Air distribution device

• US 4,716,818 A
• Filed: 03/03/1986
• Issued: 01/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Air Concepts Inc.
• Original Assignee: Air Concepts Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Carlton E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US06/835,169
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 98/2, 98/40.02, 98/41.1, 98/41.2, 98/101, 137/403, 251/264, 251/266, 251/270, 251/271, 251/339, 251/903, 251/294, 251/252
• US Class Current: 454/286
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/003 Cabin ventilation nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/065 formed as cylindrical or spherical bodies which are rotatable
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/10 movable, e.g. dampers

Abstract

An air outlet having a ball shaped valve member having a central passageway defined therefrom intermediated a convergent entrance and an exit, the transverse area of the entrance being at least 45% greater than the transverse area of the exit. The valve members is rotatable through 360° and swayable through 60°. A damper arrangement selectively actuable between a totally closed and a totally non-obstructive position relative to said passageway is described having damper actuator means and damper guide means coacting to effect a preselected location of said damper relative to said passageway in the valve member.

Claims

1. An air outlet comprising a face plate having a first circular aperture defined therethrough and a plurality of shaft members extending orthogonally therefrom;

a rear plate having a plurality of openings defined therethrough in registry with said shaft members for receiving said shaft members in registered passage therethrough to attach said rear plate to said face plate, said rear plate having a second circular aperture defined therethrough;

a plurality of shaft retainer means, each operatively securable about a different one of said shaft members to secure said rear plate to said face plate;

a valve member having a spherical body portion having a diameter larger than the diameter of either said first and said second circular aperture and operatively interposed between said face plate and said rear plate for engagement therewith and rotation relative thereto, said valve member having a cylindrical passageway defined centrally therethrough between a tapered entrance and an exit, said tapered entrance having a transverse area which is greater than the transverse area of said exit;

a torsion free centering assembly mounted within the centrally disposed cylindrical passageway of said valve member;

an axially extending damper actuator means mounted through said centering assembly and having an adjusting means at one end thereof and a flexible spring member at the other end thereof;

a dome-shaped damper circumscribed about said spring member and axially mobile in response to the rotation thereof; and

damper guide means extending through said damper into seated engagement upon said centering assembly for directing said damper between totally obstructive engagement within said nozzle entrance to a totally non-obstructive position relative to said central passageway as said damper migrates upon said spring member in response to the rotation of said adjusting means.

2. An air outlet according to claim 1 in which the central axis of said central passageway in said valve member is moveable relative to an axis normal to said face place to define an angle of up to 30°

therewith.

3. An air outlet according to claim 1 which said valve member is rotatable relative to said face plate through 360°

.

4. An air outlet according to claim 1 which said face plate has a plurality of shafts depending therefrom, said rear plate has a plurality of openings defined therethrough in registry with said shafts for receiving one of said shafts in registered passage through each of said openings in said rear plate;

and shaft retainer means operatively securable about said shaft member to secure said rear plate to said face plate.

5. An air outlet according to claim 1 in which said rear plate comprises an annular body portion and a spring-like flange depending therefrom to define said second circular aperture therethrough.

6. An air outlet according to claim 1 in which said dome-shaped damper has a convex surface and a concave surface, said concave surface facing said valve member, said damper having a central opening defined therethrough having a diameter smaller than the outside diameter of said flexible spring means.

7. An air outlet according to claim 1 in which said damper guide means comprises a first wire, a second wire, and a connecting member, said first and said second wire being disposed in spaced parallel relationship to each other, each of said wires having a first portion extending axially of said central passageway and a second portion disposed angularly to said first portion and extending outwardly therefrom to a distal end disposed outside of the extended plane of said cylindrical passageway, said connecting member joining said distal end of said first wire with the distal end of said second wire to limit the movement of said domed-shaped damper relative thereto.

8. An air outlet according to claim 7 in which said flexible spring means yields in response to the outbound movement of said damper on said damper guide means to maintain a substantially constant spatial relationship between said spring means and said damper guide means.

9. An air outlet according to claim 8 in which said dome-shaped damper has a convex surface and a concave surface, said concave surface facing said valve member, said damper having a central opening defined therethrough having a diameter smaller than the outside diameter of said flexible spring means.