Thermally-powered active master and passive satellite air diffuser system

• US 4,821,955 A
• Filed: 01/29/1988
• Issued: 04/18/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acutherm Limited A CA General Partnership
• Original Assignee: Acutherm LP (Acutherm)
• Inventors: Hunka, Robert S., Kline, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US07/149,704
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49 B, 236/49 C, 165/22
• US Class Current: 236/49.5
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/76 by means responsive to temperature, e.g. bimetal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/06 Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/1413 using more than one tilting member, e.g. with several pivoting blades F24F13/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/1426 characterised by actuating means

Abstract

A thermally-powered active master and passive satellite or slave diffuser system is disclosed. The system includes a master diffuser (24) with a displaceable damper assembly (41) mounted in the diffuser housing (31) and a thermal sensor-actuator assembly (46) positioned proximate the damper assembly (41) and proximate the master outlet (34, 58). An induction channel (47) communicates secondary air from proximate the master discharge outlet (34, 58) to the thermal sensor-actuator assembly (46) for accurate control of modulation by the damper assembly (41) of air flow to both the master (24) and passive slave (26) diffusers. The thermal sensor-actuator assembly (46) is capable of both cooling and heating and employs opposed sensor-actuator units (81, 102, 111) with override mountings (126, 128, 141) to effect changeover between heating and cooling.

Claims

1. A thermally-powered, master diffuser comprising:

a diffuser housing having an air supply inlet for receipt of supply air, into said housing, an air discharge master outlet for the discharge of air from said housing into a space outside said housing, and an air discharge auxiliary outlet for discharge of air from said housing to a slave diffuser to be coupled to said auxiliary outlet;

a damper assembly movably mounted in said housing at a position between said supply inlet and both of said master outlet and said auxiliary outlet for simultaneous control of the flow of air from said supply inlet into said housing and out of said housing through said master outlet and said auxiliary outlet;

thermal sensor-actuator means mounted proximate said master outlet and said damper assembly and responsive to sensed air temperature to move said damper assembly to simultaneously modulate the air flow discharged from said master outlet and said auxiliary outlet; and

air induction means positioned proximate said sensor-actuator means and inducing the flow of air from said space to said sensor-actuator means for control of the position of said damper assembly by sensing the temperature of air from said space.

2. The master diffuser as defined in claim 1 wherein,

said master diffuser is formed for use in a system for conditioning air in a structure and said space is a room in said structure;

said air induction means includes an induction channel provided on said housing having an induction inlet to said room, and said induction means includes passageway means communicating said supply air from an upstream side of said damper assembly to said induction channel to induce return air from said room to flow into said induction channel through said inlet; and

said thermal sensor-actuator means is responsive to both the temperature of air from said space and the temperature of said supply air.

3. The master diffuser as defined in claim 2 wherein,

said thermal sensor-actuator means is mounted in said induction channel;

and

said induction channel terminates in an outlet for discharge of induced and supply air to said room proximate said master outlet.

4. The master diffuser as defined in claim 1 wherein,

said thermal sensor-actuator means includes a plurality of thermal sensor-actuator units, at least one of said sensor-actuator units being mounted to sense the temperature of air from said space, and another of said sensor-actuator units being mounted to sense the temperature of said supply air.

5. The master diffuser as defined in claim 1, and

a discharge control plate mounted in said master outlet for movement independently of said damper assembly to enable adjustment of the volume of air discharged from said master outlet.

6. The master diffuser as defined in claim 1, wherein,

said damper assembly includes:

at least one movable blade, blade displacement means associated to transmit motion from said thermal sensor-actuator means to said blade, and biasing means biasing said blade to a closed position; and

said thermal sensor-actuator means displacing said blade through said blade displacement means toward an open position.

7. The master diffuser as defined in claim 1 wherein,

said damper assembly includes a plurality of movable damper blades, and blade displacement means positioned for displacement by said thermal sensor-actuator means to produce displacement of said blades;

and

said thermal sensor-actuator means including a plurality of sensor-actuator units positioned to and displacing said blade displacement means in response to the air temperature sensed thereby.

8. The master diffuser as defined in claim 7 wherein,

said blades are biased toward a closed position;

said thermal sensor-actuator means includes two sensor-actuator units with a first sensor-actuator unit positioned to sense air temperature from said space and a second sensor-actuator unit positioned to sense air temperature of said supply air, said first and second sensor-actuator units and said displacement means cooperatively formed and relatively positioned to produce movement of said blades for both heating and cooling by said master diffuser.

9. The master diffuser as defined in claim 8, wherein,

said first of said sensor-actuator units is mounted in opposed relation to said second of said sensor-actuator units, with each of said sensor-actuator units effecting driving of said displacement means of said damper assembly;

and

said first sensor-actuator unit includes overtravel means resiliently mounting said first sensor-actuator unit to a support member, said second sensor-actuator unit displacing said first sensor-actuator unit in a direction opposed to the direction of driving of said displacement means by said first sensor-actuator unit upon sensing of an increasing air temperature, and said second sensor-actuator unit resiliently displacing said overtravel means and said first sensor-actuator unit with respect to said support member.

10. The master diffuser as defined in claim 8 wherein,

said sensor-actuator units are mounted for selective displacement independent thereof relative to said housing for adjustment of the responsiveness of each of said sensor-actuator units to air temperatures sensed.

11. The master diffuser as defined in claim 6 wherein,

said blade is mounted to axle means and said axle means is pivotally supported with respect to said housing;

and

said blade displacement means includes drive arm means mounted to one of said axle means and said blade, and said blade displacement means further includes at least one drive arm displacing member carried by said thermal actuator means.

12. The master diffuser as defined in claim 11 wherein,

said thermal actuator means includes three sensor-actuator units with a first sensor-actuator unit being mounted to sense the temperature of air from said space, a second sensor-actuator unit being mounted to sense the temperature of said supply air, and a third of said sensor-actuators being mounted to sense the temperature of air from said space, said first sensor-actuator unit being further positioned to displace said drive arm for rotation of said blade in a first direction upon sensing of an increasing air temperature from said space, said second sensor-actuator unit being positioned to displace said drive arm in said first direction upon sensing of an increasing supply air temperature, and said third sensor-actuator unit displacing said drive arm in said first direction upon sensing of a decreasing air temperature from said space, and biasing means biasing said blade for rotation in a second direction opposed to said first direction.

13. The master diffuser as defined in claim 12 wherein,

said drive arm means includes arms extending outwardly of opposite sides of said axle means, and said sensor-actuator units each carry elements formed to engage said arms to rotate said axle means and said blade.

14. The master diffuser as defined in claim 13 Wherein,

said sensor-actuator units each include override means resiliently mounting said units relative to said housing for displacement in a direction opposed to the direction of displacement of said blade upon sensing of an increasing temperature by each of said first and second sensor-actuator units, and in a direction opposed to the direction of displacement of said blade upon sensing of a decreasing temperature of said air from said space;

and

said second sensor-actuator unit is mounted in opposed relation to said first and third sensor-actuator units and carries an element positioned to engage and displace said first sensor-actuator unit against an override means upon the presence of warm supply air and the presence of warm secondary air from said space, and said element carried by said first sensor-actuator further displaces said third sensor-actuator unit against an override means upon the presence of cold supply air.

15. A thermally powered, variable air volume, active master and passive slave diffuser system comprising:

an active master diffuser having a housing with an air supply inlet, a passive air discharge master outlet, and a passive air discharge auxiliary outlet, said master diffuser having a displaceable damper assembly mounted in said housing to control the flow of air from said supply inlet to both of said master outlet and said auxiliary outlet;

at least one passive slave diffuser positioned in spaced relation to said master diffuser and having a passive air discharge slave outlet for discharge air therefrom;

an air supply duct coupled to a source of conditioned air and coupled to said supply inlet;

air distribution duct means coupled between said auxiliary outlet and said slave diffuser for the communication of air to said slave diffuser;

thermal sensor-actuator means positioned in said master diffuser proximate said master outlet and said damper assembly and responsive to temperature changes to displace said damper assembly; and

induction means communicating with said sensor-actuator means and inducing the flow of air from said space over said sensor-actuator means for control of said damper assembly based upon the temperature of air from said space.

16. The thermally powered active master and passive slave diffuser system as defined in claim 15 wherein,

said master diffuser is mounted to discharge air into a first room and said slave diffuser is mounted to discharge air into a second room, and said master outlet and said slave outlet are both provided with means for adjusting the flow of air therefrom independently of said damper assembly.

17. A method of distributing conditioned air into two spaces of a building or the like comprising the steps of:

discharging supply air into a first of said spaces through an active master diffuser assembly having supply inlet, a movable passive master air discharge outlet, at least one auxiliary passive discharge outlet and a movable damper assembly positioned between said inlet and both of the outlets;

sensing the temperature of secondary air in said first of said spaces proximate said master discharge outlet by thermal sensor-actuator means;

displacing said damper by said thermal sensor-actuator in response to said sensing step; and

discharging supply air into a second of said spaces through a passive slave diffuser assembly coupled for receipt of supply air from said passive auxiliary outlet of said master diffuser.