Ventilation – Having protecting air current – Surrounding protected area
Patent
1995-04-21
1997-03-04
Joyce, Harold
Ventilation
Having protecting air current
Surrounding protected area
454186, 454290, 454310, 454311, 454329, F24F 900, F24F 13062
Patent
active
056073542
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to environmental systems, and more particularly to an air distribution unit for use in such systems.
There is increasing concern over the comfort of personnel in the work environment, both in terms of air quality on the one hand and temperature and humidity levels on the other. With the trend toward open plan designs and sealed buildings, it becomes more difficult to ensure the comfort of individual workers. Most large buildings have centralized air conditioning units that control humidity and temperature levels and also filter out undesirable contaminants. Due to the volume of air to be processed, it takes a considerable time to condition the air in the entire building, and furthermore workers often have different individual comfort levels.
Smoking is often a problem. In many instances this is banned altogether due to its undesirable impact on non-smokers. However, such a ban can detrimentally effect the efficiency of habitual smokers.
An object of the invention is to alleviate the aforementioned disadvantages by allowing the individual to exercise some degree of control over his or her personal environment.
According to the present invention there is provided an air distribution unit for mounting in the wall or floor of a room having a plenum space behind said wall or floor, comprising a housing having an air inlet for communication with the plenum space and an air outlet; blower means between said air inlet and air outlet for drawing air from the plenum space and exhausting it through the air outlet into the room; and a grille assembly mounted over said air outlet, said grille assembly having circumferentially disposed, aerodynamically profiled air distribution channels extending between the upper and lower surfaces thereof, and said air distribution channels opening out onto the upper surface of the grille assembly at a shallow angle in a radially outward direction so that air flowing out of said channels is directed outwardly at an angle of between about 15.degree. and 45.degree. to the plane of the grille assembly.
The above unit is intended primarily for use in a building provided with a plenum space below the floor or behind the wall. In the past, such designs have not been found effective due to the difficulty in maintaining correct pressures at the passive outlet grills, and as a result have tended to give way to fully ducted systems. In the inventive air distribution unit air is actively drawn by the blower from the plenum space so adequate distribution of air into the room is no longer a problem.
In a preferred embodiment the distribution unit is floor-mounted and comprises radial distribution channels. Because the air exiting the distribution channels has a vertical component of velocity, and due to the configuration of the channels and the reduced air pressure formed in the central zone of the grille assembly, it circulates in an essentially closed path to form a localized pocket of mainly fresh, conditioned, and preferably filtered, air distinct from the ambient air in the room. Some mixing with the ambient air will occur, but in a manner that avoids draughts and discomfort to people in the room.
The unit will normally be located directly under the individual to create the localized air pocket. It preferably also includes a phase-controlled, electrically powered fan controllable by the individual.
The underfloor plenum will normally contain clean conditioned air from the central building air conditioning system. Preferably, the unit also contains a filter to permit localized filtration of the air flowing through the unit immediately prior to formation of the air bubbles.
In this specification the term "air pocket" is used to identify the localized zone above the air distribution device that contains mainly fresh air, mixed with some ambient air, circulating in a generally closed path that has recently exited from the distribution device. The air in the pocket is distinctly identifiable from the ambient air in the room and separated from it by a boundary region.
The uni
REFERENCES:
patent: 2499856 (1950-03-01), Gilbert
patent: 2811094 (1957-10-01), Auer
patent: 4874127 (1989-10-01), Collier
patent: 5350337 (1994-09-01), Kondo et al.
patent: 5489238 (1996-02-01), Asselbergs
Mill Peter
Tice Richard
Joyce Harold
Scots Pine Enterprises
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