Air diffuser with air flow regulator

• US 6,361,432 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1999
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tompkins Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tomkins Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Walker, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US09/376,131
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 454/185, 454/186, 454/290, 454/322, 454/324, 454/333
• US Class Current: 454/290
• 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 13/08 Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates F24F7/013, F24F13/06 take precedence

Abstract

A diffuser adapted to regulate air flow from an underfloor air distribution system. A grille sits on a dust receptacle or basket-shaped housing that is supported by a mounting assembly in the floor. A flow regulator or damper nests inside the housing. Both the housing and the flow regulator have air slots extending through their side walls. Air from the underfloor air plenum passes through these slots into the diffuser and is forced through helical slots in the grille into the room above the diffuser. The air flow rate can be adjusted by rotating the flow regulator within the housing so that the slots in the flow regulator are either in or out of registry with the slots in the housing. The flow regulator can be rotated by turning the grille. The grille and mounting assembly have indicators that give a visual indication of the position of the flow regulator with respect to the housing, the opening of the slots, and the flow rate through the diffuser.

Claims

1. An air diffuser comprising:

a housing comprising a first surface of revolution with apertures in said surface;

a flow regulator comprising a second surface of revolution that is complimentary to said first surface, said second surface having apertures that are positioned to move into and out of registry with the apertures in said first surface when said flow regulator is rotated with respect to said housing, so that the apertures in said first surface and the apertures in said second surface may be opened or closed by rotating the flow regulator;

one or more housing stops mounted on the housing and one or more regulator stops mounted on the flow regulator, said stops on said flow regulator being designed and positioned to engage the stops on the housing and limit rotation of said regulator with respect to said housing so that said apertures are substantially fully open at a first end of a range of rotation of said flow regulator and are substantially fully closed at a second end of said range of rotation;

a grille supported by and adapted to rotate with respect to said housing, and adapted to engage said flow regulator, whereby said flow regulator is opened or closed by rotating said grille with respect to said housing;

a first indicator on a surface of said grille and a second indicator on another component of said diffuser, at least one of said indicators comprising a figure that simulates a graph of the flow rate through said diffuser as a function of the opening of said apertures;

whereby said first indicator and said second indicators provide both a visual indication of the position of said regulator and a visual indication of the flow rate through said regulator as said grill rotates with respect to said other component.

2. An air diffuser according to claim 1 wherein said second component comprises a mount that supports said housing in an opening in a floor or other panel.

3. An air diffuser according to claim 1 wherein:

the regulator stops comprise an arm extending inwardly from a first position on a side wall of said flow regulator and a second arm extending inwardly from a second position on said side wall, said first and second arms being connected at a position at or near an axis of revolution of said regulator;

said housing comprises a substantially planar bottom and said housing stop comprises a tab extending from said bottom and positioned between said first and second arms.

4. An air diffuser according to claim 3 further comprising a third arm extending inwardly from a side wall of said flow regulator, said first arm, second arm and third arm being spaced substantially equidistant around said flow regulator and being connected to each other at a location at or near said axis of revolution.

5. An air diffuser according to claim 4:

further comprising a first reinforcing segment extending between said first arm and said third arm, a second reinforcing segment extending between said second arm and said third arm, and a third reinforcing segment extending between said first arm and said second arm, said third reinforcing segment having a smaller axial width than said first and second reinforcing segments;

wherein said tab on said housing is positioned and extends upwardly between said first arm and said second arm.

6. An air diffuser according to claim 1 wherein the apertures in the housing comprise a series of housing slots that extend longitudinally along the side of the housing and are separated from each other by solid sections of the side wall of the housing, said solid sections of said side wall having an arcuate width at least as great as an arcuate width of said housing slots;

and

the apertures in the flow regulator comprise a series of regulator slots that extend longitudinally along the side wall of said flow regulator and are separated from each other by solid sections of the side wall of said flow regulator, said solid sections having an arcuate width that is substantially at least as great as an arcuate width of said regulator slots.

7. An air diffuser according to claim 1 wherein the housing slots, the solid sections of the side walls of said housing, regulator slots and the solid sections of the side wall of the regulator all have substantially the same arcuate width and are spaced evenly around the side walls of the housing and the flow regulator.

8. An air diffuser according to claim 7 wherein:

the regulator stops comprise an arm extending inwardly from a first portion on a side wall of said flow regulator and a second arm extending inwardly from a second position on the side wall of the regulator, and said first and second arms are connected at a position at or near an axis of resolution of said regulator;

said housing comprises a substantially planar bottom and said housing stop comprises a rib extending from said bottom and positioned between said first and second regulator stops;

the arcuate distance between said first arms and said second arm, less the arcuate width of said housing stop, is substantially equal to the arcuate width of a regulator slot.

9. An air diffuser according to claim 1 wherein said flow regulator comprises pins extending upwardly from said regulator and adapted to enter slots in said grille, whereby said grille engages pins and said flow regulator rotates with said grille.