US3450021A - Air-conditioner air flow control device - Google Patents

Description

J1me 1969 c. E. RING ETAL 3,

AIR-CONDITIONER AIR FLOW CONTROL DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1967 3 x2 F'lG.2

--x INVENTORS CLINTON E. same RAYMOND E. LOYD THE\R A TORMEY United States Patent US. CI. 98-40 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE -An air conditioner including an air flow control device comprising a frame defining an air outlet and a plurality of adjustable louvers mounted on the frame for controlling the directional distribution of air from the outlet. At least some of the louvers are movable to a position substantially closing a portion of the outlet to provide a higher velocity air flow from the remaining portion of the outlet.

Background of the invention Air-conditioning units of the type normally mounted in a window or other wall opening are usually provided with adjustable air distributing means intended to provide the selection of an air flow pattern which will best meet the requirements of an enclosure or the specific desires of the used. Many of the known adjustable air deflectors permit the discharged air to be focused in a narrow pattern in any of a plurality of directions or fanned out over a relatively wide angle. Also such air-conditioning units have normally been provided with air circulating fan means operable either at a low speed for normal condi tioning requirements or at a high speed for effecting flow of the conditioned air to more remote areas of an enclos ure. However, as operation at a high fan speed results in a higher fan noise level many users, preferring the quieter operation of the fan at lower speeds, are inclined to forego the remote area cooling advantages of high speed fan operation.

Summary of the invention The present invention is directed to the provision of an air-conditioning unit including improved air flow control device for selectively controlling both the angular distribution of conditioned air and the flow velocity of the conditioned air discharged from the unit at any given fan speed.

More specifically, it is directed to the provision of an air-conditioning unit including improved air discharge or outlet means for selectively providing an increased discharge air velocity and thrust without incerasing the fan noise level.

These and additional advantages, which will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention, are attained in the illustarted embodiment of the invention, by means of an improved air flow control device including an air outlet comprising a plurality of adjustable louvers for selectively controlling both the vertical and horizontal distribution patterns of conditioned air and in which at least some of the louvers, preferably a group of adjacent louvers, are also movable to a position in which they close a portion of the air outlet whereby the conditioned air is discharged through the remaining portion of the air outlet at a higher velocity without changing the speed or noise level of the air circulating fan means.

Brief descriptio of the drawing In the accompanying drawing: FIGURE -1 is a perspective view of a portion of a room air-conditioning unit incorporating the improved air flow control means of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the normal or low velocity air setting of the adjustable louvers;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along lines 3-4: of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the setting of the velocity control louvers in their high velocity positions.

Description of the preferred embodiments With reference to FIGURE 1 of the drawing there is illustrated a room air conditioning unit comprising a casing '1 designed to contain the usual components of an air conditioning system including a fan 2 for circulating enclosure air over the evaporator component (not shown) of an refrigeration system contained within the casing 1. The front or room side of the casing 1 is provided with a front panel or grille 3 including a louvered air inlet section 4 in front of the fan 2 and an air discharge or outlet portion generally indicated by the numeral 5 through which the conditioned air is discharged into the enclosure. The grille also includes a control panel section 6 on which are mounted the usual refrigeration system and fan controls.

The air discharge opening or outlet 5, of a generally rectangular configuration, is defined by opposed side walls 11 and 12, a top wall r14, and a bottom wall 15. These four walls provide the principal supports for a plurality of adjustable louvers or vanes designed to provide selective control of both the vertical and horizontal distribution of air flowing through the outlet 5.

For the control of the vertical distribution of conditioned air issuing from the outlet 5, there is provided a front set of spaced, parallel, horizontally extending louvers 16 having their ends pivotally supported on the side walls 11 and '12. These louvers 16 are arranged from the top to the bottom of the air outlet '5 and are designed to be adjusted through a limited vertical angle above and below a horizontal position for the purpose of deflecting the conditioned air upwardly, horizontally or downwardly in accordance with the space requirements or the users desire. Preferably, the set of louvers 16 is divided into upper and lower groups with the louvers in each group being inter-connected by means (not shown) for the collective movement thereof. By this arrangement, the upper group can be angled upwardly and the lower group slanted downwardly to provide the widest vertical angle distribution of the conditioned air. Projections 17 and 18 on one of the louvers in each group may be provided as finger grips for manual operation of the louvers.

Both the horizontal distribution pattern for the conditioned air and the control of the velocity of the air stream issuing from the outlet 5 are obtained by a rear set of vertically extending louvers shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawing. In accordance with the present invention, this rear set of louvers includes a first group generally indicated by the numeral 19 pivotally mounted in spaced parallel relationship over about one-half of the area of the outlet 5 and a second independently operated group 20 similarly positioned over the remaining portion of the air outlet.

The set of louvers 19 is preferably divided into upper and lower banks 21 and 22 as indicated in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. The louvers of the upper bank are pivotally supported at their upper and lower ends on the side wall 14 and a cross bar 23 extending across the outlet 5 at about the midsection thereof. These louvers like the louvers 16 of the front set are connected for collective movement thereof to direct horizontally the air passing through them to either one side or the other of the unit. More specifically, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the louvers of group 21 are pivotally supported along axes adjacent their rear edges by pivot supports 24 and have their forward edges interconnected by extending into cooperating slots in an actuator bar 25. The bar 25 also includes a control knob 26 extending through and riding in a slot 27 in the upper wall 14 of the grille. The lower louvers 22 are similarly interconnected and controlled by an actuator including a control knob 28 extending through a slot in the lower wall or bottom wall 15.

The louvers 20 constituting the second group of rear louvers are also pivotally supported in horizontal spaced relationship and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention extends the full height of the opening or outlet so that they are pivotally supported at the ends on the top wall 14 and bottom wall of the frame. While the horizontal louvers 16 and the vertical louvers 19 discussed hereinbefore are mounted for only a limited angular displacement or adjustment to avoid any substantial change in the air flow therethrough, the louvers are designed to be adjusted between an open position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing and a closed position illustrated in FIGURE 4.

To this end, each of the louvers 20 is provided with an arm 30 extending rearwardly from the rear edge thereof and each of these arms 30 have a vertical extending pin portion 31 adapted to be received in one of the slots 32 of a member 33 for collectively moving the louvers 20 between their limiting operating positions. The member 33 is connected through a link 34 to an arm 35 of a control member 36 rotatably mounted in the control panel portion 6 of the front panel 3. By rotation of the control 36, the louvers 20 can be collectively moved between the open position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing in which air freely passes between the spaced louvers to a closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing in which their edges are in overlapping relationship thereby elfectively preventing the flow of conditioned air through that portion of the outlet 5 in which the louvers 20 are disposed.

When the louvers 20 are in their open position as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, there is a substantially unrestricted flow of air through the entire area of the outlet 5 at a velocity determined by the speed at which the fan 2 is operating. Movement of the louvers 20 to their closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing substantially decreases the effective air flow area of the outlet 5 to the area represented by the louvers 20. This decrease in the air discharge area of the outlet by increasing the velocity of the air flowing through the outlet 5 increases the thrust of this air stream. In other words, the restricted discharge area focuses the horizontal air pattern to that determined by the setting of the louvers 19 and also provides a higher velocity air stream for the purpose of projecting the conditioned air a greater distance from the air-conditioning unit. Thus conditioned air can be projected to the more remote portions of the enclosure served by the airconditioning unit without changing the speed of the fan 2. Thus there is provided a greater flexibility of design and application of the air-conditioning unit for either low thrust and low noise level operation for normal room patterns or a high thrust operation for serving unusual enclosure shapes or arrangements. The increase in the thrust or projection of the conditioned air can be obtained at either low or high fan speeds. Of course, maximum thrust or projection of the conditioned air is obtained when the louvers 20 are in their closed position and the fan 2 is operated at its highest speed.

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

1. In an air conditioner for supplying conditioned air to an enclosure,

frame means defining an air outlet for all of the conditioned air supplied to said enclosure,

a first set of parallel louvers pivotally mounted on said frame means for controlling the angular distribution of air from said outlet in one plane,

a second set of parallel louvers pivotally mounted on said frame means and disposed at an angle relative to the louvers of said first set, said second set including a first group for controlling only the angular distribution of air from said outlet in a second plane,

said second set including a second group of louvers movable from an open position .to a position substantially closing a portion of said air outlet to provide a higher velocity of air flow from the remaining portion of said outlet to project the air flowing from said outlet a greater distance from said outlet.

2. The conditioner of claim 1 in which said first set of louvers are horizontally mounted on said frame means.

3. The conditioner of claim 2 in which said second set of louvers are vertically mounted behind said first set.

4. In an air conditioner for supplying conditioned air to an enclosure,

a rectangular frame defining an air outlet for all of the conditioned air supplied to said enclosure,

a front set of parallel horizontal louvers pivotally mounted on said frame for adjustment through a limited vertical angle to vary only the vertical distribution of air discharged through said outlet,

a rear set of parallel vertical louvers pivotally mounted on said frame,

said rear set including a first group of adjacent louvers movable through a limited horizontal angle for directing the horizontal distribution of air discharged through said outlet without substantially changing the air flow therethrough,

said rear set including a second group of interconnected adjacent louvers movable between an open position permitting the substantially unrestricted flow of air through said second group of louvers and a closed position in which the flow of air through said air outlet is substantially restricted to the portion of said air outlet including said first group of louvers thereby increasing the velocity of the air flowing through said air outlet to project the air a greater distance from said outlet.

5. The air conditioner of claim 4 in which said front set of louvers are divided into upper and lower groups of interconnected louvers.

6. The conditioner of claim 4 in which said frame is part of a front grille for said air conditioner, said grille including an air inlet for admitting enclosure air to said conditioner.

7. The conditioner of claim 4 in which said second group of louvers are arranged to close about one-half of said air outlet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,881,689 4/ 1959 Stevens 98-40 3,120,035 2/ 1964 Morris 49-77 3,145,642 8/1964 Radclitf 9840 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 718,400 11/1954 Great Britain.

FRED C. MATTERN, IR., Primary Examiner. M. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 98-121

Images