US3259178A - Induction unit for heating, air conditioning and ventilating - Google Patents

Description

July 5, 1966 E. M. TARNOFF 3,259,178

INDUCTION UNIT FOR HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING AND VENTILATING Filed Jan. 11, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FRESH 45 A112 DAMPER as MOT THERMOSTAT ROOM AIR DAMPER 52 o-roR INVENTOR. EDWIN M. TARNOFF A TTORNEY July 5, 1966 E. M. TARNOFF 3,259,178

INDUCTION UNIT FOR HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING AND VENTILATING Filed Jan. 11, 1962 2 SheetsSheet 2 "I: W 4 I I WKWQQ INVENTOR. EDWIN M. TARNOFF' United States Patent 3,259,178 INDUCTION UNIT FOR HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING AND VENTILATING Edwin M. Tarnolf, Frost Bldg., 520 West Ave., Norwalk, Conn. Filed Jan. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 165,633 1 Claim. (Cl. 165-39) This invention concerns a room air distribution unit.

According to the invention there is provided a system of ducts for supplying heated or chilled air to a room. The system includes a passage for fresh air into the system controlled by dampers or movable baffles. Another passage controlled by further dampers or baffles controls return of air from the room for mixing with fresh air and with heated or chilled air. The system is thermostat controlled. The system makes it possible to supply heated or chilled air from a remote source or sources to a room without requiring local fans, refrigeration units, heating coils, and the like. As a result, installation and maintenance are simplified and reduced in cost. More efiicient use is made of central heating and cooling sources since the conditioning of air in each room of a building can be locally controlled for satisfaction of individual requirements.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a room air distribution unit associated wth ducts of a heated and/ or chilled air system, with provision for admitting fresh air into the room.

A further object is to provide a unit of the character described with damper controlled passages for fresh air and room air into the unit.

' Still another object is to provide a unit of the character described, wherein the dampers controlling the passages are part of a thermostat controlled system.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a unit embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a control circuit employed in the unit.

Referring to FIGS. l-4, there is shown a room air distribution unit which includes a sheet metal casing having a front cover panel 12 provided with louvers 14, 15 and 16. The casing has a front Wall 18, rear wall 20, top 22, bottom 24 and end walls 26, 28. A main distributing duct 25 for heated or chilled air is connected to the open bottom of the casing. This duct has a top wall on which are mounted two spaced air ejector nozzles 32, 34. Each nozzle has a cylindrical tubular base opening at the bottom into duct 25. Air filter element 29 may be located in duct 25 to screen conditioned air passing to nozzles 32, 34.

Each nozzle has a flattened constricted mouth or opening 36 from which heated or chilled air is discharged under high pressure. The front side of the casing has an opening 38 at which is a frame 39 in which are mounted movable baffles or dampers 40. Air returning from the room in which the unit is mounted enters the unit through opening 38. At the rear side of the casing is another opening 42 through which fresh air from outside the room enters the unit.

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Battles or dampers 44 are mounted in a frame 50 at opening 42. An air filter 45 in a frame 45' may be mounted at opening 42, A motor 46 is mounted in the casing and has a reciprocating shaft 48 connected to the dampers 44 for turning them angularly in frame 50. Another motor 52 is mounted in the casing and has a reciprocating shaft 54 connected to dampers 40 for turning these dampers angularly. Openings 55 and 56 are provided in the front of the casing to emit heated or chilled air mixed with fresh air and recirculating room air. Thin lint screen filter elements 58, 60 may be located in the openings 55, 56 behind the louvers 14 and 16 in the cover panel 12. A similar lint screen may be located at opening 38. Dampers 40 are located behind louvers 15 in the panel 12. Motors 46 and 52 may be conventional solenoids having plunger shafts 48 and 54.

Outlet ducts 11 may be attached to panel 12. These ducts communicate with openings 55, 56 so that air leaving these openings may be distributed at locations in a room remote from the unit.

Curved stationary air deflectors 62-65 are located inside the casing for guiding air flow therein. The end, top and rear walls of the casing may be lined with fibrous sheets 67 which serve as noise suppressors and insulation.

In operation of the unit, a thermostat 68 such as a conventional thermistor whose internal resistance varies with ambient temperature will preferably be located near or behind opening 38 in the return air stream. This thermostat is connected in series with a power supply uch as battery 70 and parallel motors 46, 52 as shown in FIG. 5. The thermostat controls the voltage and magnitude of current applied to motors 46, 52. As the temperature of the thermostat varies the voltage applied to the motors varies and Shafts 48, 54 are advanced or retracted in coordination with variation of temperatures. The dampers 40, 44 should be arranged so that one set of dampers closes as the other set opens and vice versa. The thermostat 68 will control motors 46, 52 depending on heating or cooling conditions required. When the motors controlled by the thermostat act to increase heat in the room, the dampers 44 facing outdoors will be closed and the dampers 40 will open. The room air will be returned to the unit while heated air will be discharged from the nozzles to mix with the room air and the heated mixture will be discharged from the unit through openings 55, 56 and outlet ducts 11.

When the room is satisfactorily heated, the room dampers 40 are partially closed while the dampers 44 are opened to bring more fresh air into the unit, and mixed air at proper temperature circulates in the room and through the unit.

The system may be supplied with heated or cooled air under pressure from a remote source delivered to the unit via a duct 72 connected to the unit.

If desired, only a single motor may be employed to operate both sets of dampers 40, 44, which will then be connected via a suitable mechanical linkage.

The invention makes it possible to provide air heating and/or cooling for a home, school, hotel, commercial or industrial building in a more economical manner than has hitherto been possible. The temperature of the air circulated in a room is locally controlled and depends on the relative quantities of fresh air and room air mixed with the primary source of heated or chilled air delivered to the air distribution unit.

An important feature of the invention is the arrangement by which mixing of room air and fresh air is controlled to eifect room air temperature control and adjustment without requiring supplementary heating or cooling devices employing circulating hot or chilled water.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made Within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

An air distribution unit for conditioning air in a room, comprising a sheet metal casing having front, rear, end, top and bottom walls, a duct connected to the bottom wall to receive conditioned air under pressure from a remote source thereof, a plurality of nozzles with flattened, constricted oppositely directed mouths opening into the easing from said duct, said rear wall having a first passage to pass fresh air into the casing, a movable damper assembly mounted at said first passage, said front wall having a central second passage to pass room air into the casing, another damper assembly mounted at the second passage, motor means for actuating the damper assemblies, said front Wall having a plurality of third passages spaced laterally of the second passage and opening into the room for discharging conditioned air mixed with room air and fresh air into the room, a thermostat in circuit with said motor means and responsive to condition of the air in the room to actuate the motor means and damper assemblies, simultaneously, air deflector columns in the casing located to guide conditioned air mixed with room air and fresh air from the nozzle mouths and the first and second passages to the third passages, air filter elements located in said third passages, and pads lining certain of said Walls to insulate the same and suppress noise of air flow in the casing, whereby the relative proportions of conditioned air, room air and fresh air discharged into the room is automatically controlled.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,191,224 2/1940 Adair 165-126 2,787,946 4/1957 Gannon 98--38 3,049,341 8/1962 Kemp 165-l36 FOREIGN PATENTS 379,430 9/1932 Great Britain.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO. Examiner.

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