US3353473A

US3353473A - Linear air diffusers

Info

Publication number: US3353473A
Application number: US560313A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas M Oneson; Thomas W Journell; Jr Clifford D Smith
Original assignee: Owens Corning Fiberglas Corp
Current assignee: Owens Corning
Priority date: 1966-06-24
Filing date: 1966-06-24
Publication date: 1967-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-21

Description

Nov. 2.1,' 1967 T. M. ONESON ETAL 3,353,473

LINEAR AIR DIFFUSERS Fil'ed June 24, 1966 2 sheets-sheet 1 ff la ATTORNEYS LINEAR AIR DIFFUSERS Filed June 24, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r INV NTOR/S 7?/0/1445 M @M50/14 //ams darm/5u, i

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,353,473 LINEAR AIR DIFFUSERS Thomas M. Oneson, Newark, Thomas W. Journell, Granville, and Clifford D. Smith, Jr., Newark, hio, assignors to Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 24, 1966, Ser. No. 560,313 9 Claims. (Cl. 9S-40) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A longitudinal channeled air diffuser with channel walls for delivery of air from a duct, wherein said diffuser has a plurality of vanes affixed to the inner walls thereof which cause the air to be converted from its direction of flow through the duct by static regain pressure and diffused, in a substantially uniform manner along the length of the exit slot in the diffuser, said diffuser further -has an air diverter in the exit slot thereof for diverting the air emitted toward the side of the air diffuser.

This invention relates to the distribution of air from a duct into an adjoining room. Specifically, it pertains to the distribution of air from the duct along the length thereof with a means and in a manner best suited for such linear distribution from the duct.

With the greater use of dropped ceilings in buildings and other commercial applications, it has been necessary to develop air distribution systems which will readily accommodate such ceilings. In the past many air distribution systems have relied upon a main duct which feeds into a number of smaller ducts which in turn distribute the air into a multiplicity of vents or distributors either spaced along the ceiling or in the walls of a room. The inflexibility of such systems has led those skilled in the art to invent and develop systems which employ the duct, preferably the main duct, as a direct source of air connected to the distributor or vent leading into the room. This has been accomplished by inserting into the bottom of the duct a linear diffuser along the length thereof. The diffuser is of sufficient structural integrity to be used as a grid system for the general support of the ceiling tile or boards within the dropped ceiling. This is accomplished by suspension members which are directly afiixed to the diffuser and are in turn attached to the structural ceiling above the dropped ceiling.

The diffusers of the foregoing type have generally provided the structural integrity necessary for such use, however, they have lacked the simplicity of design, the lack of expense for universal use, the ability to uniformly distribute the air, and the characteristics necessary to accurately control the distribution of air into particular areas depending upon the needs thereat. The inventors in their quest for an air diffuser which would overcome the foregoing deficiencies have invented the diffuser as described herein.

Linear air diffusers to date, have generally been extruded pairs of sidewalls which are interconnected lby cross-over clips to form a channel. These have been expensive as well as inoperative in some cases wherein the clip has not functioned to provide the maintenance of the walls in a parallel relationship.

A major drawback of the diffusers of the prior art has been that they tend to throw air downwardly along the length thereof. Diffusers are usually installed in a room of sizable proportions, and as it can be appreciated if the flow of the air from the diffuser is directed to one specific location the other parts of the room will suffer from lack of fresh air. Also the part of the room to which the air is thrown will be extremely drafty and uncomfortable to the occupants therein. Therefore,

ice

the optimum air distribution is along the entire length of the diffuser in a uniform manner so that all portions of the room receive a proportionate amount of air, in accordance with their needs. The inventors have discovered that through a properly designed diffuser, they may employ the concept of static regain to distribute air uniformly along the length of the diffuser.

To employ the foregoing concept, the construction of the diffuser must remove any air velocity vectors in the direction of the air moving through the duct, and convert them into potential energy within the duct. The potential energy is then employed as a pressure head for expansion from the passages within the diffuser into the room adjacent the diffuser. The invention herein employing the foregoing concept is also cheap, efficient, easily made, and provides great flexibility within a linear air distribution system.

In the past, air control means within the diffuser have been of various sizes and configurations which did not lend themselves to providing a smooth passage and flow to the air being expelled from the diffuser. The inventors have provided a control damper which allows a smooth uniform flow along the length thereof, and is furthermore easily adjusted for the exact distribution requirements of the room.

The inventors have furthermore invented a unique diverting member for insertion within the diffuser which allows a full volume of air to be diverted from the diffuser into an adjoining room in a specific lateral direction.

vSpecifically they have determined that an L-shaped diverter which is inserted into a diffuser can be used to expel air laterally in an amount equal to that which would normally flow through a diffuser without such diversion. Thus, a standard air diffuser can be used to direct air laterally in any preferred direction by the mere insertion of a different diverter, and still permit full vfiow of the air through the diffuser. In the past the only way to accomplish the diversion of the air from the diffuser laterally was to close off the portion of the channel in the diffuser which would normally direct air to the side where it wasnt desired, and allow the air to flow only out of the diffuser laterally in that direction which was not closed off.

From the foregoing brief description it can be seen that an object of this invention is to provide a linear air diffuser which will diffuse air evenly along the entire length thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a linear air diffuser which is of a unitized construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide a diffuser which will adequately support the dropped ceiling in which it is placed.

Another object of this invention is to furnish an air diffuser with control dampers which are simply constructed and readily adjusted.

A further object of this invention is to furnish a diffuser which can be used in an air distribution system for facile control and balance of the air fiow throughout the entire system.

A further object of this invention is to furnish a diffuser with a diverting means which will deflect the entire flow laterally to either side desired and generally not impede the normal flow through the diffuser.

A further object of this invention is to furnish a diffuser which can be used around the periphery of a room interchangeably with that used in the middle of the room by means of simply changing the diverter within the diffuser.

The foregoing objects and the brief description of the invention will become more readily understood upon reading the following detailed description in connection with the drawings attached hereto, wherein FIGURE 1 shows a phantom elevation view of the diffuser with a hanging clip attached thereto.

FIGURE 2 shows a cross section of a diffuser with a duct attached thereto and an acoustical board supported thereon.

FIGURE 3 shows a clip for insertion within the diffuser for the support of the diverting member within the throat of the diffuser.

FIGURE 4 is a representation of the cross section of the diffuser with an L-shaped diverter substituted for the T-shaped diverter of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 shows a room with a portion of a suspended ceiling, with the diffuser used as a support grid, and having the air supply duct feed directly thereinto.

FIGURE 6 is a broken away perspective drawing showing the location of the integral vanes within the web of the unitized diffuser.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view of a damper section shown in perspective.

FIGURE 8 is a cross sectional view of a diffuser employing the vanes of the invention herein but not relying upon the unitized construction.

FIGURE 9 is a showing of an L-shaped diverter inserted in a diffuser for lateral movement of the air flowing through the diffuser in the direction of the transverse portion of the L.

Looking more closely at the drawings, it is seen that a major portion of the diffuser 10` is made from a single sheet of metal. The structural walls of the diffuser 12 are rolled out of a continuous piece of metal which begins in the form of a ange 14 which has been doubled over to provide rigidity for the diffuser 10. TheI flange 14 is used to support acoustical material 16 which may be in the form of boards or tile, thereby eliminating any necessity for separate support means for the tile. The walls 12 of the diffuser are bent inwardly at 18 to provide inwardly facing shoulders which can be used as junction and contact ledges for two of the members to be described hereinafter. The walls 12 continue past the shoulder and are turned over at 90 and formed into triangularly shaped shoulders generally shown at 20. The triangularly shaped shoulders are used for the attachment of the duct 24 by means of the clip generally shown at 22.

The continuous metal web between the triangularly shaped shoulders is punched out in the form of vanes 26. This section of the diffuser with the vanes 26 therein is shown more clearly in the perspective broken away view of FIGURE 6 which shows the vanes 26 punched from the metal web, thus forming a continuous web with doWnwardly opening air passages.

It can thus be seen that the main body 10 of the entire diffuser is constructed from a unitary piece of metal which not only provides flanges for the support of ceiling material, but also helps to support the entire grid system and provide downward openings or vanes with passages therebetween for the purpose of distributing air in a uniform manner.

The diffuser is generally hung from a structural ceiling by means of a support clip 28 which is interposed within the triangular shoulders 20. As shown in FIGURE 5 the entire dropped ceiling can -be supported from a structural ceiling by hanging means, so that a grid is formed for not only the supply of air into the room below, but also for the support of the dropped ceiling.

The diffuser 10 has inserted between the walls 12 a lattice work of vanes 31 which are tandemly associated with the vanes 26. The lattice work of vanes 31 when inserted into the wall and supported thereby tend to add to the length of the passage created by the vanes 26. The reason for extending the passage 30 between the vanes 26 by tandemly associated vanes 31 is to provide a passage between them which is longer than the distance across the top set of vanes 26 or the passage'30 created therebetween.

The inventors have found that air traveling through the duct 24 will tend to be thrown linearly along the length thereof to one particular portion of the room, namely that portion which is substantially toward the end of the run along the length of the diffuser. This is because the air has a tendency to maintain its velocity vector and not turn directly at the point of entrance into the duct. For example in FIGURE 5, the air traveling through the duct 24 would have a tendency to be distributed from the point 34 of the duct rather than the point 32. So in effect the vertical distribution of the air would be such that the area near the door 32 would receive little or no air introduced into the duct while that under the point 34 would receive a substantial amount of the air traveling through the duct 24.

In order to forego the distribution pattern as previously stated the inventors have arrived at a design for a linear diffuser which will permit even distribution along the length of the diffuser from the beginning of the run to the end of the run. This is accomplished by employing the concept of static regain with respect to the air which is traveling through the duct 24. T o utilize this concept the inventors have found that it is necessary to employ a downward passage 30 from the duct 24 through the diffuser 1t) equal to or greater than the opening of the passage 30 between the vanes 26. Thus the inventors have found that a one to one ratio or less between the opening of the passage 30 from the duct with respect to length of the passage through the vanes is necessary to employ the theory of static regain.

Static regain simply stated is the conversion of all the velocity vectors in the direction of travel through the duct into potential energy or pressure head above the openings of the passages 30 created between the

vanes

26 and 31. In this manner all the air can do, after being converted from the kinetic energy that it had with respect to the travel through the duct into potential energy, is to travel downwardly in a general direction of the passages 30 created between the

vanes

26 and 31.

It can thus be seen that air introduced into the duct 24, will be uniformly emitted downwardly therefrom regardless of the fact that the air might be introduced into the duct 24 at a high velocity along the length thereof. This is because there are no velocity components, in the direction of the air travel through the duct, which remain after passage through the

vanes

26 and 31 which convert the kinetic energy of the air through the duct into static energy which is reconverted by static regain after emission from the passageways created between the vanes.

A closer examination of FIGURE 2 will show a pair of splines 38, which are affixed to the inside of the walls 12 providing a converging and diverging passage with the attendant fluid mechanical characteristics thereof. The splines 38 are usually of a resilient material so that upon insertion they are held in place by their resiliency forcing the upper end of the spline against the inside of the juncture shoulder 18. The bottom portion of the spline 40 is inserted into the crimped and folded over portion of the flanges 14 which support the acoustical boards or tiles 16. For purposes of describing this specific embodiment the splines 38 have a groove 42 running along their length. The grooves 42 are placed within the splines 38 so that when the splines 38 are inserted within the diffuser 10 as shown in FIGURE 2, they will be disposed in such a manner as to have the grooves 42 generally within the same plane across from each other within the throat of the diffuser.

FIGURE 3 shows an enlargement of a clip 44 which is inserted into the grooves 42 of the splines 38. The clip 44 is used for supporting the diverting member 48 which is generally shown as an inverted T. The clip 44 has the general configuration of an inverted U with anges 46 at each terminal point of the inverted U. The flanges 46 are for tight fitting insertion Within the grooves 42 of the splines 38. The flanges 46 are usually diagonally cut in such a manner as to be easily twisted within the plane of the grooves for insertion therein. The clip 44 has tabs S for tightly gripping the enlarged part 52 of the upright portion of the inverted T 48. The enlarged part of the upright portion of the inverted T 52 is thereby snugly held in place by the tabs 50 frictionally engaging the enlarged portion 52. The inverted T diverting member 48 can be made from a single piece of metal which is bent in the general configuration as shown, with an end cap 54 placed thereover. End caps 56 may also be placed over the supporting fianges 14 on which the acoustical material is supported. The end caps 56 and 54 are generally used only for purposes of decoration, but may be used to maintain the transverse halves of the inverted T shaped diverter together and from spreading, by the resiliency of the metal from which they are formed. The inverted T diverter member 48 has a damper 58 with an arcuate side 60 disposed thereon and thereagainst, but if no control means are required the diverter member 48 may be used alone. However, it is preferred to use the dampers 58 in connection with the diverter member 48 so that a balance or control may be obtained Within the entire system in which the diffuser is installed.

For accurate control of -air moving through the throat of the diffuser the dampers 58 may be moved inwardly or outwardly across the opening created between the inverted T diverter 43 and the splines 38 which act as converging and diverging walls for the control of air passing therethrough. The dampers 58 have -arcuate resilient portions 60 which are formed integrally with the entire damper if desired. The damper 58 is engaged at its terminal point 62 by being abutted against the juncture region between the enlarged portion of the inverted T shaped diverter 52 and the diverter clip 44. The arcuate resilient portion of the damper 60 rests on the inner portion of the inverted T diverting member 48. It is positioned by the frictional engagement imparted to the damper through the resilient pressure of the arcuate side 60 of the damper at one end and on the other end by abutment of the terminal portion of the damper 62 at the juncture point between the clip 44 and the enlarged portion of the inverted T shaped diverter 4S.

As shown in FIGURE 7 the damper may be made from one piece of metal, and bent with a dog leg 64 in order to provide greater resilience and holding properties to the damper when it is in place. The damper in FIG- URE 7 is also provided with detents 66 which may be used for adjustable engagement with protrusions emanating from the inside portion of the inverted T shaped diverter 68. The detents 66 when engaged with the protrusions 68 of the inverted T shaped diverter 48 tend to provide a locking engagement of the detents in the protrusions 68 so that the damper 58 will be precluded from any subsequent movement upon nal adjustment.

With the foregoing damper arrangement, the diffuser may be readily adjusted within the entire system and balanced with respect to the overall air balance and pressure provided thereby. It can be appreciated that in a large commercial application the duct might run between and through a multiple number of spaces. This being the case it is desirable to account for losses in air pressure imbalances, and needs of the specific spaces by mean of .an adjustment at each specific location to put the whole system in balance. The dampers as disclosed herein render a smooth surface over which the air may flow out of the diffuser so that there are no turbulent perturbations introduced into the system once the system is balanced. Furthermore, the dampers of this invention permit easy adjustment of the system in a facile manner without a multitude of special tools and devices. When the dampers are out of adjustment there is not a proper distribution of air throughout the area to be conditioned within the system. A third point to be made is that once adjusted, the dampers remain in place, whereas many dampers of the prior art have had a tendency to swing back and forth on their pivot points. Although the damper performs a uniquely improved function, it is easily made, from a single strip of metal, and resiliently mounted without any complicated assemblage means or steps.

Many times it is necessary to put a duct around the periphery of a room, or in the case of small spaces, which the duct is to supply, the diffuser is run along the juncture edge region of the ceiling and the sidewall, so that large boards may be supported therebetween. When a room is constructed so as to have the diifusers and ducts running along the side there is not a sufficient lateral supply of air delivered by the prior art diifusers, because the lateral delivery is performed by closing off one side of the diffuser, thereby limiting the balance of flow.

In order to overcome the foregoing deficiency of diffusers placed along the edge region of spaces in which air is to be delivered, the inventors have invented the following diverting member for insertion within any diffuser. As shown in FIGURE 9 the inventors have disposed an L shaped diverter 74 within the diffuser 10 of the current invention. The L shaped diverter 74 is comprised of an enlarged portion, in this specific embodiment, of the upright member 70, and a transverse portion 72 disposed within the throat of the diffuser 10. The transverse portion 72 should be disposed within such an area of the throat as to allow deection of the air stream travelling down that side of the L shaped diverting member 74.

The transverse portion of the L shaped diverter 72 should be in such an area within the throat of the diffuser that it will not create too much of a backup pressure, and yet at the same time be in such a position that it can effectively deflect any air coming through the diffuser on the side of the transverse portion 72 of the L shaped diverter 74. As shown in FIGURE 9 the air stream (A) travelling down the side of the diverter that the transverse portion 72 is on, is angularly deflected by the transverse portion 72 in the general direction of the arrow A. The deflection of the air stream A causes the air located under the transverse section 72 to be generally aspirated in the direction of the arrow C. The air as represented by stream C is drawn by aspiration from under the transverse portion 72 of the L shaped diverter 74 into the air stream A and creates a corresponding negative pressure thereunder. Thus, when the air stream as represented by B on the other side of the diverting member or upright portion 70 of the L shaped diffuser passes along side of the negative pressure created under the transverse portion 72 it is drawn in to the negative pressure and generally in a lateral direction toward the side on which the transverse portion 72 of the L shaped diverter 74 is located.

As can readily be seen from the foregoing description of the L shaped diverter 74, air can be moved laterally in large quantities through a standard diffuser by insertion of the L shaped diverter 74 of this invention. imbalances in the system through high pressures or velocities being maintained to provide air emanating from a narrow slot of the diffusers formerly used for lateral delivery is hereby obviated.

FIGURE 4 shows a modification of the above L shaped diffuser by employing a damper of the design as disclosed herein. The damper enables control of the amount of air coming out of the side on which it is located, which in turn controls the aspiration of the air from under the transverse portion of the L shaped diverter 74 with an attendant increase or decrease respectively of the negative pressure thereunder. Thus, the air stream moving down the upright portion of the L shaped diverter can be drastically directed in the lateral direction of the transverse portion 72 of the L shaped diverter 74, or it can be delivered closer to a vertical path of delivery depending upon how much air is allowed to escape on the side of the transverse portion 72 of the L shaped diverter 74. The criteria for the amount of air emanating from the diffuser are based upon the size of the room, the balance to be maintained within the system, the

balance of air required, and the size of the unit supplying the air therein.

The inventors have shown a further modification in FIGURE 8, in which are shown a pair of extrusions 78 which form the sidewalls of the foregoing invention. Such extrusions 78 can be used in lieu of the foregoing unitized construction. The extrusion 78 has supporting flanges S for purposes of supporting acoustical boards or tiles thereon and also inwardly sloping shoulders 82 for aixing a duct thereto. The vanes can be metal members 84 which would serve to hold the extruded walls together as well as provide vanes for purposes of ernploying the aforementioned static regain theory for even distribution of air along the length of the air bar. Each vane S4 can be cut so as to allow insertion of a diverter 86 as shown in the phantom embodiment thereof in FIGURE 8. The vanes can have a pair of linear plates 88 placed therein to provide dimensional stability for the structure and prevent linear movement of each wall 78 with respect to the other wall.

Although the foregoing specific embodiments of the invention are indicative of the best mode contemplated by the inventors for the application of this invention, it is to be understood that this invention is to be read in light of the following claims, in which we hereby claim:

1. An elongated air diffuser, for connection to a longitudinal slot within an air conduit to provide even distribution of air from the conduit along the length of the slot comprising:

an elongated channel with sidewalls defining a longitudinal exit opening extending between the walls along the length thereof for the emission and even distribution of air into an adjoining room, the channel having a Webwork connecting the walls to each other with a plurality of openings within the Webwork for the passage of air from an air conduit therethrough;

a plurality of vanes, each depending within the space provided between the sidewalls along a portion of the edge of each opening within the Webwork and disposed at an angle to the flow of air through the air conduit so that an air passage is formed, between each vane connected to the edge portion of each opening and that connected to the edge portion of an adjacent opening;

a latticework of vanes connected to the channel with each vane of the latticework closely associated with the depending vanes to form a passage, the shortest distance therethrough being no less than the distance measured arcoss the opening within the web in the direction of air flow through the conduit, so that air flowing from the conduit into the openings between the web will have the component of velocity in the direction of the air ow through the conduit substantially removed and will generally flow evenly from all the passages created between the tandemly associated vanes in a direction substantially equivalent to the direction of the passage created between the vanes.

2. An elongated air diffuser for connection to a longitudinal slot within an air conduit for the even distribution of air from the conduit along the length of the slot as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a pair of support splines, with inwardly facing grooves therein, attached to the inside of the walls;

an inverted U-shaped clip having outwardly extending flanges at the terminal points of the U, the distance between the ends of the outwardly extending anges being equal to or greater than the distance between the greatest depths of the grooves in the splines so that `when the flanges are each respectively disposed in the grooves the inverted U-shaped clip will be maintained with the concave portion thereof facing the exit opening of the walled channel;

an inverted T-shaped member having an upright portion with an end of suflcient width to frictionally be engaged by the concavity of the inverted U-shaped clip, and of sufficient length to place the transverse portion of the inverted T in a position at the exit opening to create a bifurcatcd channel for the passage of air therethrough,

3. An elongated air diffuser for connection to a longitudinal slot within an air conduit to provide even distribution of air from the conduit along the length of the slot as described in claim 2 further comprising:

a pair of elongated dampcrs with a longitudinal resilient arcuate strip in cross section atlxed to each damper with the convex side resting against the inner transverse portion of the T-shaped member, the resilience of the arcuate strip spring biasing the terminal edge of the elongated damper not attached thereto against the juncture region of the enlarged upper portion of the upright of the inverted T member and the U- shaped clip, so that the resilience of the arcuate strip will frictionally engage the convex side against the inside of the transverse portion of the inverted T- shaped member for controlled positioning of the damper.

4. An elongated air diffuser for connection to a longitudinal slot within an air conduit to provide even distribution of air from the conduit along the length of the opening as described in claim 3 further comprising:

at least one protrusion from the unexposed transverse portion of the inverted T-shaped member on each side of the upright portion of the T-shaped member;

a plurality of detents within each arcuate strip for engagement with the respective protrusions on the unexposed transverse portion of the T-shaped member, so that the dampers affixed thereto may be adjusted within the space between each side of the upright portion of the T-shaped member for damping and controlling the air flowing from the spaces created between the transverse portion of the T-shaped member and the walls respectively.

5. An elongated air diffuser for connection to a longitudinal slot within an air conduit for the even distribution of air from the conduit along the length of the slot as described in claim 2 wherein; the inverted T-shaped member is substituted by an L-shaped member having an enlarged upright portion for tight fitting engagement with the inverted U-shaped clip, the transverse portion thereof extending beyond the sidewall at the narrowest point between the side walls so as to form a deflecting passage in the direction of the transverse side of the L-shaped member between the side wall and the transverse portion on one side, and a second passage in the direction of the upright portion between the upright portion and the sidewall on the opposite side thereat so that the bifurcated fiow of air formed thereby is disposed in a downward manner toward the transverse portion of the L-shaped member.

6. In a walled elongated air diffuser wherein the air is introduced into an entrance opening along the length thereofanddihused through a longitudinal exit opening therein, into an adjoining room the improvement which comprises:

an elongated inverted T-shaped member with the transverse portion thereof generally disposed within the exit opening so as to form a bifurcated channel for the emission of air from the exit opening;

means for connecting the inverted T-shaped member to the walls of the air diffuser;

an elongated acute angle member with the inside of the acute angle thereof facing the upright of the T- shaped member and having one resilient side of the `acute angle member generally arcuate in cross section with the convex portion thereof flexed and resting on the inner side of the transverse portion of the inverted T-shaped member, and the terminal portion of the second side of the angle member abutting the general region at the means for connecting the inverted T-shaped member to the air diffuser walls, and held thereagainst by the resiliency of the arcuate side of the angle member so that the acute angle member may be adjusted along the line of arc created by the arcuate side and resiliently maintained thereby to permit adjustable damping of air flowing through the bifurcated channel, by the second side.

7. A walled elongated air diffuser as described in claim 6 further comprising:

at least one protrusion projecting from the inner side of the transverse portion of the T-shaped member on each side of the upright portion;

a plurality of detents across the convex face of the acute angle member adjacent the transverse portion of the T-shaped member for adjustable engagement with the protrusion projecting from the inner side of the transverse portion of the inverted T-shaped member and the second side of the acute angle member being of a cross sectional length at least equal to the distance necessary to provide a complete closure between the terminal side thereof and the apex of the angle formed between the arcuate side and the second side when the arcuate side is extended within its line of arc.

8. In a walled elongated air diffuser having a throat between the entrance and exit opening of the diffuser and ya diverting member placed within the exit opening for the purpose of diverting the air passing through the diffuser from the direction of air how through the diffuser, and maintained therein by a clip spanning the inside of the walls, the improvement which comprises:

an elongated generally L-shaped diverting member with the upright portion disposed generally Within the direction of air flow through the diffuser and the transverse portion disposed at generally a right angle to the direction of 'air flow through the diiuser with the terminal region of the transverse portion extending beyond the narrowest portion of the throat, so that air owing through the diffuser will impinge against the transverse portion and be deflected in a direction away from the transverse portion thus aspirating part of the atmosphere from under the transverse portion whereby a negative pressure is created thereunder which will draw the air flowing on the other side of the upright portion of the L- shaped member in the direction of the transverse portion of the L-shaped diverting member.

9. An elongated air diffuser as described in claim 8 further comprising:

an elongated acute angle member With the inside of the acute angle facing the upright portion of the generally L-shaped diverting member and having a resilient convex arcuate side in spring biased contact with the transverse portion of the generally L-shaped member so that the longitudinal terminal edge of the second side of the acute angle member abuts against the region where the diverting member is maintained by the clip spanning the inside of the walls of the diuser whereby the elongated acute angle member can be moved Within the arc of the arcuate side for adjustably maintaining the second side of the acute angle member so as to control the air passing through the passage created between the transverse portion of the generally L-shaped diverter and the corresponding side wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,564,334 8/1951 Kennedy 98-40 2,568,044 9/1951 Wallen 98-40 3,060,833 10/1962 Pledger 98-41 3,227,063 1/ 1966 Lambert 98 40 3,254,587 6/1966 Sweeney 98-40 3,276,347 10/ 1966 Atkinson et al. 98-40 3,292,522 12/ 1966 Shur 98-40 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ELONGATED AIR DIFFUSER, FOR CONNECTION TO A LONGITUDINAL SLOT WITHIN AN AIR CONDUIT TO PROVIDE EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF AIR FROM THE CONDUIT ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE SLOT COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED CHANNEL WITH SIDEWALLS DEFINING A LONGITUDINAL EXIT OPENING EXTENDING BETWEEN THE WALLS ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF FOR THE EMISSION AND EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF AIR INTO AN ADJOINING ROOM, THE CHANNEL HAVING A WEBWORK CONNECTING THE WALLS TO EACH OTHER WITH A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS WITHIN THE WEBWORK FOR THE PASSAGE OF AIR FROM AN AIR CONDUIT THERETHROUGH; A PLURALITY OF VANES, EACH DEPENDING WITHIN THE SPACE PROVIDED BETWEEN THE SIDEWALLS ALONG A PORTION OF THE EDGE OF EACH OPENING WITHIN THE WEBWORK AND DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH THE AIR CONDUIT SO THAT AN AIR PASSAGE IS FORMED, BETWEEN EACH VANE CONNECTED TO THE EDGE PORTION OF EACH OPENING AND THAT CONNECTED TO THE EDGE PORTION OF AN ADJACENT OPENING; A LATTICEWORK OF VANES CONNECTED TO THE CHANNEL WITH EACH VANE OF THE LATTICEWORK CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEPENDING VANES TO FORM A PASSAGE, THE SHORTEST DISTANCES THERETHROUGH BEING NO LESS THAN THE DISTANCES MEASURED ACROSS THE OPENING WITHIN THE WEB IN THE DIRECTION OF AIR FLOW THROUGH THE CONDUIT, SO THAT AIR FLOWING FROM THE CONDUIT INTO THE OPENINGS BETWEEN THE WEB WILL HAVE THE COMPONENT OF VELOCITY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AIR FLOW THROUGH THE CONDUIT SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED AND WILL GENERALLY FLOW EVENLY FROM ALL THE PASSAGES CREATED BETWEEN THE TANDEMLY ASSOCIATED VANES IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO THE DIRECTION OF THE PASSAGE CREATED BETWEEN THE VANES.