Wall mounted ventilating device

A room ventilating device has an elongated duct mountable on or in the wall. The duct extends from near the ceiling to a blower mounted adjacent the floor. The blower draws hot air from along the ceiling down the duct. The blower is so formed and constructed as to project the hot air well into the room in a laminar flow thereby to induce a highly effective temperature equalizing air circulation in the room with the consumption of small amounts of energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to ventilating devices for buildings. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Buildings are commonly heated by heating the air in the rooms and other 
occupied portions. As is well known, heating reduces the density of air. 
This causes the heated air to rise and stagnate along the ceiling of the 
room while cold air remains on the floor. Temperature differences of 
15.degree. F to 30.degree. F may exist between the floor and the ceiling. 
Such stratification occurs not only in radiant heating systems, such as 
those employing hot water, but also with hot air systems during the 
intervals in which the blower is off. Because of the stratification, 
additional heat must be supplied to the room to make the occupied area 
adjacent the floor comfortable. 
To overcome the thermally induced stratification and stagnation, it has 
been proposed to position a duct in the room extending from the ceiling to 
the floor. A fan coupled to the duct draws the hot air adjacent the 
ceiling down the duct and discharges it onto the floor, thereby reducing 
the temperature difference between the ceiling and floor and increasing 
the temperature of the occupied area adjacent the latter. See for example, 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,170,551 to Marty and U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,353 to Watkins 
which show devices of this type. 
While devices of this type shown in the aforesaid patents increase the 
comfort in the room, it is readily apparent that little consideration has 
been directed to their efficiencies. Given the present high cost of 
energy, such prior art devices would well consume more energy than might 
be saved through the more uniform heating of the room. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a 
ventilating device of the type described above having greatly improved 
efficiency so as to insure low energy consumption in its use. 
More specifically, and in contrast to such prior art devices as that shown 
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,353, the present invention employs an axial flow 
fan to impart desired velocities to the air at minimal energy consumption. 
The axial flow fan is employed in conjunction with an optimized discharge 
port structure arrayed along the axis of the fan which provides maximum 
"throw" to the discharged air, thereby to maximize the efficiency of the 
stratification reduction. Such optimization includes the use of an axial 
plenum between the fan and the discharge port for reducing air turbulence 
resulting from passage through the fan. The sides of the discharge port 
structure downstream of the plenum converge to enhance the velocity 
properties of the air. Louvers in the discharge port provide a highly 
efficient laminar flow to the discharged air. 
The air velocity and flow properties of the present invention extend the 
projection of the heated, ceiling air well into the room. This results in 
a rising column of air, spaced from the ventilating device which breaks 
through the layer of cold air adjacent the floor. The rising air stream 
starts the surrounding air in motion and a gentle air movement gradually 
spreads throughout the entire room. The result is the induction of a flow 
of air in the room which establishes and maintains a comfortable heat 
distribution with minimal power consumption. It has been found that the 
ventilating device of the present invention holds floor and ceiling 
temperatures within 5.degree. to 10.degree. F of each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Ventilating device 10 of the present invention comprises two major 
elements, duct 12 and blower 14. 
Duct 12 is fastened to wall 16 to extend from adjacent ceiling 18 to blower 
14 mounted near floor 20. To facilitate the handling of duct 12, and its 
packaging for sale, it is deemed preferable to form the duct in a 
plurality of sections. Three such sections, 22 are shown in the Figures. 
The front side of each of the sections which faces outwardly when duct 12 
is mounted on the wall may contain decorative grooves 24. The rear side 
which is against the wall contains recess 26. The sections are joined 
together by connectors 28, shown in detail in FIG. 4, which are interposed 
between abutting ends of the sections. 
Connector 28 includes a peripheral wall 30, sized to fit inside duct 
sections 22. Medial rib 32 extends around wall 30 to divide the wall 
generally into upper and lower parts which fit, respectively, into the 
duct beneath and the duct above connector 28. Transverse stiffening webs 
33 may be provided between walls 30. The rear portion of wall 30 contains 
slots 34 which define tabs 36. The rear portion of wall 30 also includes 
two groups of laterally spaces bosses 38 and 40, one of which groups is 
located on each of the upper and lower parts of wall 30. Bosses 38 and 
bosses 40 are shifted out of alignment in the direction normal to rib 30, 
as shown in FIG. 4. 
In use, connector 28 is slid into the upper end of the duct section 22 
which will be beneath connector 28 so that wall 30 is inside the duct 
section, except for tab 36 which lies outside the wall in groove 26. 
Bosses 38 extend through corresponding holes 42 in the rear wall of duct 
section 22. Connector 28 is then slid into the lower end of the adjoining 
section 22 so that wall 30 similarly lies inside duct 12 with tab 36 in 
groove 26. Bosses 40 are inserted in corresponding holes 42 in the rear 
wall of upper duct section 22 so as to retain the two sections together. 
The upper end of duct 11 assembled from duct sections 22 is provided with 
an air inlet 44. Air inlet 44 contains ribs 46, see FIG. 1, which stiffen 
the inlet, and contains hole 48 which facilitates fastening ventilating 
device 10 to the wall in the manner hereinafter described. 
Blower 14 is mounted on the lower end of duct 12. Blower 14 includes 
housing 50 closed by back plate 52, as shown in FIG. 3. The upper end of 
housing 50 contains collar 54 which is insertable in the lower end of duct 
12. A slotted portion 56 in the rear of collar 54 accommodates groove 26 
in the rear wall of duct section 22. Screen 58 prevents harmful objects 
from entering housing 50 and causing damage to the blower. 
Front wall 62 of blower housing 50 is angularly displaced with respect to 
the front side of duct 12 as shown in FIG. 3, by arcuate section 64. Front 
wall 62 joins slanted bottom wall 66 to form a discharge port 68 for 
blower housing 50. 
Motor 70 is mounted on back plate 52. An angled portion 72 may be provided 
in back plate 52 so as to position motor 70 in front of discharge port 68. 
Motor 70 may be any of the commonly available single phase types, such as 
a shaded pole motor. Motor 70 is energized by means of power cord 73. 
In accordance with the invention, fan 74 of the axial flow type is mounted 
on the output shaft of motor 70 to draw air down duct 12 and discharge it 
with increased velocity in a highly efficient manner. Fan 74 extends 
through the venturi 76 of venturi plate 78 which serves to increase the 
effectiveness of fan 74. Venturi plate 78 is mounted in housing 50 to form 
the rear wall of a plenum 80 located axially downstream of fan 74 to 
receive the discharge of fan 74 and to permit a reduction in its 
turbulence. Port 68 forms the front of plenum 80 so that the entire area 
of part 68 may receive the discharge from the plenum. As shown most 
clearly in FIG. 2 side walls 82 of blower housing 50 and plenum 80 taper 
in a direction which converges toward the front of blower 14, thereby to 
enhance the velocity properties of the air discharged from fan 74. At 
present, it is deemed preferable to taper side walls 82 by 6.degree.; that 
is, each side wall converges at an angle of 6.degree. to a plane normal to 
building wall 16. 
Louvers 84 extend across port 68 to control both the manner and direction 
in which the air in plenum 80 enters the room. Specifically, louvers 84 
insure that the discharge of air into the room is laminar in nature. They 
further direct the air slightly downwardly so that air of quantity and 
velocity required to reduce stratification can enter the room without a 
draft being felt by the occupants. At present, it is deemed preferable to 
orient louvers 84 at an angle of 45.degree., as shown in FIG. 3. If the 
louvers were more horizontal, a draft about the occupant's knees might 
result. If the louvers were more perpendicular, the discharge would be 
directed more forcibly against the floor, resulting in a turbulent air 
flow across the floor. The effectiveness of the air flow would also be 
lost due to the roughness of a carpet type floor covering on floor 26. 
Ventilating device 10 is assembled by joining duct section 22 together with 
connectors 28, as described above. Inlet 44 is placed at the top of duct 
12. Blower 14 is placed at the bottom of duct 12. Ventilating device 10 is 
then hung on wall 16. For this purpose, a hole 86 is provided in one of 
duct sections 22 which receives hanger 88 affixed to wall 16, as shown in 
FIG. 2. Screws inserted in hole 48 in inlet 44 and slot 90 at the bottom 
of blower housing 50 assist in retaining ventilating device 10 on wall 16. 
Bottom wall 66 of blower housing 50 may be provided with indentation 92 to 
provide a vertical surface for slot 90. At present it is deemed preferable 
to position ventilating device 10 so that inlet 44 is within eight inches 
of the ceiling and the bottom of blower 14 is just above the base board 94 
on wall 16. 
Motor 70 is energized. Hot air along ceiling 18 is drawn through inlet 44 
down duct 12 and discharged from outlet 68 adjacent floor 20, thereby 
reducing the temperature difference between the ceiling and floor. More 
specifically, by means of the optimized features of blower 14, ventilating 
device 10 projects the discharged hot air with sufficient velocity and to 
sufficient distance into the room to facilitate breaking up the stagnation 
while, at the same time, avoiding drafts along the floor. 
The power consumption of motor 68 is so low that the motor may continue to 
run throughout the heating season. 
FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the ventilating device of the 
present invention in which the device is built-in. It is possible simply 
to embed ventilating device 10 in the wall so that inlet 44 and discharge 
port 68 are exposed. It is also possible to use the chamber formed in the 
wall by the studs as a duct. As shown in FIG. 5, inlet 44a is inserted 
through the plaster of wall 16a between studs 100 to form duct 12a in the 
wall. Blower 14 may be identical to blower 14 shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 
having collar 54 opening into chamber 12a and housing 50 extending through 
wall 16a so that discharge port 68 opens into the room. Switch 102 
controls the operation of the motor in housing 50. 
Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being 
within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and 
distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.