US3411572A - Nozzle constructions - Google Patents

Description

1968 F. v. HONNOLD, JR 3,411,572

' NOZZLE CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Sept. 2, 1966 INVENTOR.

FRED V. HONNOLD, JR.

BYWJy" ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,411,572 NOZZLE CONSTRUCTIONS Fred V. Honnold, In, North Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 576,940 Claims. (Cl. 165123) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An induction type air conditioning unit adapted for discharge of primary air therethrough from a plurality of nozzle members, each nozzle member having two discharge nozzles for discharging air through the induced air passage of the unit in a substantially vertical direction, the nozzles in each nozzle member being canted away from each other to a degree suflicient to prevent air stagnation along the surfaces of the induced air passage in the unit.

This invention relates to induction type air conditioning unit construction. More particularly, this invention relates to a nozzle member for use in an air conditioning unit of the induction type.

In United States Letters Patent No. 3,122,201, there is disclosed an induction type air conditioning system wherein outside air is treated at a central station and then distributed at relatively high static pressure and at relatively high velocity to a plurality of units, each located in an area to be conditioned. The high pressure air supplied to each unit is discharged therein through discharge nozzles and in this manner induces secondary air from the area served by the unit. The primary or conditioned air and the secondary or induced air are mixed within the unit and are then supplied to the area to be conditioned. Within each unit is a heat exchanger. Preferably, during winter operating conditions, a hot conditioning medium may be supplied to the heat exchanger while during summer operating conditions, a cold conditioning medium may be supplied to the heat exchanger.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide an improved nozzle member for use in an air conditioning unit of the induction type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a nozzle member capable of inducing a great quantity of secondary air through the air conditioning unit utilizing a small quantity of primary air.

Another object of this invention is to provide an air conditioning unit including an improved nozzle member.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method of air distribution in an induction type air conditioning unit.

This invention relates to an improved nozzle member including enclosure means having two nozzles defined by upstandingwalls through which air in the form of jets may be discharged in a vertical plane, the enclosure means having an inlet for entrance of air into the member, the axial centerline of the nozzle nearest the inlet being canted toward the inlet at a slight angle from vertical while the axial centerline of the nozzle farthest from the inlet is canted away from the inlet at a slight angle from vertical.

This invention further relates to an air conditioning unit comprising in combination a base unit including a plenum member, said plenum member being adapted to be connected to a source of supply of primary air, a plurality of hollow, spaced nozzle members connected to said plenum chamber, each of the nozzle members including enclosure means having two nozzles defined by upstanding walls through which air in the form of jets may be discharged in a vertical plane, the enclosure means having 3,411,572 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 an inlet for entrance of air into the member, the axial centerline of the nozzle nearest the inlet being canted toward the inlet at a slight angle from vertical while the axial centerline of the nozzle farthest from the inlet is canted away from the inlet at a slight angle from vertical.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end view of an air conditioning unit employing the nozzle members of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along lines II-II of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view in section of the nozzle member.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the attached drawings, there is shown an air conditioning base unit for a room to be conditioned. The base unit includes a casing 2 in which is disposed a plenum member 3. The plenum member is adapted to be connected to a source of primary air supplied from a central station at high velocity and high static pressure. Mounted in casing 2 is a heat exchanger 4. Nozzle members 5, mounted on wall 3 of plenum member 3 over openings therein are provided with primary air from plenum 3, the discharge of primary air from nozzle members 5 inducing room air through the inlet grille 6 of casing 2 into heat exchange relation with conditioning medium passing through heat exchanger 4. The induced air then mixes with the primary air and is discharged into the room through grille 7. Each of the nozzle members 5 provided on wall 3' of plenum member 3 includes two opposed planar walls 8 and 9, each wall being in the general shape of a quadrant. The arcuate portions of the planar walls 8 and 9 are joined by an arcuate surface 13. Surface 14 connects the generally straight top edges of opposite planar walls 8 and 9. Two nozzles 17 and 18 defined by cylindrical walls 20 in surface 14 serve to discharge jets of air from the interior of each member 5. The edges of the remaining planar walls 8 and 9 together with the edges of the connecting surface 14 and the arcuate surface 13 form an inlet 23 for entrance of air into the hollow nozzle member 5 from plenum chamber 3. In other words, the nozzle member includes two opposite side walls 8, 9, an arcuate end wall 13 connecting the side walls and a substantially horizontal top wall 14 connecting the side walls, these walls being arranged to form an enclosure having an inlet 23 therein permitting air to flow through the enclosure and to be discharged through nozzles 17 and 18 in the top wall 14.

The orientation of nozzles 17 and 18 on top wall 14 is important. The first consideration in the nozzle orientation is to prevent air discharged therefrom from interfering with air discharged from nozzles in adjacent nozzle members. To this end, nozzles 17 and 18 are arranged so as to discharge air in a vertical plane parallel to the planar surfaces 8 and 9. The second consideration in the orientation of the nozzles is to provide a vertical fiow of air perpendicular to the plane of grille 7. Induced air flowing horizontally through inlet grille 6 over heat exchanger 4 impinges on the stream of primary air issuing from nozzle 18, deflecting the primary air stream toward plenum chamber 3. To counteract this, nozzle 18 is canted toward heat exchanger 4 at an angle from vertical so that when the primary air stream is diverted by secondary air, the resultant air stream is directed in a substantially vertical upward direction without interfering with adjacent air streams, thereby reducing turbulence and increasing the quantity of induced air flowing therethrough in relation to the amount of primary air. While the exact orientation of the nozzle 18 is dependent on the velocity and amount of primary air flowing therethrough in relation to the velocity and amount of induced or secondary air impinging thereon, as a practical matter, it has been found that a nozzle canted at an angle of from vertical towards the incoming induced air stream provides a resultant vertical air stream in an induction unit of the type illustrated in the drawing.

One of the prime considerations in designing an induction unit is to provide a unit that does not project an excessive distance from the wall into the room. The required large plenum chamber and the need to maximize the size of the discharge grille for efficient induction of air through the unit have therefore resulted in units wherein the plenum chamber is provided with a curved wall 3' so that a large discharge grille extending partially over the plenum chamber can be utilized to provide a relatively small induction unit having a large capacity. However, the curved surface ordinarily causes stagnation of the layer of air adjacent thereto, decreasing the efliciency of the unit. The third consideration in the orientation of the nozzles is to prevent stagnation of the layer of air along wall 3' of plenum chamber 3. Nozzle 17 is therefore canted toward plenum chamber 3 at an angle related to the plenum chamber configuration so that air discharged therefrom will flow along the surface of wall 3' thereby effectively increasing the discharge area of the unit. In the unit shown in FIGURE 1 having a plenum wall 3' of the configuration illustrated, a nozzle canted at a 5 angle from vertical toward wall 3' will prevent stagnation of air therealong.

As shown in FIGURE 3, a flange 30 surrounds the inlet 23. Flange 30 has a groove 31 therein which receives the Wall of the opening in plenum chamber 3 to attach the nozzle member 5 thereto. If desired, any suitable adhesive may be employed to assist in holding the nozzle member 5 in place and to assure sealing the opening in chamber 3 through which air enters the nozzle member. Nozzle members 5 may be molded of suitable flexible plastic, such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc. It is desirable that the member be fiexible since such property greatly expedites cleaning of the nozzle and the removal of dirt particules collected therein.

In operation, a central station (not shown) supplies conditioned air to plenum chamber 3. Jets of air are discharged .from chamber 3 through nozzle members 5 which induces secondary air from the area being conditioned through inlet grille 6 and through heat exchanger 4 in heat exchange relation with heat exchanger medium passing therethrough. The stream of secondary air after passage through heat exchanger 4 mixes with the streams of primary air being discharged from nozzle members 5, the mixture of primary and secondary air being discharged through grille 7 into the area being conditioned.-

The present invention provides a simple, economical nozzle member Which is extremely efficient in inducing air flow through the air conditioning unit. Further, the nozzle members are extremely quiet in operation, are easily attached to the plenum and can be easily cleaned due to their flexibility.

While the embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention has a configuration as shown in FIGURE 3, it is obvious that variations in nozzle member configurations may be made without departing from the invention disclosed herein.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood the invention is not limited thereto, since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An induction type room air conditioning unit com-- prising a casing, a heat exchanger disposed in said casing, a plenum member spaced from the heat exchanger so as to form a passage for air flow therebetween, said plenum member having an enclosure means with a horizontal top wall, first and second nozzle means formed on said wall having their axes substantially normal to said top wall, said nozzle means extending substantially parallel to one another and to said heat exchanger, said first nozzle means being adapted for discharging air from the plenum in an angular direction from vertical toward the heat exchanger so that induced air flowing through the heat exchanger will deflect the discharged air whereby the resultant air streams formed by the combination of the discharged air and induced air streams are vertically oriented and said second nozzle means :being adapted for discharging air from the plenum in a direction such that the air discharged therefrom follows the contour of the plenum to prevent stagnation of air along the surface thereof.

2. A hollow air discharge member for attachment to a plenum chamber in an induction type air conditioning unit having a heat exchanger spaced from the plenum chamber so as to form a passageway therebetween, said member including enclosure means defined by end, side and top walls having an inlet therein for receiving air from the plenum chamber, two nozzles having upstanding walls formed on said enclosure means lying normal to said top wall for discharge of air therefrom, the axial centerline of both nozzles lying in the same, substantially vertical plane, the axial centerline of the nozzle nearest the inlet being canted toward the plenum chamber at a slight angle from vertical so that air discharged therefrom will flow along the surface of the plenum chamber, the axial centerline of said nozzle farthest from the inlet being canted at a slight angle from vetrical toward the heat exchanger so that the induced air flowing through the heat exchanger will deflect the discharged air stream whereby the resultant stream of air formed by air discharged from said nozzle and the induced air flows in a vertical direction.

3. A hollow air discharge member according to claim 2, wherein said enclosure means comprises two opposite spaced quadrant shaped planar walls, the arcuate edge portions thereof being joined by an arcuate connecting wall, the upper straight edged portions of said planar walls being joined by an upper connecting wall, said two nozzles being formed in said upper connecting wall, said inlet being formed by the remaining straight edge portions of said planar walls, the edge of said upper connecting wall and the edge of said arcuate connecting wall.

4. An induction type air conditioning unit comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet formed therein,

a plenum member disposed in said casing adapted for connection to a source of primary air, said plenum member including a non-planar wall.

a heat exchanger spaced from said non-planar wall so as to form a passage for flow of air therebetween;

a plurality of hollow, spaced nozzle members connected to said non-planar Wall, each of said nozzle members including enclosure means comprising an end, side and top walls, said enclosure means having an inlet therein for receiving air from the plenum chamber, two nozzles having upstanding walls formed on said top wall and lying normal thereto for discharge of air therefrom, the axial centerline of both nozzles lying in the same vertical plane, the axial centerline of the nozzle nearest the enclosure inlet being canted toward the plenum chamber at a slight angle from vertical so that air discharged therefrom will flow along the surface of said non-planar wall, the axial centerline of said nozzle farthest from the enclosure inlet being canted at a slight angle from vertical toward said heat exchanger so that the induced air flowing through the heat exchanger will deflect the discharged air stream whereby the resultant stream of air, formed by the air discharged from said nozzle and the air induced through the heat exchanger flows in a vertical direction in the passage formed between said non-planar wall and said heat exchanger.

3,411,572 5 6 5. An air conditioning unit according to claim 4 where- References Cited in said enclosure means comprises two opposite spaced UNITED STATES PATENTS quadrant shaped planar walls, the arcuate edge portions thereof being joined by an arcuate connecting wall, the 3,01%760 12/1961 McGrath 165-123 X upper straight edged portions of said planar walls being 5 FOREIGN PATENTS joined by an upper connecting wall, said two nozzles being formed in said upper connecting wall, said enclosure inlet 212771 12/1956 Austraha being formed by the remaining straight edge portions of said planar walls, the edge of said upper connecting wall ROBERT O LEARY Pumary Emmme" and the edge of said arcuate connecting wall. 0 T- W. STREULE, Assistant Examiner.

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