Patent ID: 6955596

Claim:
An air flow producer for reducing temperature gradients in a room, the air flow producer comprising: a housing with a flow axis, the housing defining (a) a circular-cylindrical flow passage centered about the flow axis, the flow passage having one end defining a circular inlet for receiving an air flow and an opposing end defining a circular outlet for discharging the air flow, and (b) a discharge chamber communicating directly with the flow passage to receive the air flow from the flow passage, the discharge chamber comprising an outlet spaced from the outlet of the flow passage for discharging the air flow, the discharge chamber having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the flow axis that expands progressively from the outlet of the flow passage to the outlet of the discharge chamber, the discharge chamber has a frustoconical shape; the housing defines a frustoconical intake chamber centered about the flow axis, the intake chamber including: one end spaced from the inlet of the flow passage and defining an inlet for receiving the air flow, the inlet of the intake chamber having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the flow axis that is larger than the cross-sectional area of the flow passage perpendicular to the flow axis; an end located at the inlet of the flow passage and defining an outlet for discharging the air flow into the flow passage, the outlet of the intake chamber having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the flow axis that is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the flow passage; a fan mounted in the flow passage to generate the air flow, the fan comprising a rotary blade assembly positioned at the outlet of the flow passage and having a rotational axis aligned substantially with the flow axis, the blade assembly occupying a rotational space within the flow passage and extending partially into the discharge chamber; and, an air flow grill mounted to the housing and overlaying the outlet of the discharge chamber, the grill having a flow axis parallel to the flow axis of the housing.