a fixed end disposed near an edge of said wall opening, a blower having an air outlet, said plenum communicating at its fixed end with the outlet of said blower for receiving an air screen supply of air therefrom for passage through said duct-like passageway between sections and an outlet nozzle member in an opposite movable end of said plenum to intercept and distribute air passing between said sections as an air screen across said wall opening when the closure is in open to intermediate positions in said wall opening, each spaced-apart section of said closure comprising an assembly of a series of adjacent panels separably joined together at their edges and guide means at the opposite ends of each section supported on said wall opening, securing both sections for sliding movement across said wall opening, whereby each section of said closure may slide in said guide means in parallel spaced-apart movement across said Opening.

2. The combined air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein said panels upon moving to open door position slide progressively in a series, one offset to be within the next, whereby each section in open door position forms a substantially parallel series of nested panels, with said sections still maintaining spaced-apart positions to leave the centrally disposed air passage for providing free air flow from said plenum outward through said nozzle as an air screen.

3. The combined air screen device as defined in claim 2 wherein the opposite lowermost pair of panels are vertically parallel to each other and define said outlet air screen nozzle therebetween.

4. The combined air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein the intermediate panels have a U-bent flange at each upper and lower horizontal edge engaging, securing and reenforcing a similarly U-bent flange of the next adjacent upper and lower panels of the series, gripping said adjacent panels for reenforcement and sealing of the joint therebetween against air passage therethrough in closed door position while allowing sliding movement of one panel vertically against the next in opening and closing positions of the panels of said closure.

5. The combined air screen device as defined in claim 2 wherein the intermediate panels have a U-bent flange both at each upper and lower horizontal edge engaging, securing and reenforcing similarly U-bent flanges of the next adjacent upper and lower panels of the series, and the uppermost panels have said flanges at their lower edges and the lowermost panels have said flanges at their upper edges, said flanges gripping said adjacent panels for reenforcement and sealing of the joint therebetween against air passage therethrough in closed door position while allowing sliding movement of one panel vertically against the next in opening and closing positions of the panels of said closure.

6. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means mounted at opposite ends of each section are channel members having side flanges with supporting elements therein, supporting each panel in open door position, said flanges positioned to confine and guide the vertical movement of said spaced-apart sections between their flanges and seal said sections against substantial outward passage of air through the section ends.

7. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means mounted at opposite ends of each section are channel members tapered from top to bottom to confine and guide the vertical movement of said spaced-apart sections between their flanges and seal said sections against substantial outward passage of air through the section ends.

8. Air screen device as defined in claim 7 wherein said tapering flanges of said channel means have a series of stop means extending inwardly therefrom, each to engage and support the bottom flanged edge of a panel disposed at the height of said stop means in closed position of said closure.

9. Air screen device as defined in claim 6 wherein said supporting elements are a step-like frame, each step positioned inward of said flange to support the lower end of a panel.

10. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein strap means are mounted horizontally across panel tops at the same height level, said strap means being fastened to each opposite panel firmly securing said panels together as a pair, each pair of panels being disposed inwardly of the next vertical pair of panels, whereby on raising and lowering of said closure each strapped-together pair of panels nests slidingly within the upper adjacent strapped-together pair of panels and all of said panels of both sections and their straps nest together telescopically in open door position near the top of said wall closure, with the open duct-like passageway between the telescopically nested sections maintained by said strap means for passage of air from said plenum downward through said nozzle as an air screen.

11. The combined air screEn device as defined in claim 10 wherein each of said panels have a U-bent flange both at each upper and lower horizontal edge engaging, securing and reenforcing similarly U-bent flange of the next adjacent upper and lower panels of the series, gripping said adjacent panels for reenforcement and sealing of the joint therebetween against air passage therethrough in closed door position while allowing sliding movement of one panel vertically against the next in opening position of the panels of said closure.

12. Air curtain device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for raising and lowering said air curtain comprises at least one rope having the lower end fastened to the lower end of said sections and the other end entrained about a drum mounted above said panel members and means for rotating said drums for raising and lowering said nozzle and vertical paneled sections fastened thereto.

13. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein strap means are mounted horizontally between panels at the same height level of both sections, said strap means being fastened to each opposite panel, firmly securing said panels together as a pair, whereby on raising and lowering of said door each strapped-together pair of panels nests slidingly within the upper adjacent strapped-together pair of panels and all of said panels of both sections and their straps nest together telescopically in open door position at the top of said wall closure, with the open duct-like passageway between the telescopically nested sections being maintained by said strap means for passage of air from said plenum downward through said nozzle as an air screen, said panels having U-bent flanges at each upper and lower horizontal edge engaging, securing and reenforcing a similarly U-bent flange of the next adjacent upper and lower panels of the series, gripping said adjacent panels for reenforcement and sealing of the joint therebetween against air passage therethrough while allowing sliding movement of a strapped-together pair of panels vertically against the next adjacent in closing and opening position of said closure, said means for raising and lowering said panels comprising a pair of ropes each fastened near each lower end to the nozzle and at their opposite ends each entrained around a drum mounted in said plenum, and means for rotating said drums to raise and lower the said closure.

14. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper portion of said plenum is fixedly mounted within said wall opening to the top of said closure to pass air therein into the central space between said closure sections, and said air blower is fixedly mounted beside said wall opening to pass its outlet air flow into said plenum.

15. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper end of said extendable plenum is fixedly mounted upon said wall beside said wall opening and an air blower is mounted near one end of the upper plenum to pass air therein axially of the upper plenum.

16. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein the blower is mounted near the top of said wall opening near the fixed end of said plenum, said fixed plenum being mounted within said wall opening and the blower passes air laterally into said fixed plenum end.

17. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein the blower is a tangential blower mounted near the top of said wall opening within the space enclosed by said wall to draw air therefrom and pass the same through said closure as an air screen whereby said air screen has a temperature corresponding to the inside of said enclosed space.

18. Air screen device as defined in claim 17 wherein the tangential blower is mounted beside said fixed plenum end and passes air laterally into said plenum end.

19. Air screen device as defined in claim 17 wherein the tangential blower is mounted above said fixed plenum end and passes the air downward therein.

20. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the panels of the inner closure section hAs openings allowing lateral passage of air passing between sections to the wall enclosed space in closed closure position.

21. Air screen device as defined in claim 20 wherein the lowermost panel of the inner closure section has openings allowing air passing between sections to pass laterally from the lower end of said closure into the space enclosed by said wall.

22. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said panels of the inner closure sections has louvre openings movable between closed and intermediate to full open positions to divert air from said central air passageway laterally into the space enclosed by said wall.

23. Air screen device as defined in claim 1 wherein said nozzle at the bottom of the movable closure includes means to deflect the downwardly passing air screen laterally from a vertical to an oblique plane.

24. Air screen device as defined in claim 23 wherein said means for diverting the air screen position comprises a deflector vane mounted at a controlled angle below said nozzle.

25. Air screen device as defined in claim 23 wherein said means for diverting said air screen comprises an outlet mountable about said nozzle for rotating said nozzle angularly with respect to the central plane of the said movable closure.

26. Air screen device as defined in claim 14 wherein said plenum has louvre openings on the inner closure side, said louvre openings being movable from closed to intermediate and to full open positions to divert air laterally into the space enclosed by said wall.

27. Air screen device as defined in claim 4 wherein the upper edge of each panel below the uppermost is U-bent to form a flange carrying rollers in its outer leg, said rollers being positioned to bear outwardly against the inner surface of the panel next vertically adjacent in said section.

28. Air screen device as defined in claim 4 wherein the lower edge of each panel above the lowermost is U-bent to form a flange carrying rollers in its outer leg, said rollers being positioned to bear inward against the outer surface of the panel next vertically adjacent in said section.

29. Air screen device as defined in claim 4 wherein the U-bent flanges carry in their troughs a resilient sealing material to dampen sound and fill the joint against air passage therethrough.

30. In an air curtain and wall opening closure device, a series of telescopically combined plenum chambers having opposite sides communicating with each other for passage of air from one to the next through the series, a blower having its outlet connected to pass impelled air to the first member of said series, the last member of the series having one side open to emit the air flowing through the series of plenums as an air curtain, said plenum chambers being separably joined one to the next to form a closure for a wall opening and means for emplacing and removing each of said plenums each plenum expanding and contracting as a series of interconnected units telescopically one within the next to form their positions as a closure element across said wall opening.

31. The air screen device as defined in claim 30 wherein the said series of plenum chambers are mounted across said wall opening as a closure and include means for raising and lowering each chamber of the series serially to emplace and remove said chambers as a closure as they are serially raised and lowered in said wall opening to a selected adjustable height ranging from complete closure of said wall opening through raised intermediate closure height to full raised open position near the top of said wall opening whereby said air screen formed by air emitted downward from the lowermost plenum chamber is provided in said wall opening at each intermediate height adjusted position of said plenum chambers.

32. The air screen device as defined in claim 31 wherein said plenum chambers are telescopically nestable one within the next from the lowermost to the uppermost while maintaining an open passageway from end to end for flow of air from said upper blower air supply source to the opposite air emission end as an air screen across said opening when the closure is at an intermediate closure to full open position across said wall opening.

33. The air curtain device as defined in claim 30 wherein the plenum is formed of parallel walls at opposite sides constructed of slidable panels, one against the next adjacent, whereby to expand and contract the total cross sectional area of said plenum.

34. A closure for a wall opening comprising a series of U-shaped sections, each section comprising an upper horizontal wall having downturned legs with seals at each side extending from side to side of said wall opening, said sections nesting telescopically and sealing one within the other from the bottom to the top in opening movement and closed position of said closure, a plenum having a fixed portion mounted at the top of said closure, means in said fixed plenum portion for raising and lowering the lower and intermediate sections to nest the same telescopically within the uppermost, the lowermost section terminating in an air screen nozzle, a blower mounted near said wall opening to supply air to said fixed plenum portion, each of said U-shaped sections having at least one annular cut-away portion in which is fitted tubular ducts extending vertically through each section from said horizontal wall and downward to intercept and slidingly fit within an aligned next lower tubular section telescopically, the uppermost of said tubular sections communicating with said plenum to pass air downward therefrom through said telescopically interfitting tubular sections to the lowermost section, and nozzle means communicating with the lowermost section for distributing the air passing downward from the closure as an air screen nozzle to provide an air screen in said wall opening below said closure in various open positions of said closure.

35. An air screen device for a wall opening comprising a sationary blower fixedly mountable on the wall near said wall opening, a moveable closure extending from side to side thereof variably expanding across said wall opening from open through intermediate to full closure positions, said closure comprising elements telescopically interfitted one within the other contracting and expanding to cover said wall opening mounted for raising and lowering in said wall opening, an air nozzle mounted across the bottom of said closure for providing a protective air screen in said wall opening in various open raised positions of said closure, and telescopically extendable duct means carried within the telescopically expandable elements of said closure extending the length thereof interconnecting said moveable nozzle with the outlet of said stationary blower to pass air from said blower to said nozzle.