Gas and liquid contact apparatus – With external supply or removal of heat – Heat producer
Patent
1995-03-10
1996-01-09
Miles, Tim R.
Gas and liquid contact apparatus
With external supply or removal of heat
Heat producer
392368, 392403, B01F 304
Patent
active
054826578
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/AU94/00123 Mar. 11, 1994.
This invention relates to improvements in an evaporative cooler of the axial flow type, whereby a heater attachment can supply slow moving air heated to a comfortable temperature.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Attempts have been made previously to attach heating elements to evaporative coolers so that a cold occupied space can be heated, but a difficulty is encountered in that the temperature rise is very small because of the large amount of air which passes over the heating elements, and although the occupied space temperature will gradually increase, the fast moving air in passing over the human body will not give the illusion of warming the body, since it is essentially colder than the body heat and the velocity is a significant factor in cooling of the body. For that reason the previous attempts known to have been made by the applicant have been generally regarded as unsuccessful, and this invention is directed to providing a means whereby a reduced velocity of warmer air can be introduced over a heating element in a device normally used for evaporative cooling.
One of the characteristics of a cooler fan of the axial flow type is that there is much less air flowing from the hub area of the fan than from the outer flow in the annulus which surrounds the hub, and this invention seeks to take advantage of that characteristic.
Thus in one embodiment of this invention a heating element is inserted in the space downstream of a fan of a cooler and in an inner air flow from the hub area of the fan, and there is provided means to obstruct the annulus surrounding the hub area.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In this invention, air from an axial flow fan in an evaporative cooler is divided by an element mount into an inner air flow in alignment with the hub area of the fan, and an outer air flow surrounding the inner air flow. The element mount is an annular bearing wall having an outer bearing surface, and finger sets rotate on the bearing surface to function as shutters to obstruct the outer air flow when the element is energised, and by reducing total air flow, the heated inner air flow is at a higher, more comfortable temperature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment is described hereunder with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a front view of a cooler incorporating the heater attachment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sketch drawn to a larger scale than FIG. 1 and showing the shutter means which obstructs an outer air flow which surrounds the hub area;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing details of the heater attachment;
FIG. 4 is an "exploded" view of a rear portion of a cooler, the shutter arrangement, and the element, and
FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 2 but drawn to a larger scale.
In this embodiment an evaporative cooler has a fan of the axial flow type with a hub area 11 separated from the annulus 12 which surrounds it, and as shown in FIG. 2 there is provided a shutter arrangement 13 in the annulus 12 which can be opened or closed by a control member, comprising a slide 14 movable between ribs along the front of the cooler.
The shutter arrangement 13 comprises a central annular bearing wall 18 on which each of three radial finger sets 19 can freely rotate, and rotation is effected by means of a rearwardly directed circular projection 20 carried by the slide 14 which engages the walls of a groove 21 in the outermost of the three finger sets 19, to cause its rotation. Each finger set 19 has a central hub portion 22 which bears against the circular bearing wall 18, and a plurality of radially extending fingers 23 extend outwardly from the central hub portion 22 and lie contiguous with a circular shroud 24 which extends forwardly from fan blades 10 of a fan and motor assembly. Each of the two outermost finger sets 19 is provided with a respective rearwardly extending projection 26 and this engages a short circumferential slot 27 in the hub portio
REFERENCES:
patent: 1982465 (1934-11-01), Crafton
patent: 2014773 (1935-09-01), Matteson
patent: 2041897 (1936-05-01), Benson
patent: 2149689 (1939-03-01), Smith et al.
patent: 2588736 (1952-03-01), Lipton
patent: 2866073 (1958-12-01), Omahundro
patent: 4401013 (1983-08-01), Ohashi et al.
F F Seeley Nominees Pty Ltd.
Miles Tim R.
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