US2705595A

US2705595A - Air distributing units

Info

Publication number: US2705595A
Application number: US363850A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond L Carlson; Potonides Homer
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1953-06-24
Filing date: 1953-06-24
Publication date: 1955-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1972-04-05

Description

April 5, 1955 R. l.. CARLSON ET AL 7059595 AIR DISTRIBUTING UNITS Filed June 24, 1955 IN VEN TORS United States Patent O "ice AIR DISTRIBUTING UNITS Raymond L. Carlson, West Roxbury, and Homer Potonides, Hyde Park, Mass., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 24, 1953, Serial No. 363,850

3 Claims. (Cl. 236-13) This invention relates to air conditioning apparatus, and relates more particularly to temperature and volume controls for such apparatus.

As disclosed in the co-pending application of John E. McDonald, Serial No. 327,360, led December 22, 1952, when local, air distributing units are supplied with conditioned air under pressure from a central conditioner, load changes may caused the volume of conditioned air supplied to a local unit to vary beyond the dampering variation provided by its associated thermostat. Since it is desired to maintain a constant delivery volume from each local unit, it has been necessary to provide additional controls for maintaining a constant air volume from each unit.

This invention provides a simple, self-contained dampering unit having two spaced-apart diaphragms lined-up with an air outlet consisting of a plurality of perforations in a sheet or plate like member, the front diaphragm being capable of covering the perforations. Conditioned air under pressure is admitted into a chamber behind the back diaphragm, and between the two diaphragms. A thermostat controls the release of air from the chamber behind the back diaphragm, and by restricting the volume of air released from the chamber, pressure is built up in the chamber, causing the back diaphragm to force the front diaphragm forward to cover perforations in the air outlet. A volume control controls the release of air from the space between the diaphragms, and by restricting the volume of air released from such space, pressure is built up between the diaphragms causing the front diaphragm to cover perforations in the air outlet. The two diaphragms and their controls maintain a desired temperature in a room served by an air distributing unit, with a constant volume of air delivered by the unit into the room.

An object of this invention is to provide in a single unit, air volume control diaphragms each responsive to a different condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a single unit, a pair of air volume control diaphragms, one responsive to temperature variations, and the other responsive to air volume variations.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a single air dampering unit, a pair of dampering diaphragms, both responsive to conditioned air under pressure, one controlled by a thermostat, and the other controlled by a volume control.

This invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, in section, of an air distributing unit embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view looking at the outlet of one of the air dampering units of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side section of one of the dampering units of Figs. 1 and 2.

The air distributing unit illustrated by Fig. 1 of the drawings, comprises a relatively long, relatively narrow casing having an air outlet grille 11 in its upper wall; having a warm air supply duct 12 in the lower portion of one end, and having a cool air supply duct 13 in the lower portion of its other end.

The metal plate 14 extends at acute angles to the end wall and the lower wall of the unit adjacent the duct 12, and forms with the said side and bottom walls, a warm air chamber 15 triangular in section, into which the duct 12 discharges. The similar metal plate 16 extends at acute angles to the opposite end wall and the lower wall Patented Apr. 5, 1955 of the unit adjacent the duct 13, and forms with the opposite end wall and the bottom wall, a cool air chamber 17 triangular in section, into which the duct 13 discharges.

The

plates

14 and 16 have central portions 18 which are perforated and which serve as air outlets from the

chambers

15 and 17, and which discharge into the mixing chamber 19. The mixing chamber 19 has two horizontally extendlng, spaced apart boards 20 and 21 of sound insulating material which provide a constricted passage 22 between the mixing chamber 19 and the air outlet grille 11. The airfoil section 23 is attached to the lever 25 which is pivoted at 26 to the support 27 attached to the board 21, and responds to the velocity of the air llowing through the passage 22.

Below each of the

perforated plates

14 and 16 and supported therefrom by the spaced-apart bolts 28 is a pan-shaped back plate 29 and two

flexible diaphragms

30 and 31. The diaphragms are spaced apart by the spacers 32 through which the bolts 28 extend. One plate 29 has one end of a tube 34 extending therethrough. The other end of the tube 34 terminates adjacent the thermostat strip 35. Another tube 36 has one end terminating adjacent the thermostat strip 35 opposite the other end of the tube 34, and has its other end extending through the other plate 29.

Each spacer 32 has one end of a tube 37 extending therethrough and connecting with the space between its

associated diaphragms

30 and 31. The other ends of the tubes 37 are connected to the tubes 38 which terminate adjacent the airfoil lever 25.

Each spacer 32 also has one end of a tube 40 extending therethrough and connecting with the space between its

associated diaphragms

30 and 31. The other ends of the tubes 40 extend into respective warm and

cool air chambers

15 and 17.

Operation In operation, warm air under static pressure would be supplied through the duct 12 into the chamber 15. Cool air under static pressure would be supplied through the duct 13 into the chamber 17. Assuming the

diaphragms

30 and 31 do not completely cover the perforations in the perforated portions 18 of the

plates

14 and 16, then air from the

chambers

15 and 17 would pass between the diaphragms 30 and the

plates

14 and 16 into the mixing chamber 19, and then through the passage 22 and from the outlet grille 11.

If the thermostat calls for warmer air, it will move its strip 35 nearer the adjacent end of the tube 34 and further from the adjacent end of the tube 36. This will cause an increase in the pressure behind the diaphragm 31 of the damper unit for the cool air chamber 17 as a result of the increased resistance to the flow to atmosphere past the thermostat strip 35 of the air which entered the orice 33 of that damper unit. The diaphragm 31 of that damper unit will move nearer towards the perforated portion 18 of its associated plate 16, and will reduce the volume of cool air.

At the same time there will be a decrease in the air pressure behind the diaphragm 31 in the damper unit for the warm air chamber 15 as a result of the tecreased resistance to the flow to atmosphere past the thermostat strip 35 of the air which entered the oriiice 33 of the warm air damper unit. The diaphragm 31 of that unit will move further from the perforated portion 18 of its associated plate 14, and will increase the volume of warm air.

When the thermostat calls for cooling, the diaphragm 31 of the cool air damper unit will move further from its associated perforated plate portion 18 to permit the passage of a larger volume of cool air, and the diaphragm 31 of the warm air damper unit will move closer to its associated perforated plate portion 18 to throttle the warm air flow.

lf the volume of conditioned air passing through the constricted passage 22 increases above the design volume, the resultant increase in air velocity will cause the airfoil section 23 to lift and to move the lever 25 nearer to the end of the tube 38. This will cause an increased resistance to the flow to atmosphere through the tube 38 of the air which entered through the two tubes 40, the spaces between the

diaphragms

30 and 31 of both the warm and cool air damper units. This will cause an increase in the pressure in the air between the

diaphragms

31 and 30 so that the diaphragms 30 will be forced nearer to the perforated plate portions 18, and reducing the volume of warm air and of cool air.

When the volume of conditioned air passing the airfoil section 23 is reduced, then the latter will move the lever 25 further from the adjacent end of the tube 38 permitting the air between the

respective diaphragms

30 and 31 to ow more freely to atmosphere so that the pressure therebetween is reduced and the diaphragms 30 can move further from the perforated plate portions 18, and permitting the passage of larger volumes of warm and cool air.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact apparatus and arrangement of apparatus illustrated, since modifications thereof may be suggested by those skilled in the art, without departure from the essence of the invention` What is claimed, is:

1. An air distributing unit comprising a conditioned air supply chamber having a conditioned air supply diret connected thereto, said chamber having a perforated plate at one side thereof, the perforations in said plate forming a conditioned air outlet from said chamber, a back plate spaced from and aligned with said perforated plate, front and rear exible diaphragms secured at their edges between said plates and extending between said plates in alignment therewith, said back plate having an orice therein for admitting conditioned air under pressure from said chamber to force said diaphragms forwardly for moving said front diaphragm against said perforated plate to cover perforations therein, and having a second orice for permitting the escape of said air, means for admitting air from said chamber between said diaphragms, and means for permitting the escape of air from between said diaphragms.

2. An air distributing unit as claimed in claim 1 in which means including thermostatic means is provided for variably restricting the ow of air through said second orifice, and in which means including air volume control means is provided for variably restricting the said means for permitting the escape of air from between said diaphragms.

3. An air distributing unit comprising a warm air supply chamber having a warm air supply duct connected thereto, a cool air supply chamber having a cool air supply duct connected thereto, said chambers having perforated plates at sides thereof, the perforations in said plates serving as air outlets from said chambers, back plates aligned with and spaced from said perforated plates, a pair of flexible diaphragms secured at their edges to each back plate and extending between and aligned with respective perforated and back plates, said back plates having first orifices therein for admitting air from their respective chambers in between the back plates and the adjacent diaphragms, and having second orices therein for permitting the escape of the last mentioned air from between the back plates and the adjacent diaphragms, means for admitting air from said chambers in between the diaphragms of said pairs, means including thermostatic means for reducing the volume of air escaping from one of said second orices and for simultaneously increasing the volume of air escaping from the other of said second orifices, means for permitting the escape of air from between the diaphragms of said pairs, and means including air volume control means for adjusting the last mentioned means for simultaneously reducing the volume of air escaping from between the diaphragms of said pairs.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,996,330 Goshaw Apr. 2, 1935 2,282,755 Bondurant et al May l2, 1942 2,584,420 Branson Feb. 5, 1952