Air circulator

• US 4,185,545 A
• Filed: 07/03/1978
• Issued: 01/29/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Small Business Administration (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: David A. Martin, Douglas B. Rusth
• Inventors: Martin, David A., Rusth, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/921,731
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 98/29, 98/33 A, 98/115 R, 98/115 VM, 98/40 C, 98/39, 62/419, 138/107, 417/361, 248/317
• US Class Current: 454/231
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/065 fan combined with single duct; mounting arrangements of a fan in a duct

Abstract

An air circulating device for suspension from a roof or ceiling structure and including a duct through which upper room air may be directed for discharge into lower temperature air immediately above the room floor. A support structure houses a fan and motor assembly and a collar to receive the duct upper end. The inflatable duct is of a yieldable nature and terminates in spaced relationship to the floor. Provision is made for mixing lower room air with the duct airflow and for the imparting of a rotational direction to the duct discharged airflow.

Claims

1. An air circulator for circulating heated convective air for attachment to a roof or ceiling structure of a room, said air circulator comprising,

a duct formed from a pliable film material suspended from its upper end and discharging an airflow towards the floor area of the room,

a fan and motor assembly,

a support structure including a dome shaped base to which said fan and motor assembly is attached,

hanger means suspending the support structure from an overhead structure,

said support structure additionally including mounting means partially enclosed by said base and to which the upper end of said duct is attached whereby the duct is in axial relationship with the fan of the fan and motor assembly,

said base having a lowermost outer portion outwardly offset from said mounting means and the upper end of said duct,

said base receiving a fan induced flow of heated convective air from that area of the room subjacent the roof or ceiling structure for subsequent downward flow into the duct upper end and passage via said duct and discharge into an area superjacent the floor of the room to heat the latter area, and

flow restriction means within the lower portion of said duct for duct inflation.

2. The air circulator claimed in claim 1 wherein said hanger means is of a non-rigid, bridle type having a single chain member permitting momentary pendulous displacement of said support structure upon impact of an article with the air circulator.

3. The air circulator claimed in claim 1 additionally including air mixing means in place along said duct below the duct midpoint and including a ring defining circumferentially spaced openings, said flow restriction means comprising a collar disposed interiorly of said ring forming a zone of below atmospheric pressure inwardly of said ring openings to induce a flow of room air into said duct via the ring openings to increase downstream duct volume.

4. The air circulator claimed in claim 3 wherein said collar is of truncated conical shape.

5. The air circulator claimed in claim 4 wherein said collar is integral with said ring.

6. The air circulator claimed in claim 3 additionally including dispersal means at the lowermost end of said duct having blades in offset inclined relationship to the duct axis so as to impart a rotational component to the duct discharged airflow to supplement the Coriolis effect and enhance air dispersal.