Patent Publication Number: US-2005122659-A1

Title: Space charge dissipation type air terminal

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a space charge dissipation type air terminal, and more particularly to a space charge dissipation type air terminal installed at a rooftop of a building so as to preliminarily dissipate an electric charge of an earth in a space as a thundercloud approaches the building, thereby protecting the building from electric shock when a thunderbolt falls.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      In general, an air terminal is installed at an uppermost part of a building in order to safely induce impulse current of a thundercloud to the earth, thereby preventing the building, persons and animals from being damaged.  
       FIG. 1  shows a conventional air terminal.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , a conventional air terminal  10  includes a base  30  fixed to a building, a supporting section  16  coupled to the base  30 , and a suction ball  12  coupled to the supporting section  16 .  
      The base  30  is provided with a grounding member  34 , to which an air terminal line connected to a ground electrode (not shown) is coupled.  
      The suction ball  12  has a coupling hole  12   a , into which an end portion of the supporting section  16  is inserted.  
      The supporting section  16  includes a suction part  16   c  consisting of a supporting rod  16   a  and suction fins  16   b  provided around the supporting rod  16   a  The suction part  16   c  may easily absorb impulse current when thunderbolt falls into a side of the supporting section  16 . In detail, the suction part  16   c  is fabricated by twisting a plurality of supporting rods  16   a  after installing the suction fins  16  having a predetermined length lengthwise the supporting rods  16   a.    
      The conventional air terminal  10  having the above structure absorbs impulse current through the suction ball  12  and the suction fins  16   b  so as to induce the impulse current into the earth through the air terminal line connected to the grounding member  34  provided at an upper surface of the base  30 .  
      However, since a great amount of impulse current is generated when the thunderbolt falls, communication equipment, computers and electric appliances are broken or malfunctioned due to an inductive interference even if the conventional air terminal  10  safely guides impulsive current into the earth.  
      In order to solve the above problem, space charge dissipation type air terminals have been recently suggested. Such space charge dissipation type air terminals preliminarily dissipate an electric charge of an earth in a space as a thundercloud approaches the building such that voltage to ground is lowered, thereby protecting the building from electric shock when a thunderbolt falls.  
      Examples of such space charge dissipation type air terminals are shown in FIGS.  2  to  5 .  
       FIG. 2  shows a structure of a space charge dissipation type air terminal  100  disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 305180.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the space charge dissipation type air terminal  100  includes a base  110 , a discharge member  120 , an isolation member  150  and a discharge cap  160  coupled to the discharge member  120  by interposing the isolation member  150  therebetween. The isolation member  150  is made of an insulation material, such as plastic. The isolation member  150  is disposed between the discharge cap  160  and the discharge member  120 , which are made from conductive materials. In addition, an upper cap is coupled to an upper portion of the space charge dissipation type air terminal  100 .  
      When a thundercloud having a minus polarity approaches the space charge dissipation type air terminal  100 , the base  110 , the discharge member  120  and the upper cap  140  represent a plus polarity, and the discharge cap  160  represents a minus polarity. In addition, a great potential difference is created between the discharge member  120  and the discharge cap  160 , so a corona discharge is created in atmosphere. Thus, voltage to ground is lowered so that electric shock caused by the thunderbolt is maximally reduced. In addition, due to an electric dipole phenomenon caused by static induction, the above components have the opposite polarities.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the discharge member  120  is fabricated by twisting a plurality of supporting rods  126   a  after installing discharge fins  128   a  on the supporting rods  126   a . Thus, the discharge fins  128   a  are aligned in a spiral pattern. The discharge fins  128   a  facilitate the preliminary discharge.  
      When the supporting rods  126   a  are coupled to the upper cap  140  and a coupling protrusion  112 , additional components, such as a connecting member  124  and a fixing member  122 , are required.  
       FIG. 3  shows a structure of a space charge dissipation type air terminal disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 305185.  
      The space charge dissipation type air terminal shown in  FIG. 3  is similar to the space charge dissipation type air terminal shown in  FIG. 2 , except that a plurality of discharge members  134  including discharge fins  134   a  and supporting rods  125  are radially arranged.  
       FIG. 4  shows a structure of a space charge dissipation type air terminal disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 305193.  
      A structure and an operation principle of the space charge dissipation type air terminal shown in  FIG. 4  is similar to those of the space charge dissipation type air terminals shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , except for an alignment of supporting members  104  and a discharge member  120 .  
       FIG. 5  shows a structure of a space charge dissipation type air terminal disclosed in Korean Patent No. 2003-0026913.  
      As shown in  FIG. 5 , a protecting member  66  and an auxiliary discharge member  65 , which are made from conductive materials, are aligned between an isolation member  62  and a discharge cap  67 . In addition, a distance compensation member  70  is installed between a discharge member  40  and a potential attenuation device  60 . Therefore, when the thundercloud approaches the space charge dissipation type air terminal, a corona discharge is generated between the discharge cap  67  having a minus polarity and the distance compensation member  70  having a plus polarity. The remaining parts of the space charge dissipation type air terminal shown in  FIG. 5  are identical to corresponding parts of space charge dissipation type air terminal shown in  FIG. 2 . In order to facilitate the preliminary discharge, support rods  45  and discharge fins  43  are installed below the distance compensation member  43 .  
      However, such conventional space charge dissipation type air terminals have a disadvantage that a process for manufacturing the discharge member is very complicated. That is, since the discharge member is fabricated by twisting a plurality of rods after inserting a plurality of discharge fins having a predetermined length into the rods in such a manner that the discharge fins are aligned in a spiral pattern, a process for supporting the rods, a process for inserting the discharge fins into the rods and a process for twisting the rods are necessarily required.  
      In addition, the twisted support rod may be coupled to the potential attenuation device or the distance compensation member by using a fixing member and a connection member, so the number of parts and process steps are increased.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a space charge dissipation type air terminal having a simple structure and a superior preliminary discharge performance with simplifying a fabricating process thereof.  
      In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a space charge dissipation type air terminal comprising: a base fixed to a floor; 
          a fixing rod installed on the base, in which a preliminary discharge member, an auxiliary discharge member, an isolation member, and a coupling member are sequentially coupled to the fixing rod and the isolation member is disposed between the fixing rod and the auxiliary discharge member; and a fixing means for fixing the preliminary discharge member to the base or to the fixing rod, wherein the preliminary discharge member includes a discharge fin assembly longitudinally coupled to a coupling ring and having a plurality of discharge fins, and a discharge panel for supporting the discharge fin assembly, the discharge fin assembly is aligned around a ring member, and a gap is formed between the discharge fin assembly and the auxiliary discharge member.        

      According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least two sets of discharge assemblies are longitudinally aligned along the fixing rod, wherein each of the discharge assemblies includes the isolation member, the auxiliary discharge member, the ring member and the discharge fin assembly.  
      An interval member having a ring shape is interposed between the discharge assemblies.  
      The coupling member includes a cap member or a nut.  
      The isolation member includes a hollow pipe section, which extends downwards and through which the fixing rod extends.  
      The ring member and the auxiliary discharge member are sequentially aligned around the hollow pipe section from a lower portion of the hollow pipe section.  
      An extension member, through which the fixing rod extends, is integrally formed with a lower surface of the discharge panel and a fixing screw section is installed at a side of the extension member.  
      A supporting pipe, through which the fixing rod extends, is aligned between the preliminary discharge member and the base. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional air terminal;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a conventional space charge dissipation type air terminal;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing another conventional space charge dissipation type air terminal;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing another conventional space charge dissipation type air terminal;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing another conventional space charge dissipation type air terminal;  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a space charge dissipation type air terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a space charge dissipation type air terminal shown in  FIG. 6 ;  
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing a space charge dissipation type air terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing a space charge dissipation type air terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention.  
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show a space charge dissipation type air terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the space charge dissipation type air terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a base  1100  fixed to a floor and a fixing rod  1200  installed on the base  1100 . A preliminary discharge member  1600 , an auxiliary discharge member  1500 , an isolation member  1400 , and a coupling member  1300  are sequentially coupled to the fixing rod  1200 . In addition, a fixing member  1700  is provided to fix the preliminary discharge member  1600  to the base  1100 .  
      The coupling member  1300  is a part coupled to an uppermost portion of the fixing rod  1200  so as to prevent components coupled to the fixing rod  1200  from being separated from the fixing rod  1200 . The coupling member  1300  can be fabricated in the form of a cap or a nut.  
      The isolation member  1400  includes two disc-shaped insulators. A hollow pipe section  1410  is formed at a center of the isolation member  1400 . The fixing rod  1200  is accommodated in the hollow pipe section  1410 .  
      In addition a ring member  1800  and the auxiliary discharge member  1500  are sequentially aligned around the hollow pipe section  1410  from a lower portion of the hollow pipe section  1410 . At this time, the ring member  1800  is closely coupled to the hollow pipe section  1410  so that the auxiliary discharge member  1500  is prevented from being separated from the hollow pipe section  1410  due to a tare thereof. The ring member  1800  is made from an insulation material, such as plastic.  
      Two auxiliary discharge members  1500  are provided so as to create a dual layer effect. Thus, a discharge action is rapidly carried out. The discharge is more rapidly carried out if an insulation material layer A, such as epoxy rein, is coated on a surface of an upper auxiliary discharge member. In addition, each of the auxiliary discharge members  1500  is slightly inclined from a center thereof towards an outer peripheral portion thereof.  
      The preliminary discharge member  1600  includes a discharge fin assembly  1650  and a discharge panel  1640  for supporting the discharge fin assembly  1650 .  
      The discharge fin assembly  1650  includes a strip member provided with a plurality of discharge fins  1630  and longitudinally coupled to a coupling ring  1610 . In detail, the discharge fin assembly  1650  can be simply fabricated by pressing two thin strips with each other after inserting a plurality of discharge fins  1630  into two thin strips. The discharge fin assembly  1650  is preferably fixed to the discharge panel  1640  by welding a predetermined part thereof, which is opposite to a part having the discharge fins  1630 , to the discharge panel  1640 . However, it is also possible to align the discharge fin assembly  1650  to make contact with the discharge panel  1640 . In this case, there is necessary to prevent the discharge fin assembly  1650  and the discharge panel  1640  from moving with respect to each other.  
      The discharge fin assembly  1650  has a circular shape and is aligned around the ring member  1800 . It is preferred to closely align the discharge fin assembly  1650  around the ring member  1800 . The discharge panel  1640  is formed with a hole for allowing the discharge panel to be coupled with the fixing rod  1200 .  
      At this time, a longitudinal length of the discharge fins  1630  must be properly predetermined in such a manner that a gap is formed between the discharge fin assembly  1650  and the auxiliary discharge member  1500 .  
      A supporting pipe  1250 , through which the fixing rod  1200  extends, is disposed between the preliminary discharge member  1600  and a base  1100 . Thus, an additional part for fixing the preliminary discharge member  1600  to the fixing rod  1200  is not required.  
      In addition, although the isolation member  1400 , the auxiliary discharge member  1500 , the discharge fin assembly  1650 , and the discharge panel  1640  are illustrated as circular shapes when viewed in a plan view, it is also possible to modify the shapes of the above components. That is, peripheral portions of the above components can be formed as angular shapes.  
      The space charge dissipation type air terminal having the above structure can be fabricated in a simple manner, so an assembling process thereof can be simplified and productivity thereof can be improved.  
       FIG. 8  shows a space charge dissipation type air terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which at least two sets of discharge assemblies  1000  including an isolation member, an auxiliary discharge member  1500 , a ring member  1800  and a discharge fin assembly  1650  are longitudinally installed along a fixing rod  1200 .  
      In this case, an interval member  1201  made from a conductive material is installed between discharge assemblies  1000 .  
      In addition, a supporting pipe  1250 , through which the fixing rod  1200  extends, is positioned between a lowest discharge assembly  1000  and a base  1100 .  
      In addition,  FIG. 9  shows a space charge dissipation type air terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention having a fixing member  1700  different from fixing members described in first and second embodiments of the present invention.  
      As shown in  FIG. 9 , an extension member  1641 , through which the fixing rod  1200  passes, is integrally formed with a lower surface of a discharge panel  1640 . In addition, a fixing screw section  1642  is installed at a side of the extension member  1641 .  
      When a thundercloud having a minus polarity approaches a building equipped with the space charge dissipation type air terminal of the present invention, a plus charge is concentrated on the coupling member  1300 , the preliminary discharge member  1600 , the discharge fin assembly  1650  and the discharge panel  1640 , which are sequentially coupled with the fixing rod  1200 , and the auxiliary discharge member  1500 , which is insulated from the above components, is charged with a minus charge, so a preliminary discharge is generated in a space between the discharge fin assembly  1650  and the auxiliary discharge member  1500 , thereby significantly decreasing a ground potential value.  
      As described above, the space charge dissipation type air terminal according to the present invention has a simple structure and can be fabricated through a simple manufacturing process as compared with conventional space charge dissipation type air terminals, so a manufacturing cost thereof can be reduced and productivity thereof can be improved.  
      While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment and the drawings, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.