Air damper balancing system and method

• US 8,038,075 B1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Enertech Corp.
• Original Assignee: Emmet M. Walsh Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Walsh, Emmet M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang; Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US12/182,107
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49.3, 236/1.B, 236/51, 621/86, 165/205, 165/212, 165/217, 454/254, 454/256, 454/333, 454/229
• US Class Current: 236/1.00B
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/1426 characterised by actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for manually balancing the volume of air supplied through at least one duct to a conditioned space the system including a damper rotatably mounted within the air duct by a damper shaft having a first and second ends, an electronic pulse actuator responsive to an electronic pulse being associated with the first end, a housing associated with the electronic pulse actuator is generally adapted for operably connecting the electronic pulse actuator to the air duct and a remote positioning unit in electric communication with the electronic pulse actuator where the damper is rotated between an open and a closed position for manually balancing the conditioned space to receive the desired volume of air.

Claims

1. An air balancing system for manually balancing a volume of air supplied through at least one air duct to a conditioned space, said air balancing system comprising:

a damper rotatably mounted within the air duct by a damper shaft having a first end and a second end opposite said first end;

an electronic pulse actuator responsive to an electronic pulse and associated with said first end;

a housing associated with said electronic pulse actuator and adapted for operably connecting said electronic pulse actuator to said air duct;

said housing further comprising a vertically positioned mounting plate spaced from said air duct by a stand-off bracket having a first leg parallel and spaced from a second leg, said first and second legs supporting said mounting plate;

said mounting plate securing said electronic pulse actuator and a housing terminal, said electronic pulse actuator being spaced from said housing terminal;

said housing terminal being in direct electrical communication with said electronic pulse actuator and a space terminal; and

said space terminal having a communications port in direct electrical communication with a remote positioning unit for transmission of an electronic pulse from the remote positioning unit to the electronic pulse actuator along the electronic communications cable for selectively operating said damper between a partially open and a partially closed position in response to a command from a said remote positioning unit at a space terminal associated with a single zone conditioned space for manually balancing the conditioned space to receive the desired volume of air.

2. The air balancing system of claim 1 further comprising a first bushing adapted to receive said first end and a second bushing adapted to receive said second end wherein said damper shaft is retained by said bushings.

3. The air balancing system of claim 1 further comprising an air flow measurement device associated with said remote positioning unit at said conditioned space, said air flow measurement device being adapted for measuring the volume of air supplied to said conditioned space.

4. The air balancing system of claim 1 wherein said space terminal associated with the conditioned space is adapted to releasably receive said communication port extending from said remote positioning unit.

5. The air balancing system of claim 4 wherein said space terminal is associated with one of a wall and ceiling of the conditioned space.

6. The air balancing system of claim 4 further comprising an electric communications cable extending between said remote positioning unit and said electronic pulse actuator wherein said space terminal is adapted for receiving one end of said electric communications cable whereby said electronic pulse is transmitted from said remote positioning unit to said electronic pulse actuator along said electric communications cable by said space terminal.

7. The air balancing system of claim 1 further comprising an electric communication cable extending between said remote positioning unit and said electronic pulse actuator.

8. The air balancing system of claim 7 wherein said electronic communication cable is a shielded flexible cable adapted for operation within a plenum.

9. The air balancing system of claim 1 further comprising:

an electronic communications cable having a first end and a second end;

said space terminal connected to said first end of said electronic communications cable and associated with the conditioned space, the space terminal being adapted to releasably receive said communications port extending from said remote positioning unit; and

said housing terminal in electric communication with said electronic pulse actuator and connected to said second end of said electronic communications cable, said housing terminal being associated with said actuator mounting plate, whereby said electronic pulse is transmitted by said remote positioning unit from said space terminal along said electric communications cable to said electronic pulse actuator by said housing terminal.

10. An air balancing system for manually balancing a volume of air supplied to a building with at least one conditioned space, the air balancing system including a plurality of ducts, at least one duct extending towards the conditioned space, said air balancing system comprising:

each conditioned space including at least one air flow adjustment mechanism positioned within the duct and including a damper;

each damper shaft associated with the damper having a first end opposite a second end, said first end associated with an electronic pulse actuator responsive to an electronic pulse;

a housing associated with each electronic pulse actuator, each housing including a mounting plate and a stand-off bracket, said housing associated with said electronic pulse actuator secured to said mounting plate, said stand-off bracket operably spacing said mounting plate from the duct;

a remote positioning unit operably connected to each electronic pulse actuator, said remote positioning unit adapted for selectively positioning said electronic pulse actuator whereby said damper is rotated between an open and a closed position providing the desired volume of air to the conditioned space;

at least one electronic communications cable having a first end and a second end;

at least one space terminal connected to said first end of said electronic communications cable and associated with each conditioned space, the space terminal being adapted to releasably receive a communications port extending from said remote positioning unit; and

at least one housing terminal in electric communication with said electronic pulse actuator and connected to said second end of said electronic communications cable, said housing terminal being associated with said actuator mounting plate whereby said electronic pulse is transmitted by said remote positioning unit at said space terminal along said electronic communications cable to said electronic pulse actuator by said housing terminal.

11. The air balancing system of claim 10 further comprising plural electronic pulse actuators in electric communication with each of plural space terminals by complementary electric communications cables each connected to each space terminal grouped together at a remote location.

12. A method for manually balancing the volume of air supplied to a conditioned space comprising the steps of:

locating a rotatable damper within an air duct by a damper shaft having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

providing an electronic pulse actuator responsive to an electronic pulse;

associating said electronic pulse actuator with said first end;

operably connecting said electronic pulse actuator to said air duct for moving said damper between an open and a closed position; and

manually balancing the conditioned space to receive the desired volume of air by selectively positioning said electronic pulse actuator with a remote positioning unit in electric communication with said electronic pulse actuator, whereby said damper is rotated to the desired position.

13. An air balancing system in combination with an airflow measuring device adapted for measurably adjusting a volume of air delivered to a conditioned space through a duct, said air balancing system comprising:

an air flow adjustment mechanism including a damper having a damper shaft extending through said duct, said damper being moveable from an open to a closed position;

an electronic pulse actuator mounted to said damper shaft by a housing including a mounting plate and a stand-off bracket, said housing associated with said electronic pulse actuator secured to said mounting plate, said stand-off bracket operably spacing said mounting plate from said duct;

an electronic communications cable having a first end in electric communication with said electronic pulse actuator and a second end in electric communication with a remote positioning unit;

said remote positioning unit including a selector operable in a first and a second position, said first position associated with said damper open position, said second position associated with said damper closed position, said remote positioning unit being selectively operated for manually manipulating the volume of air delivered to the conditioned space by transmitting an electronic pulse from said remote positioning unit to said electronic pulse actuator whereby the air flow measurement device indicates the desired volume of air received at the conditioned space.