Patent Publication Number: US-6666761-B2

Title: Wall-mounted supply-air device

Description:
TECHNICAL AREA 
     The present invention relates to ventilation and to a supply-air device designed to be applied in a wall opening. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     EP-B1-0 694 151 shows a method and a device for introducing ventilation air into a ventilated space by supplying air from a supply-air device downwardly along a wall, the air thereafter following the wall down due to the Coanda effect, being deflected at the floor and then spreading along the floor, whereupon air in the ventilated space is removed in the ceiling zone. The supply-air device is applied on the wall with its air passage vertical and its supply-air outlet directed downwardly. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to provide an improved supply-air device on a wall, of the type permitting air to be supplied to a ventilated space at a distance above floor level and to subsequently flow downwardly along the wall due to the Coanda effect, being thereafter deflected and spread out over the floor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is fulfilled by the invention having acquired the features defined in the claims. A suitable placing for a supply-air device of the present type is achieved by arranging said device in a preferably rectangular wall opening placed about 30-160 cm, preferably 70-120 cm above the floor, either in an outer wall or a partition wall. Also arranging this supply-air device with guiding surfaces that give the air flow a relatively narrow angle from the wall down towards the floor utilizes the Coanda effect according to which the flow of air has a tendency to attach itself to and accelerate down along the wall towards the floor. Thanks to this acceleration the clean air supplied at floor level is spread extremely well. The air supplied gradually mixes with and displaces the “used” air from floor level and up through the room to an exhaust-air device near the ceiling so that the entire room is ventilated in an optimal manner. The configuration of the supply-air device comprises a recess so that the device can be inserted in the wall opening and displaced vertically over the wall part, after which the device is secured. The device is thus assembled after the wall part is in place, by sawing a rectangular opening in the wall and then fitting the device. The device may either be made in one piece or as two separate parts in the form of an upper and a lower part. To achieve optimal air flow down towards the floor the angle between the vertical plane and the control device of the supply-air device shall be within the interval 10°-45°, preferably 20°-25°. The control device extends in the wall section from one wall part to the inside of the other, opposite wall part in order to limit the space between the wall parts and obtain deflection of air entering from above and passing out through the opening. The inner, upper end of the lower part of the supply-air device is preferably provided with a flexible contact edge against the opposite wall part. If the upper and lower valve parts of the supply-air device are connected with end pieces, a suitable embodiment comprises allowing a supply-air duct to be connected to the inlet side of the supply-air device. The supply-air device is also provided with a damper to regulate the amount of fresh air supplied by adjusting the throttling in the device via an actuator. The wall opening may be a shape other than rectangular, e.g. circular or oval, depending on the aesthetic design of the supply-air device. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 shows a part of an inner wall provided with a supply-air device in accordance with the invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows in a section A—A a first embodiment of a supply-air device in accordance with the invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows in a section A—A a second embodiment of a supply-air device in accordance with the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a supply-air device in accordance with the invention, which supply-air device is fitted in a wall section  1  forming an inner partition wall. The wall section is constructed in conventional manner out of vertical studs  2 ,  3  onto which plasterboards are attached on both sides. The wall section is thus constructed, enclosing a number of air volumes V between plasterboards and studs. The air volumes are used for supplying fresh air to one or more rooms, one or more air volumes being connected to fresh air via ventilation ducts, the air being fed down vertically through the volume by means of a fan arrangement. A rectangular aperture  4  is provided in the plasterboard of one wall side, said aperture being defied by an upper edge  5 , a lower edge  6  and two side edges  7 ,  8 . The supply-air device comprises an upper valve part  9  connected to the upper edge  5  of the aperture  4 , and a lower valve part  10  connected to the lower edge  6  of the aperture  4 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a section A—A through a first embodiment of a supply-air device in accordance with the invention, the device  9 ,  10  being fitted in a wall section  1  consisting of a primary wall side  11  and a secondary wall side  12  parallel therewith, both of which consist of simple plasterboards. According to the figure the device  9 ,  10  is fitted in the primary wall side  11 . The device shown in FIG. 2 consists of two separate parts, the upper valve part  9  having a gap  13  with a width corresponding to the thickness of the primary wall side  11 . The gap is open at both ends and the complete upper valve part  9  of the device can therefore be displaced vertically over the upper edge  5  of the primary wall side  11 . The extension in vertical direction of the upper valve part  9  is less than the vertical extension of the aperture. The lower part of the valve part  9  is provided with a first air control device  14  in the form of a flat surface that forms an angle β between the vertical plane P through the valve part, which angle β lies within the interval 10°-45°, preferably 20°-25°. The purpose of this inclined surface is to deflect an air flow coming from the air volume V above, out through the wall opening. The upper valve part  9  is also provided with a damper  15  connected by its upper end to the inner upper end of the valve part by means of a hinge  16 . The free end of the damper  15  is also connected to a regulator  17  via a threaded shaft  18  extending through both the upper valve part  9  and the damper  15 . Turning the regulator produces a change in the angle of the damper  15  which in turn results in the air flow being either throttled or opened. 
     The lower valve part  10  is also provided with a second air control device  19  arranged at an angle α, to said vertical plane P. The second air control device  19  extends from the primary wall side  11  to the secondary walls side  12  and terminates in a flexible contact edge  20 . The angle a also lies within the interval 10°-45°, preferably 20°-25°. The angles α and β need not be equal, however, although this is usually the case. The air volume V through the second air control device  19  is thus limited to a length corresponding to the length of the rectangular aperture  4 . Thus the whole volume of air is not necessarily restricted since the rectangular aperture is shorter than the distance between the two studs  2 ,  3 . Neither is this necessary since the most important factor is to obtain a downwardly directed air flow on the outside of the wall in order to utilize the Coanda effect. The second air control device  19  is also provided with a gap  21  to allow its insertion over the lower edge  6  of the wall part. 
     The device is mounted by the upper and lower valve parts  9 ,  10  being inserted one at a time through the rectangular aperture and over the primary wall side  11  to the correct vertical position, and then fixed to the wall side. 
     FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The components in the supply-air device also to be found in FIG. 2 are identical. Additional features are that the supply-air device is provided with end pieces  30  connecting the upper valve part  9  with the lower valve part  10 . The damper  15  is thus able to move freely from these end pieces. Since these end pieces connect the valve parts  9 ,  10 , the supply-air device forms a volume which is covered at the top by a connection plate  31  and is downwardly completely open to the space. This embodiment is also provided with a supply-air duct  32  located centrally between the wall sides  11 ,  12 . This supply-air device is mounted by inserting the complete device through the rectangular aperture, the supply-air duct  32  being guided in through the hole in the connection plate  31 . The device is pushed up over the primary wall side  11  and then down to its correct vertical position in the rectangular aperture, where the device is then fixed.