INTAKE AIR MEANS

Abstract: The invention concerns an intake air means (1), comprising an intake air chamber (2), a shell component (3) which is provided, in part at least, with holes (4) and which is connected to the intake air chamber, and an intake air connector (5) for introducing air in the intake air chamber. Air is distributed through the holes in said shell component into an indoor space (12). As taught by the invention, the shell component (3) is formed of comparatively light, and sound-deadening, material sheet, and the diameters of the holes (4) in the material sheet have a size not more than twice the thickness of the material sheet.

Description: INTAKE AIR MEANS The present invention concerns an intake air means, as defined in the preamble to Claim 1. In prior art are known, e.g. through the Fin¬ nish publicizing prints No. 70319 and No. 71418, intake air means comprising a chamber with vertical columnar configuration and of which the cylindrical outer shell is perforated. The air is introduced in the intake air means through an entry port on the upper end of the chamber, and it is conducted further from the chamber into the air-conditioned space, through said outer shell. The problem with existing means is that in the intake air means that have been disclosed difficulties are encountered when the intake air should be directed outward from the outer shell uniformly and with low velocity. Such directing implies additional structures, such as a plurality of walls provided with holes, guid- ing members, and/or closing the holes in the outer sur¬ face in that direction where no air flow is wanted. In addition, attenuation mats are used in the intervals between walls, in order to reduce the noise level of the intake air means. The aim of the invention is, among other things, to eliminate the drawbacks cited above, and to achieve significant simplification of the structural design of the intake air means. This is achieved with the aid of those characteristic features of the inven- tion which are presented in the first claim. The intake air means of the invention compris¬ es an intake air chamber, a shell component provided at least in part with holes, and an intake connector for introducing air in the intake air chamber, the air being distributed through the perforation of the shell component, from the intake air chamber to an indoor space. As taught by the invention, the shell component is fashioned of comparatively light, and sound-damping material sheet; and the diameters of the holes in said material sheet are not more than twice the thickness of the material sheet. In an advantageous embodiment of the inven¬ tion, the material sheet is formed of cellular or foamed plastic material, advantageously of polystyrene, polyester, polyvinylchloride or equivalent. In an advantageous embodiment of the inven- tion, the material sheet is formed of cellular or foamed rubber. In an advantageous embodiment of the inven¬ tion, the material sheet is fixed to a frame-like body structure which is accommodated within the intake air chamber. The advantages of the intake air means of the invention include: simple construction of the shell component, at the same time serving to equalize the pressure and to direct the air flow very uniformly into the space that is being ventilated, as well as effi¬ ciently damping the noise associated with ventilation. It is furthermore an advantage that servicing and main¬ tenance of the intake air means is facilitated, owing to simple construction. In the following the invention is described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, where ¬ in:- Fig. 1 presents, schematically and viewed obliquely from above, an intake air means according to the inven- tion; Fig. 2 presents a horizontal section of the intake air means of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 presents an enlarged sectional view of part of the shell of the intake air means of Fig. 1. The intake air means depicted in Fig. 1 com¬ prises an intake air chamber 2, which is encircled by a cylindrical shell component 3. The shell component 3 is in this embodiment provided with holes 4 on all sides. The aggregate surface area of the holes 4, related to the surface area of the shell component 3, is advan¬ tageously within 10 to 25% but may be up to 50%. The intake air means 1 further comprises an intake connec¬ tor 5 and connects with an air duct 7 of the ventila¬ tion system through the intake port 6 associated with this connector. Air is introduced through the duct 7 of said system and through the intake connector 5, into the intake air chamber 2, from where air is further distributed through the holes 4 of the shell component into the indoor space. The shell component 3 of the intake air means 1 is shaped of comparatively light, self-supporting and sound-deadening material sheet. This material sheet is formed of foamed plastic or rubber material. It may be cellular or foamed plastic or rubber. Of the group of foamed or cellular plastics, polyethylene, polyester or polyvinylchloride are advan- tageously appropriate in this use. Sheet material of this kind is flexible, whereby it is comparatively con¬ venient to be shaped from a rectangular sheet blank to become the curved, and particularly cylindrical, com ¬ ponent of the intake air means of Fig. 1. The thickness of such sheet material is advantageously on the order of 10 mm at least, in which case the shell component 3 does not necessarily require any coherent supporting structure: it retains the shape in which it has been set, by its own inherent rigidity. The diameters d of the holes 4 in the sheet of the shell component 3 are at a maximum twice the thickness s of the sheet. The holes 4 are then elon ¬ gated and serve efficiently to direct the air flow fed into the intake air chamber through its upper part, outward at right angles from the shell component 3. The output flow from the intake air means 1 is therefore uniform and coherent in all directions. The higher the ratio s/d is made the more efficiently will a uniform and coherent air distribut¬ ing action be implemented. Most advantageously, this ratio is in the range from 1 to 2. It should be noted, however, that with small holes and at comparatively small hole areas the differential pressure between the intake air chamber 1 and the ventilated space 2 in¬ creases, whereby the air quantity per unit time sup¬ plied into said space will also be relatively minor. On the other hand, the expedient of increasing the diame¬ ter d of the holes 4 also increases the thickness s of the shell component. The shell component 3 of the intake air means 1, or the material sheet, is attached to a frame-like body structure 8 which is fitted into the intake air chamber 2. In the present instance the body structure 9 comprises two straight supports 8a,8b parallelling the shell component 3, a first flange part 8c, on which the intake connector 5 is disposed, and a second flange part 8d, with the aid of which the bottom part 8d of the intake air chamber 2 has been formed. The second flange part 8d is a solid disk. The material sheet con¬ stituting the shell component 3 is disposed around the frame-like body component 8 and secured to the end flanges 8c,8d. The joint 9 of the shell component 3. that is of the material sheet, is preferably disposed in conjunction with a longitudinal support 8a. At this joint 9, the shell component 3 is fixed to the body component 8, for instance by means of a fixing element 10 longitudinal to the means and to the support 8a , this fixing element being an elongated plate. This is preferably secured to the support 8a with the aid of screws. As will be evident from the foregoing, the shell component 3 of the intake air means 1 does not necessarily need any continuous, rigid supporting plate. The shell component is rigid enough in itself to retain its shape on the body component 8. It is however possible, when required, to provide on the outside sur¬ face of the intake air means, or adjacent thereto, a thin protective plate 11 (interrupted lines in Fig. 2) consisting e.g. of metal and covering the shell compo¬ nent totally or in part. This plate may be similarly perforated as the shell component 3. The purpose with this protective plate is to prevent damage to the intake air means through external agents, e.g people bumping against it, in case the intake air means has been mounted in the space to be ventilated and within the reach of humans in the room, such as close to floor level. The protective plate also aims to give the architect free hands in designing the scenery in the space that is being ventilated. The appearance and shape of said protective plate can be freely varied without causing any detriment to the function of the intake air means, particularly when the amount of per¬ foration is greater than that of the shell component. The invention is not exclusively delimited to concern the embodiment example presented in the fore ¬ going: numerous modifications are feasible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the Claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An intake air means (1), comprising an intake air chamber (2), a shell component (3) which is provided, in part at least, with holes (4) and which is connected to the intake air chamber, and an intake air connector (5) for introducing air in the intake air chamber, air being distributed through the holes in said shell component into an indoor space (12), charac- terized in that - the shell component (3) is formed of comparatively light, and sound-deadening material sheet; and - the diameters (d) of the holes (4) in the material sheet have a size not more than twice the thickness (s) of the material sheet. 2. Means according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio (d/s) of the diameters (d) of the holes (4) and the thickness (s) of the material sheet is in the range from 1 to 2. 3. Means according to claim 1 or 2, charac¬ terized in that the material sheet is formed of cellu¬ lar or foamed plastic material, advantageously of poly¬ ethylene, polyester, polyvinylchloride or equivalent. 4. Means according to claim 1 or 2, charac- terized in that the material sheet is formed of cellu¬ lar or foamed rubber. 5. Means according to any one of the preced¬ ing claims, characterized in that the material sheet is secured to a frame-like body structure (8) , which is disposed within the intake air chamber (2).

Inventors: KORHONEN KAARLO, KORHONEN, KAARLO
Applicants: JEVEN OY
Application year: 1991
Main classification: F24F13
IPC codes: F24F13