Ventilation – Having inlet airway – Including specific air distributor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-02
2001-08-07
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Having inlet airway
Including specific air distributor
C454S322000, C454S325000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270401
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an air diffuser for regulating and directing the flow of conditioned air from a supply duct or ventilation system into a room or other adjoining space; and, more specifically, a closable floor diffuser having a unitary valve assembly, improving and simplifying the diffuser construction.
2. Related Art
Air diffusers are commonly used to control the flow of conditioned air from an air duct into a room. A typical air duct extends from a heating/cooling unit and terminates in an outlet at the interior surface of a structural panel, such as a floor, wall or ceiling. The duct outlet is enclosed by the air diffuser.
Contemporary air diffusers generally comprise a housing having one portion that is sized to be received within the duct outlet while extending through the structural panel and another portion that overlies a portion of the structural panel surrounding the panel opening and air duct outlet. Air is generally diffused by a constriction of the air passage through the diffuser, often in the form of a plurality of alternating ribs and openings.
Many contemporary air diffusers have a series of openings or vents that are closable by a moveable valve assembly to control the flow of conditioned air into the room. The moveable valve assembly can include a fixed grid and a moveable grid. Each grid is formed by a series of alternating ribs and openings. In the open position, the openings of each grid are aligned. In the closed position, the ribs of one grid are aligned with the openings of the other grid.
Another common moveable valve assembly includes a plurality of generally planar rotatable vanes, each having a longitudinal shaft, so they may be rotatably mounted within opposing openings, transversely aligned to the direction of air flow, in the air diffuser face. The vanes are then rotated about their shaft, from a generally parallel configuration, allowing maximum air flow, to a generally coplanar configuration, producing maximum constriction of the air flow. The vanes are generally planar, as stated above, but may display some degree of curvature transverse to their longitudinal axis.
The prior art air diffusers are relatively complex in the number of parts, the movement of parts, and their assembly. Given that, in general, air diffusers are mass produced products, any reduction in the assembly time and complexity, such as reducing the number of parts, results in a significant improvement in cost. There is a continuing need to reduce the cost of these articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an improved air diffuser for controlling the flow of air from a duct to a room. The air diffuser comprises a cover and a valve assembly. The cover has multiple spaced louvers, with openings between adjacent louvers, whereby air is directed into the room by the louvers. The valve assembly comprises a frame defining a valve opening in which is positioned a vane connected to the frame by a deformable web. The vane is rotatable an axis between a closed position where the vane substantially blocks the valve opening to substantially prevent the flow of air through the valve opening, and an open position where the vane permits the flow of air through the valve opening. The improvement relates to the vane being mounted to the frame by a deformable web, connecting the vane to the frame along the axis, whereby as the vane is rotated between the closed and open positions, the deformable web is twisted about the axis.
The web is preferably integrally formed with the frame and the vane. For example, the frame, vane and web can be stamped from a metal blank. The deformable web has a length to width ratio range of 2:1 to 10:1.
The vane can have an elongated shape with opposing ends, with a web connecting one of the opposing ends to the frame and another web connecting the other of the opposing ends to the frame. Both webs are preferably on the axis. The vane can also have a longitudinal strengthening rib.
The vane can further include an adjustment arm extending normally from the vane and terminating in a tip extending beyond the cover whereby the arm can be moved to rotate the vane about the axis. The arm preferably extends from the vane at a location spaced away from the axis.
The vane assembly can have multiple vanes, each of which can have a different axis. The vanes can be oriented such that some or all of the axes are parallel, oblique, or transverse relative to each other.
The frame preferably comprises a mounting flange that is generally co-planar relative to the cover and a skirt extending from the mounting flange and substantially circumscribing the valve opening to define a well, wherein the web connects to the skirt of the frame. The skirt terminates in an inwardly directed flange and the web connects to the flange.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a blank for forming an air diffuser valve assembly. The blank comprises a generally planar perimeter portion comprising opposing sides connected by opposing ends to define an opening in which is positioned a plate having opposing ends adjacent the perimeter portion ends and opposing sides adjacent the perimeter portion sides. The vane is connected to the planar perimeter portion by a deformable web.
Preferably, the vane substantially fills and is co-planar with the perimeter portion of the opening. The perimeter portion sides and the perimeter portion opposing ends each have an upper edge and a lower edge, with the lower edges intersecting to define the opening and the perimeter portion further having lower bend lines spaced from the lower edges. The perimeter portion opposing ends and perimeter portion opposing sides have an upper bend line parallel to the lower bend lines and located between the lower bend line and the upper edge.
The body opening preferably includes an extension projecting into one of the perimeter portion opposing sides and perimeter portion opposing ends and the plate further comprises a finger received within the body opening extension whereby when the finger is bent normally relative to the plate it forms an arm for rotating the plate about the deformable web, which has a length to width ratio of 2:1 to 10:1.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2222081 (1940-11-01), Leigh
patent: 2595885 (1952-05-01), Rhoades
patent: 2705973 (1955-04-01), Kice
patent: 3720154 (1973-03-01), Biggi
patent: 4625632 (1986-12-01), Markman et al.
patent: 4876952 (1989-10-01), Kuno et al.
patent: 4887522 (1989-12-01), Kuno et al.
patent: 4991496 (1991-02-01), Kuno et al.
patent: 38388 (1913-01-01), None
Hart & Cooley, Inc.
Joyce Harold
Rader, Fishman, Grauer & McGarry, an office of Rader, Fishman &
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