Wall mounted ventilating device - Patent Review 4136606

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to ventilating devices for buildings.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Buildings are commonly heated by heating the air in the rooms and other occupied portions. As is well known, heating reduces the density of air. This causes the heated air to rise and stagnate along the ceiling of the room while cold air remains on the floor. Temperature differences of 15.degree. F to 30.degree. F may exist between the floor and the ceiling. Such stratification occurs not only in radiant heating systems, such as those employing hot water, but also with hot air systems during the intervals in which the blower is off. Because of the stratification, additional heat must be supplied to the room to make the occupied area adjacent the floor comfortable.

To overcome the thermally induced stratification and stagnation, it has been proposed to position a duct in the room extending from the ceiling to the floor. A fan coupled to the duct draws the hot air adjacent the ceiling down the duct and discharges it onto the floor, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the ceiling and floor and increasing the temperature of the occupied area adjacent the latter. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,170,551 to Marty and U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,353 to Watkins which show devices of this type.

While devices of this type shown in the aforesaid patents increase the comfort in the room, it is readily apparent that little consideration has been directed to their efficiencies. Given the present high cost of energy, such prior art devices would well consume more energy than might be saved through the more uniform heating of the room.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a ventilating device of the type described above having greatly improved efficiency so as to insure low energy consumption in its use.

More specifically, and in contrast to such prior art devices as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,353, the present invention employs an axial flow fan to impart desired velocities to the air at minimal energy consumption. The axial flow fan is employed in conjunction with an optimized discharge port structure arrayed along the axis of the fan which provides maximum "throw" to the discharged air, thereby to maximize the efficiency of the stratification reduction. Such optimization includes the use of an axial plenum between the fan and the discharge port for reducing air turbulence resulting from passage through the fan. The sides of the discharge port structure downstream of the plenum converge to enhance the velocity properties of the air. Louvers in the discharge port provide a highly efficient laminar flow to the discharged air.

The air velocity and flow properties of the present invention extend the projection of the heated, ceiling air well into the room. This results in a rising column of air, spaced from the ventilating device which breaks through the layer of cold air adjacent the floor. The rising air stream starts the surrounding air in motion and a gentle air movement gradually spreads throughout the entire room. The result is the induction of a flow of air in the room which establishes and maintains a comfortable heat distribution with minimal power consumption. It has been found that the ventilating device of the present invention holds floor and ceiling temperatures within 5.degree. to 10.degree. F of each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved ventilating device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the ventilating device with portions thereof broken away to reveal certain details.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the blower portion of the ventilating device of the present invention taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the rear side of the duct portion of the ventilating device showing the means for fastening the portions of the duct together.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the ventilating device of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Ventilating device 10 of the present invention comprises two major elements, duct 12 and blower 14.

Duct 12 is fastened to wall 16 to extend from adjacent ceiling 18 to blower 14 mounted near floor 20. To facilitate the handling of duct 12, and its packaging for sale, it is deemed preferable to form the duct in a plurality of sections. Three such sections, 22 are shown in the Figures. The front side of each of the sections which faces outwardly when duct 12 is mounted on the wall may contain decorative grooves 24. The rear side which is against the wall contains recess 26. The sections are joined together by connectors 28, shown in detail in FIG. 4, which are interposed between abutting ends of the sections.

Connector 28 includes a peripheral wall 30, sized to fit inside duct sections 22. Medial rib 32 extends around wall 30 to divide the wall generally into upper and lower parts which fit, respectively, into the duct beneath and the duct above connector 28. Transverse stiffening webs 33 may be provided between walls 30. The rear portion of wall 30 contains slots 34 which define tabs 36. The rear portion of wall 30 also includes two groups of laterally spaces bosses 38 and 40, one of which groups is located on each of the upper and lower parts of wall 30. Bosses 38 and bosses 40 are shifted out of alignment in the direction normal to rib 30, as shown in FIG. 4.

In use, connector 28 is slid into the upper end of the duct section 22 which will be beneath connector 28 so that wall 30 is inside the duct section, except for tab 36 which lies outside the wall in groove 26. Bosses 38 extend through corresponding holes 42 in the rear wall of duct section 22. Connector 28 is then slid into the lower end of the adjoining section 22 so that wall 30 similarly lies inside duct 12 with tab 36 in groove 26. Bosses 40 are inserted in corresponding holes 42 in the rear wall of upper duct section 22 so as to retain the two sections together.

The upper end of duct 11 assembled from duct sections 22 is provided with an air inlet 44. Air inlet 44 contains ribs 46, see FIG. 1, which stiffen the inlet, and contains hole 48 which facilitates fastening ventilating device 10 to the wall in the manner hereinafter described.

Blower 14 is mounted on the lower end of duct 12. Blower 14 includes housing 50 closed by back plate 52, as shown in FIG. 3. The upper end of housing 50 contains collar 54 which is insertable in the lower end of duct 12. A slotted portion 56 in the rear of collar 54 accommodates groove 26 in the rear wall of duct section 22. Screen 58 prevents harmful objects from entering housing 50 and causing damage to the blower.

Front wall 62 of blower housing 50 is angularly displaced with respect to the front side of duct 12 as shown in FIG. 3, by arcuate section 64. Front wall 62 joins slanted bottom wall 66 to form a discharge port 68 for blower housing 50.

Motor 70 is mounted on back plate 52. An angled portion 72 may be provided in back plate 52 so as to position motor 70 in front of discharge port 68. Motor 70 may be any of the commonly available single phase types, such as a shaded pole motor. Motor 70 is energized by means of power cord 73.

In accordance with the invention, fan 74 of the axial flow type is mounted on the output shaft of motor 70 to draw air down duct 12 and discharge it with increased velocity in a highly efficient manner. Fan 74 extends through the venturi 76 of venturi plate 78 which serves to increase the effectiveness of fan 74. Venturi plate 78 is mounted in housing 50 to form the rear wall of a plenum 80 located axially downstream of fan 74 to receive the discharge of fan 74 and to permit a reduction in its turbulence. Port 68 forms the front of plenum 80 so that the entire area of part 68 may receive the discharge from the plenum. As shown most clearly in FIG. 2 side walls 82 of blower housing 50 and plenum 80 taper in a direction which converges toward the front of blower 14, thereby to enhance the velocity properties of the air discharged from fan 74. At present, it is deemed preferable to taper side walls 82 by 6.degree.; that is, each side wall converges at an angle of 6.degree. to a plane normal to building wall 16.

Louvers 84 extend across port 68 to control both the manner and direction in which the air in plenum 80 enters the room. Specifically, louvers 84 insure that the discharge of air into the room is laminar in nature. They further direct the air slightly downwardly so that air of quantity and velocity required to reduce stratification can enter the room without a draft being felt by the occupants. At present, it is deemed preferable to orient louvers 84 at an angle of 45.degree., as shown in FIG. 3. If the louvers were more horizontal, a draft about the occupant's knees might result. If the louvers were more perpendicular, the discharge would be directed more forcibly against the floor, resulting in a turbulent air flow across the floor. The effectiveness of the air flow would also be lost due to the roughness of a carpet type floor covering on floor 26.

Ventilating device 10 is assembled by joining duct section 22 together with connectors 28, as described above. Inlet 44 is placed at the top of duct 12. Blower 14 is placed at the bottom of duct 12. Ventilating device 10 is then hung on wall 16. For this purpose, a hole 86 is provided in one of duct sections 22 which receives hanger 88 affixed to wall 16, as shown in FIG. 2. Screws inserted in hole 48 in inlet 44 and slot 90 at the bottom of blower housing 50 assist in retaining ventilating device 10 on wall 16. Bottom wall 66 of blower housing 50 may be provided with indentation 92 to provide a vertical surface for slot 90. At present it is deemed preferable to position ventilating device 10 so that inlet 44 is within eight inches of the ceiling and the bottom of blower 14 is just above the base board 94 on wall 16.

Motor 70 is energized. Hot air along ceiling 18 is drawn through inlet 44 down duct 12 and discharged from outlet 68 adjacent floor 20, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the ceiling and floor. More specifically, by means of the optimized features of blower 14, ventilating device 10 projects the discharged hot air with sufficient velocity and to sufficient distance into the room to facilitate breaking up the stagnation while, at the same time, avoiding drafts along the floor.

The power consumption of motor 68 is so low that the motor may continue to run throughout the heating season.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the ventilating device of the present invention in which the device is built-in. It is possible simply to embed ventilating device 10 in the wall so that inlet 44 and discharge port 68 are exposed. It is also possible to use the chamber formed in the wall by the studs as a duct. As shown in FIG. 5, inlet 44a is inserted through the plaster of wall 16a between studs 100 to form duct 12a in the wall. Blower 14 may be identical to blower 14 shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 having collar 54 opening into chamber 12a and housing 50 extending through wall 16a so that discharge port 68 opens into the room. Switch 102 controls the operation of the motor in housing 50.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

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