US2704971A - Diffuser arrangment for selfcontained air conditioning unit - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 1955 F. D. STEVENS 2,704,971

DIFFUSER ARRANGEMENT FOR SELF-CONTAINED AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Filed Jan. 5, 1949 INVENTOR- United States Patent DIFFUSER ARRANGEMENT FOR SELF- CONTAINED AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Frank D. Stevens, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 5, 1949, Serial No. 69,384

Claims. (CI. 98-40) This invention relates to self-contained air conditioning units and more particularly to a self-contained air conditioning unit including a diffuser for assuring that the discharge of air from the unit is uniform across the face of the discharge grille.

In self-contained air conditioning units, for example, of the type disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. 731,363, filed February 27, 1947, now Patent No. 2,506,758, issued May 9, 1950, in the name of Henry S. Woodrulf, the problem exists of assuring uniform distribution of treated air throughout the area of the discharge grille. Generally, such air is discharged from a plenum in the unit. The stream of air entering the plenum strikes the walls thereof and is immediately directed to the discharge outlet being concentrated at the center of the grille rather than being diffused or distributed throughout the plenum chamber to assure uniform discharge across the face of the grille.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a self-contained air conditioning unit containing a diffuser arrangement which assures uniform air distribution across the face of the discharge grille.

An object is to provide a self-contained air conditioning unit in which a diffuser arrangement is disposed about the inlet of the plenum to assure diffusion of entering air throughout the plenum chamber.

A further object is to provide a self-contained air conditioning unit including inclined walls disposed about the plenum inlet to direct air entering the plenum throughout the plenum chamber thereby assuring uniform distribution of discharged air across the face of the discharge grille. Other objects of my invention will be readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to a self-contained air conditioning unit including in combination a cabinet, a refrigeration system for cooling air drawn within the cabinet, a plenum chamber, a fan for drawing air to be cooled within the cabinet and through the cooling coil of the refrigeration system, said fan discharging the cooled air within the plenum chamber, and a diffuser arrangement disposed in the plenum chamber surrounding the plenum inlet and serving to diffuse cooled air throughout the plenum chamber thereby assuring uniform discharge of air across the plenum outlet.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a self-contained air conditioning unit partly broken away to disclose the interior arrangement;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the diffuser arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown the self-contained air conditioning unit of my invention designated generally by numeral 2. Unit 2 consists of a cabinet 3 forming machine compartment 4, evaporator compartment 5 and plenum chamber 6. The refrigerating system 7 is disposed in compartment 4 and includes a compressor 8, a prime mover 9 to actuate compressor 8, and a condenser 10 connected to an evaporator 11 disposed in compartment 5 by liquid line 10'. Evaporator 11 is connected to compressor 8 by suction line 12. Suitable filters 13 are disposed in compartment 5 to filter air drawn within the cabinet. In compartment 5 is a grille 14 through which fan 15 induces air within compartment 5 drawing the induced air through the evaporator in heat exchange relation with the refrigerant therein.

Fan 15 then discharges the cooled air through outlet 16 in compartment 5 to the inlet 17 of plenum 6. Considering Figure 2, it will be noted the scroll or casing of fan 15 is not provided with the customary type cutoff which approaches the fan wheel. Instead the scroll itself approaches the discharge, eliminating the customary cutoff usually employed in centrifugal fan design, thereby reducing the velocity of the air stream and permitting more satisfactory diffusion of air within plenum 6 with less noise and also permits direct placement of the fan discharge adjacent to plenum inlet 17.

A diffuser arrangement designated generally at 18 surrounds inlet 17 of the plenum. It will be noted that inlet 17 possesses a polygonal shape with its rear edge approximately three times as wide as its front edge and that the edge portions connecting the side edges and the front edge are disposed at angles to the front edge of the inlet. This particular contour of the opening aids in the diffusion of air throughout the plenum chamber.

Diffuser arrangement 18 includes a substantially vertically extending front wall flange 19 secured to the base of plenum. Extending from flange 19 is a wall member 20 inclined outwardly from flange 19 and away from the inlet 17. Side flanges 21 and 22 are provided forming a continuation of flange 19 about inlet 17. Flanges 21 and 22 extend substantially vertically and at an angle greater than from flange 19. Wall members 23 and 24 extend from flanges 21 and 22 respectively and are inclined outwardly therefrom similarly to member 20. Flanges 25 and 26 form continuations of flanges 21 and 22 and extend at an angle of approximately 90 to a line drawn horizontally from flange 19. Wall members 27 and 28 extend from flanges 25 and 26 and are inclined outwardly with respect thereto. Members 27 and 28 are inclined in opposite directions. At the rear of inlet 17 is disposed a substantially vertically extending rear wall member 29 completing an inclosure about inlet 17.

The air diffuser serves to diffuse air supplied through inlet 17 throughout the plenum chamber. Diffusion of treated air throughout the plenum chamber builds a slight pressure in the chamber and assures uniform distribution of air across the face of the outlet grille 30 forming the front surface of plenum 6.

Under some circumstances, it may not be desired to employ a plenum chamber but to use ducts connected to inlet 17 to supply treated air to an area to be conditioned. To avoid special duct shapes under such conditions, brackets 31 may be provided enabling the diffuser 18 to be removed and standard ducts to be connected to the inlet.

The present invention provides an air conditioning unit in which air may be discharged to an area being treated substantially uniformly across the discharge outlet of the unit. Such manner of discharge obviates draft and uncomfortable conditions in the area being treated. The diffuser arrangement may be economically constructed and provides a simple, ready arrangement for assuring diffusion of treated air within the plenum.

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

I claim:

1. In a self-contained air conditioning unit, the combination of a refrigeration system to treat air for supply to an area being conditioned, a fan to draw air within the unit in heat exchange relation with the evaporator of the system, a plenum chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being placed in a wall of the chamber disposed at an angle to the wall of the chamber containing the inlet, said fan being connected to the plenum chamber inlet and serving to discharge treated air within the plenum chamber, and a diffuser arrangement disposed in the plenum chamber about the inlet, said diffuser arrangement comprising a substantially vertically extending front flange, a front wall member on said flange inclined outwardly therefrom, side flanges extending substantially vertically and at angles greater than 90 from the front flange, wall members on said side flanges inclined outwardly from said side flanges, second side flanges forming continuations of the first side flanges, and extending at an angle of approximately 90 to a line drawn horizontally through the front flange, wall members inclined outwardly from the second flanges in opposite directions and a substantially vertically extending rear wall member completing an enclosure about the plenum chamber inlet.

2. A self-contained air conditioning unit according to claim 1 in which the fan possesses a scroll without a cut-off and which approaches the inlet of the plenum to permit immediate discharge of air to the plenum chamber, the fan discharge being placed directly adjacent the plenum chamber inlet.

3. In a self-contained air conditioning unit, the combination of a refrigeration system to cool air for supply to an area being conditioned, a fan to supply treated air to a plenum, said plenum containing an inlet in a wall at a substantially right angle to a wall containing an outlet, and an air diffuser disposed in the plenum surrounding the inlet, said diffuser including a substantially vertically extending wall member about one side of the inlet, substantially vertically extending flanges about the remaining sides of the inlet, and wall members inclined outwardly from said flanges to diffuse entering air throughout the plenum thereby permitting substantially uniform distribution of air through the outlet.

4. In a self-contained air conditioning unit, the combination of a refrigeration system to treat air for supply to an area being conditioned, a fan to draw air within the unit in heat exchange relation with the evaporator of the system, a plenum chamber having an inlet in a wall at a substantially right angle to a wall containing an outlet, said fan being connected to the plenum chamber inlet and serving to discharge treated air within the plenum chamber, and a diffuser arrangement disposed in the plenum chamber about the inlet, said difiuser including a substantially vertically extending wall member about one side of the inlet, substantially vertically extending flanges disposed about the remaining sides of the inlet, and wall members inclined outw entering air throughout suring substantially uni across the face of the outlet.

5. In a self-contained air conditionin bination of a refrigeration to an area being condition to a plenum chamber, a p inlet in a wall at a substanti containing an outlet, s in spaced rel end of the wal disposed in the pl said diffuser including a s wall member about one side of th vertically extending flanges the inlet, and w flanges to di chamber there bution of the air through the outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 12, 1938 Great Britain Apr. 12, 1939 Great Britain Aug. 7, 1946 Germany Oct. 7, 1932 all members 1 ardly from said flanges to diffuse the plenum chamber thereby asform distribution of treated air g unit, the comsystem to cool air for ed, a fan to supply treated air lenum chamber containing an ally right angle to a wall aid inlet further being positioned lls disposed at right angles to the 1 containing the outlet, and an air diffuser enum chamber surrounding the inlet, ubstantially vertically extending e inlet, substantially about the remaining nclined outwardly from said se entering air throughout the plenum by permitting substantially uniform distripp y sides of Feb. 12, 1935 Jan. 25, 1938

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