US2936109A - Deflector for fans and the like - Google Patents

Description

May 10, 1960 W. M. COPELAND DEFLECTOR FOR FANS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 15, 1954 [)7 wen i: or: \A/M/Aam M Cope/and,

' H115 Attornqy.

. out the entire area being cooled.

fi t d? 2,936,109 DEFLECTOR FOR FANS AND THE LIKE William M. Copeland, Stratford, Conn., assign'or to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application February 15, 1954, Serial No. 410,253

12 Claims. 01. 230-274 My invention relates generally to an air distributing device and, specifically, to a deflector for a fan or the like.

When free air fans are used to cool or ventilate, it is a problem to disperse the air flow produced by such fans effectively. In addition to producing an adequate flow of air, it is important, particularly in small fans, i.e., personal fans which are intended to cool a limited number 1 that the individuals being cooled thereby experience a desirable feel of the air flow. Feel is defined for purposes of this application as the cooling eifect sensed by a normal individual, however, it is actually measurable, in that velocity and pressure patterns can be plotted for any particular fan, which will constitute a graphic f representation of the fans cooling effect. When large fans, i.e., room air circu1ators,,are employed, the primary purpose is to diffuse a large volume of air throughi If a deflector is not employed with either type of fan, air will generally describe the path of a conical spiral emanating from the fan and having an increasing diameter until it is fully diffused into the room; disposition of a deflector in front of a fan will influence the pattern of dispersion of the air flow. With many of the currently employed deflectors, particularly those comprising spaced, parallel, horizontal or vertical'louvers, the feel of the air flow pattern is generally undesirable. In the case of a horizontally or vertically louvered deflector, the effect is to produce two small areas of peak velocity that are spaced in a field of thinly spread air, i.e., air of low velocity; this produces anundesirable feel, for unless you are positioned at one of the precise points of peak'velocity, you do not ex perience an appreciable, cooling effect. In the case of a deflector having horizontally spaced, vertical louvers, the two points of peak velocity are vertically spaced, and in the case of a deflector having vertically spaced, horizontal louvers, the two points of peak velocity are horizontally spaced.

It is an object of this invention to provide a deflector for a small fan, such as a personal fan or the like, which will produce a highly desirable pattern of air dispersion, i.e., a substantial area of concentrated, moderately high velocity air.

It is another object of this invention to provide a deflector for a large fan, such as aroom air circulator or the like, which will difiuse the large volume of air delivered by the fan.

The objects of my invention are accomplished by providing a louvered deflector having four quadrants wherein the louvers are disposed in a predetermined, significant-manner in each quadrant, in association with a fan having its fan blades. of appropriate pitch and direction of rotation.

Other objects and further details of that which I believe to be novel and my invention will be clear from the following description and claims taken from the acqgmna y n d aw n s, herein' atent Patented May 10, 19

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fan incorporating my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation view of a modified deflector incorporating my invention.

In Figure 1, there is shown an enclosed fan, sometimes termed a cabinet fan, which generally comprises a base 12 and a main body 14.- It should be realized, however, that my invention is not limited to any specific type of fan or air flow producing device, in that it is concerned primarily with the configuration of the deflector which is generally indicated by reference numeral 16 in Figure 1. Deflectors falling within the purview of my invention may be used on a wide variety of fans, such as, but not limited to, oscillating, non-oscillating, floor, wall, desk and window fans.

The body 14 is mounted on the base 12 by supporting legs 18, and may be either adjustably mounted thereon or stationary. The details of the manner of attachment of the deflector 16 to the body portion 14 are neither shown nor described since they form no part of this invention.

The deflector 16, which is the heart of my invention, is divided into the quadrants A, B, C and D (which arev herein termed the first, second, third and fourth'quadrants, respectively) by the intersecting vertical slat 2d and horizontal slat 22, which are secured to the substantially rectangular frame 24 at their outer extremities. If it is intended to use the fan as a personal fan, quadrants A. and C are filled with a plurality of horizontally spaced, parallel, vertical louvers 26; and quadrants B and D are filled with a plurality of vertically spaced, parallel, hori zontal louvers 28. The main body portion 14 comprises asubstantially rectangular, hollow casing 30 having aconventional guard on its rear side (not shown), whichtogether with deflector 16 house a conventional motor (not shown) and fan blade assembly 32. The fan blade as-. sembly 32, as viewed in Figure l, rotates in a clockwise direction when the motor is energized and produces a flow of air from the rear of the fan, through the rear guard casing 30, and out through deflector 16. The effect of the deflector 16 upon the air stream produced by the fan blade assembly 32 is to concentrate it into a substantial area of moderately high pressure and high velocity air directly in front of the fan, and to thereby provide better feel.

Figure 2 illustrates a modified deflector 4-0 which comprises the circular frame 42 having intersecting horizontal slat 44 and vertical slat 46, which together divide the deflector into the quadrants E, F, G and H, which are herein termed the first, second, third and fourth quadrants, respectively. Observation of Figure 2 will establish that quadrants .E and G have vertically spaced,

.for a personal fan, deflector 40 must be used with a fan blade that has its blades of a pitch which is reversed to the pitch of the blades of fan blade assembly 32 illustrated in Figure 1, and such fan blade must rotate in a counterclockwise direction. I

If it is intended to use the fan shown in Figure 1 as a room air circulator, wherein air diffusion is the primary purpose, it is only necessary to do either of the following: (1) dispose the louvers in the deflector 16 as the louvers in deflector 40 of Figure 2 are disposed, i.e., disposethe horizontal louvers in the first and third quadrants, and the vertical louvers in'the second and fourth quadrants; or (2) retain the deflector 16 in its form shown in Figure 1, and reverse the pitch and direction of rotation of the fan blade assembly 32. Of course, fans other than the one shown in Figure 1 may be used as room air =cir culators, and still incorporate my invention, as longas I 3 the relationship of fan blade pitch and direction of rotation to deflector louver disposition is maintained. The effect of the deflector, when it is associated with a fan to be used asa roomair circulator, is to disperse the air stream anddifluse the air.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that the details ofconstruction of the fan, other than the deflector, form no part of my invention and that my improved deflectors may be used in connection with fans having casings of variousshapes and sizes, that the particular mountihg of the casing is immaterial and that a large variety of fan blade assemblies, rear guards and motors may be used. It is only necessary that the relationship of the disposition of'the louvers in the various quadrants and the pitch and direction of rotation of the fan blades be as described above; that is, (1) when a personal fan is involved, the fan blades must have a pitch such as shown in Figure 1, must rotate in a clockwise direction, and the vertical louvers must be disposed in the first and third quadrants (in Figure l, quadrants A and C) and the horizontal louvers must be disposed in the second and fourth quadrants (in Figure 1, quadrants B and D); or when the pitch and direction of rotation of the fan blades are reversed, the disposition of the louvers must be as shown in Figure 2. (2) When a room air circulator is-involved, the relationship of louver disposition in the deflector to pitch and direction of rotation of the" fan blade assembly must be reversed to that which obtains when a personal fan is involved, i.e., if the pitch and direction of rotation is. as shown in Figure 1, the louver disposition must be as shown in Figure 2, or if the louver disposition is as shown in Figure 1, the pitch and direction of rotation of the fan'blade assembly in Figure 1 must be reversed.

' It should be specifically realized that there are other constructions that may be made that fall within the scope of this invention. For example, where it is desired to modify existing fan deflectors that employ spaced horizontal louvers exclusively, or spaced vertical louvers exclusively, to acquire the benefits of my novel deflectors, it is intended to come within the scope of this invention for this to be accomplished by clipping additional louvers onto those existing in two of the appropriate quadrants to achieve the necessary louver relationship dependent upon type of fan involved, i.e., small or large, and pitch and direction of rotation of the fan blades, as set forth above. When modifying an existing fan deflector by clipping on additional louvers, there will be both vertical and horizontal louvers in two of'the quadrants; while this does not produce air distribution as satisfactorily as that produced by the deflectors illustrated, it is superior to that produced by a completely horizontally or vertically louvered fan deflector. It is my intention that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not'depart from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An air distributing device having an air discharge opening, a fan mounted within said device with its axis of rotation at the center of said opening, and a deflector positioned in said opening, said deflector comprising a generally vertical slat, a generally horizontal slat bisecting said generally vertical slat to form four substantially equal quadrants, the intersection of said slats being at the axis of rotation of said fan, two of said quadrants which are non-adjacent having a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertically disposed louvers providing a plurality of elongateduninterrupted spaces extending completely across each of said two quadrants respectively, and the other two quadrants having a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally disposed louvers providing a plurality of elongated uninterrupted spaces extending completely across each ofsaid other two quadrants respectively.

. 2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein. said fan includes fan blades that are mounted for. clockwise r- 4 tation when viewed from the front of the device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers are located in the first and third quadrants of said deflector, and said horizontally disposed louvers are located in the second and fourth quadrants of said deflector.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said fan includes fan blades that are mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from the front of the device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers are located in the secincludes fan blades that are mounted for clockwise rotation when viewed from the front of the device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers are located in the second and fourth quadrants of said deflector, and said horizontally disposed louvers are located in the first and third quadrants of said deflector.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said fan. includes fan blades that are mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from the front of the device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers are located in. the first and third quadrants of said deflector, and said horizontally disposed louvers are located in said second and fourth quadrants of said deflector.

6. An air distributing device comprising a casing having a front end discharge openingand an open rear end, a- 1 fan mounted within said casing with its axis of rotation at the center of said opening, a guard at said rear end,

and a deflector positionedin said opening, said deflector comprising a generally verticalslat, a generally horizontal slat bisecting said generally vertical slat to form four substantially equal quadrants, the intersection of said slats being at the axis of rotation of said fan, two nonadjacent quadrants havinga plurality of vertically spaced,

horizontally disposed louvers providing aplurality of.

elongated uninterrupted spaces extending completely across each of said two quadrants respectively, and the remaining quadrants having a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertically disposed louvers providing a plurality of elongated uninterrupted spaces extending completelyacross each of said remaining two quadrants respectively.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fan. includes fan blades that are mounted for clockwise rotation when viewed from the front of the device, wherein" said vertically disposed louvers are located in the first and:

third quadrants of the deflector, and said horizontally disposed louvers are located in the second and fourth: quardants of the deflector.

8. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fan includes fan blades that are mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from the front of the device, Wherein said vertically disposed louvers are located in the sec-- 0nd and fourth quadrants of the deflector, and said horizontally disposed louvers are located in the first and third quadrants of the deflector.

9. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fan includes fan blades that are mounted for clockwise rotation'when viewed from the front of the device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers are located in the second and fourth quadrants of the deflector, and said horizontally disposed louvers are located in the first and third quadrants of said deflector.

10. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fan includes fan blades that are mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from the front of the device, where in said vertically disposed louvers are located inthe first and third quadrants of said deflector, and said horizontal 1y disposed louvers are located in the second and fourth quadrants of said deflector.

11. A device as defined in. claim 1 wherein said fan comprises fan blades mounted for clockwise rotation: whenviewe'd from the front of the device.

12. A device as defined inclaim- 1 wherein said fan cbmprises fan blades mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from the front of the device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Persons May 2, 1933

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