Device for heating compartments

• US 4,821,796 A
• Filed: 06/09/1988
• Issued: 04/18/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aurora Konrad G. Schulz GmbH & Co., KG (Indus Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Aurora Konrad G. Schulz GmbH & Co., KG (Indus Holding AG)
• Inventors: Schulz, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEILS, PEGGY A
• Application Number:
  US07/206,956
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.4, 165/124, 165/126, 165/127, 165/41, 165/42, 165/122
• US Class Current: 165/122
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00371 for vehicles carrying large numbers of passengers, e.g. buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00221 Devices in the floor or side wall area of the passenger compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/313 Deflector with curved surface

Abstract

A device for heating passenger compartments. A fan and a heat exchanger are provided in a housing. To achieve a compact construction and a greater air capacity, the fan is a radial-flow fan having a rectangular air outlet opening. The heat exchanger is disposed at one of the end faces of the fan, and the air inlet side of the heat exchanger is disposed at an angle to the axis of the fan. At least one air-guiding member is provided between the delivery conduit of the fan and the inlet side of the heat exchanger. The air-guiding member changes the flow of air emerging from the opening of the fan into an approximately right-angled or rectangular flow profile having a width corresponding to the width of the heat exchanger, with the flow striking the inlet side of the heat exchanger at an acute angle.

Claims

1. A device for installation to heat a vehicular passenger compartment in vehicles including particularly buses having a duct along a side wall directly above a floor thereof for distribution of air and having an improvement in combination therewith comprising:

a housing for receiving a heat exchanger means having a width and a fan means having a main longitudinal axis as well as having air inlet opening means and air outlet opening means;

said fan means and the air outlet opening means extending longitudinally of said housing relative to which said fan means is installed in a space-saving manner;

said housing further including an air guide means arranged between an air outlet opening of said fan means and an air inlet side of said heat exchanger means;

said air guide means including at least one air guide element for changing flow of air emerging from said fan means so that said flow of air has an approximately rectangular flow profile and a width corresponding to the width of said heat exchanger means

said fan means being a radial-flow fan means including end faces and including an extension of the air outlet opening thereof parallel to the main longitudinal axis of said fan means;

said heat exchanger means having a plane of the air inlet side thereof disposed at a fixed position with respect to the main longitudinal axis of said fan means, said fixed position thereof forming an angle to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means;

said fan means receiving air from said air inlet opening means;

delivery conduit means connected to said fan means, downstream of said air inlet opening means, for receiving air from said fan means;

said delivery conduit means having an air outlet opening located in a plane extending parallel to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means;

heat exchanger means installed transversely as accommodated in said housing and having an air inlet side thereof for receiving air from said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means through said heat exchanger means, said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means being offset relative to said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means;

said heat exchanger means being disposed in the vicinity of at least one of said end faces of said fan means, with said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means being disposed at an angle to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means;

said heat exchanger means also having an air outlet side, with said air outlet opening means of said housing receiving air from said air outlet side of said heat exchanger means; and

means for separation of air flow including said air-guiding element with said airguiding means extending over the entire width of said housing as disposed between said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means, and said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means;

said air-guiding element guides and changes the flow of air emerging from said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means in such a way that said air flow has an approximately rectangular flow profile, has a width corresponding to the width of said heat exchanger means, and strikes said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means at an angle, said air guide element having different sides therewith and having air flowing on both sides thereof as well as having a tapered area therewith arranged downstream of said delivery conduit means and upstream of said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means, for supplying air to said heat exchanger means in a downstream expanding and increasing manner substantially free of any intermixing thus avoiding turbulence of air flow therethrough due to reduction of flow resistance, said heat exchanger means having air flow therethrough passing generally perpendicularly to the air inlet side thereof so that air flow occurs substantially free of losses and free of noise in spite of deflection and deformation of the air flow.

2. A device in combination according to claim 1, in which said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means is disposed at a right angle to said axis of said fan means.

3. A device in combination according to claim 1, in which said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means has rectangular configuration with long and short sides;

and which includes a first one of said air-guiding members, with said first airguiding member being curved and connected to one of said short sides of said air outlet opening that is remote from said heat exchanger means.

4. A device in combination according to claim 3, which includes further air-guiding members disposed in a region between said first air-guiding member and said heat exchanger means.

5. A device in combination according to claim 4, in which said air-guiding members have the same width as said heat exchanger means.

6. A device in combination according to claim 4, in which said air-guiding members are thin-walled elements.

7. A device in combination according to claim 4, in which said air-guiding members are at least partially curved.

8. A device in combination according to claim 4, which includes a total of three air-guiding members disposed next to one another and forming channels that taper in a nozzle-like fashion;

and in which the crosssectional area of air flow increases prior to striking said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means.

9. A device in combination according to claim 8, in which said channels formed by said air-guiding members widen, remote from said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means, to effect said increase of said cross-sectional air of air flow.

10. A device in combination according to claim 4, which includes a partition connected to said housing and having a width conforming to that of said air-guiding members;

said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means is disposed in said partition.

11. A device in combination according to claim 10, in which said partition delimits an intake chamber within said housing, with said intake chamber being separated from said air-guiding members and said heat exchanger means, and serving to accommodate said fan means and a motor for driving the latter;

said intake chamber communicates with said air inlet opening means of said housing, and filter material provided with said intake chamber.

12. A device in combination according to claim 4, in which said radial-flow fan means is embodied as a crosscurrent fan.

13. A device in combination according to claim 4, in which said fan means comprises two coaxial fans;

which includes a single, centrally disposed motor for driving said fans;

in which said air-guiding members are symmetrically outwardly directed;

in which said heat exchanger means comprises two heat exchangers, one disposed at each of those end faces of said fans that are remote from one another; and

in which said air inlet opening means of said housing are provided in the vicinity of said drive motor.

14. A device in combination according to claim 1, for use in a vehicle having a warm-air delivery mechanism with which said air outlet means of said housing communicates;

and in which said air outlet side of said heat exchanger means is disposed in said air outlet opening means of said housing.

15. A device in combination according to claim 1, in which said housing includes a cover part having a side that faces said vehicular passenger compartment, with said side being provided with a foam-material coating.

16. A device in combination according to claim 15, in which said cover part of said housing also includes a top that faces said vehicular passenger compartment and is provided with a foam-material coating.

17. A device for installation to heat a vehicular passenger compartment in vehicles including particularly buses having a duct along a side wall directly above a floor thereof for distribution of air and having an improvement in combination therewith comprising:

a housing for receiving a heat exchanger means and a fan means having a main longitudinal axis as well as having air inlet opening means and air outlet opening means;

said fan means and the air outlet opening means extending longitudinally of said housing relative to which said fan means is installed in a space-saving manner;

said housing further including an air guide means arranged between an air outlet opening of said fan means and an air inlet side of said heat exchanger means;

said air guide means comprising at least one air guide element for changing flow of air emerging from said fan means in such a way that said air flow has an approximately rectangular flow profile and a width corresponding to the width of said heat exchanger means;

said fan means being a radial-flow fan means including end faces;

delivery conduit means connected to said fan means, downstream of said air inlet opening means, having an air outlet opening having a plane extending parallel to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means

said heat exchanger means having a plane of said air inlet side thereof disposed at a fixed position with respect to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means for receiving air from said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means through said heat exchanger means, said fixed position thereof forming an angle to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means, said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means being offset relative to said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means, said heat exchanger means being disposed in the vicinity of at least one of said end faces of said fan means;

said air guide means extending over the entire width of said housing as disposed between said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means and said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means, and

means for separation of air flow including said air guide element with said airguiding means as well as having different sides thereof for guiding and changing the flow of air emerging from said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means;

said air flow flowing on both sides of said air guide element which generally is partially helically formed and is tapers in a nozzle-like fashion;

said air guide means having a tapered area arranged downstream of said air-guiding member and upstream of said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means, for supplying air to said heat exchanger means in a downstream expanding and increasing manner substantially free of any intermixing thus avoiding turbulence of air flow therethrough due to reduction of flow resistance; and

said heat exchanger means having an air flow therethrough being generally perpendicularly to the air inlet side thereof so that air flow occurs substantially free of losses and free of noise in spite of deflection and deformation of the air flow.

18. A device for installation to heat a vehicular passenger compartment in vehicles including particularly buses having a duct along a side wall directly above a floor thereof for distribution of air and having an improvement in combination therewith comprising:

a housing for receiving a heat exchanger means having a width and a fan means having a main longitudinal axis as well as having air inlet opening means and air outlet opening means;

said fan means and the air outlet opening means extending longitudinally of said housing relative to which said fan means is installed in a space-saving manner;

said housing further including an air guide means arranged between an air outlet opening of said fan means and an air inlet side of said heat exchanger means;

said air guide means including several air guide elements for changing flow of air emerging from said fan means so that said flow of air has an approximately rectangular flow profile and a width corresponding to the width of said heat exchanger means;

said fan means being a radial-flow fan means including end faces and including an extension of the air outlet opening thereof parallel to the main longitudinal axis of said fan means;

said heat exchanger means having a plane of the air inlet side thereof disposed at a fixed position with respect to the main longitudinal axis of said fan means, said fixed position thereof forming an angle to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means;

said fan means receiving air from said air inlet opening means;

delivery conduit means connected to said fan means, downstream of said air inlet opening means, for receiving air from said fan means;

said delivery conduit means having an air outlet opening located in a plane extending parallel to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means;

heat exchanger means installed transversely as accommodated in said housing and having an air inlet side thereof for receiving air from said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means through said heat exchanger means, said air outlet opening of said conduit means being offset relative to said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means;

said heat exchanger means being disposed in the vicinity of at least one of said end faces of said fan means, with said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means being disposed at an angle to said main longitudinal axis of said fan means;

said heat exchanger means also having an air outlet side, with said air outlet opening means of said housing receiving air from said air outlet side of said heat exchanger means; and

means for separation of air flow including said several air-guiding elements of said air-guiding means extending over the entire width of said housing as disposed between said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means, and said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means;

said several air-guiding elements guide and change the flow of air emerging from said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means in such a way that said air flow has an approximately rectangular flow profile, has a width corresponding to the width of said heat exchanger means, and strikes said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means at an angle, said several air-guiding elements having different sides therewith and having air flowing on both sides thereof as well as having a tapered area therewith arranged downstream of said several air-guiding elements and upstream of said air inlet side of said heat exchanger means, for supplying air to said heat exchanger means in a downstream expanding and increasing manner substantially free of any intermixing thus avoiding turbulence of air flow therethrough due to reduction of flow resistance so that air flow occurs substantially free of losses and free of noise in spite of deflection and deformation of the air flow;

said heat exchanger means having air flow therethrough passing generally perpendicularly to the air inlet side thereof;

said air outlet opening of said delivery conduit means also having short sides;

a first one of said several air-guiding elements being curved and being connected to that one of said short sides of said air outlet opening that is remote from said heat exchanger means; and

further ones of said several air-guiding elements being disposed in the region between said first one of said several air-guiding elements and said heat exchanger means.