US3835758A

US3835758A - Dwelling space air condition control and air change control system

Info

Publication number: US3835758A
Application number: US00397171A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Bean
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-09-13
Filing date: 1973-09-13
Publication date: 1974-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-17

Abstract

Inside of or adjacent to one end or other wall of a dwelling room or the like there is provided an air-pervious ''''false'''' wall spaced in advance of the true wall thereof, thereby defining therebetween a plenum space. Throughout a substantial portion of its extent the false wall comprises a readily air-pervious fabrication, such as for example an extremely loosely woven fabric of natural or synthetic fibers or wire strands or the like; or a parallel strand curtain; or some other highly perforate fabrication such as a punched sheet member or the like. In any case the false wall is preferably decoratively equivalent to the viewed surface of a conventionally decorated room wall. Supply air inlet means are provided in one-way open system communication with the plenum space; the air supply thereto being beneficiated/''''conditioned'''' (heated, cooled, humidified, dehumidified, filtered, etc.) either externally of or within the plenum space. The invention features provision within a plenum space as aforesaid a positive air displacement/transport device which only leisurely moves the beneficiated air through the false wall and thence through the dwelling spaced towards an outlet remote from the false wall. Because of its air-pervious nature the false wall ''''breathes'''' a room-wide diffused supply of suitably beneficiated air into and through the room for temperature/humidity/filter control thereof; silently, and without perceptible draft effects.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Bean [ 1 Sept. 17, 1974 1 DWELLING SPACE AIR CONDITION CONTROL AND AIR CHANGE CONTROL SYSTEM [76] Inventor: John B. Bean, 120 Henning Dr.,

Orchard Park, NY. 14127 [22] Filed: Sept. 13, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 397,171

Primary ExaminerWilliam J. Wye Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bean & Bean [57] ABSTRACT Inside of or adjacent to one end or other wall of a dwelling room or the like there is provided an airpervious false wall spaced in advance of the true wall thereof, thereby defining therebetween a plenum space. Throughout a substantial portion of its extent the false wall comprises a readily air-pervious fabrication, such as for example an extremely loosely woven fabric of natural or synthetic fibers or wire strands or the like; or a parallel strand curtain; or some other highly perforate fabrication such as a punched sheet member or the like. In any case the false wall is preferably decoratively equivalent to the viewed surface of a conventionally decorated room wall. Supply air inlet means are provided in one-way open system communication with the plenum space; the air supply thereto being beneficiatedlconditioned (heated, cooled, humidified, dehumidified, filtered, etc.) either externally of or within the plenum space. The invention features provision within a plenum space as aforesaid a positive air displacement/transport device which only leisurely moves the beneficiated air through the false wall and thence through the dwelling spaced towards an outlet remote from the false wall. Because of its air-pervious nature the false wall breathes a room-wide diffused supply of suitably beneficiated air into and through the room for temperature/humidity/filter control thereof; silently, and without perceptible draft effects.

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DWELLING SPACE AIR CONDITION CONTROL AND AIR CHANGE CONTROL SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to the problem of moving into and through any enclosed dwelling space such as a bedroom, an office space, a living room, or any other business or household dwelling room or the like (hereinafter referred to as room), a psychically and physically comforting supply of beneficiated (heated/cooled/filtered/deodorized/odorized/humidified/dehumidified; etc.) air. The invention is particularly concerned with suitable delivery of such air into spaces designed for personnel occupancy, such as are currently typified by motel or hotel or office or residential rooms; without any attendant irritating room drafts and/or rest or sleep-interrupting noises such as invariably accompany the operation of todays typical air-conditioning systems. The drafts and noises accompanying the start/- stop and continuous operations of conventional aircondioning systems are recognized today as accounting for or at least inducing tendencies toward respiratory discomforts/diseases, and/or mental disturbances/discomforts/diseases such as for example are known as neurasthenia; but which more generally are identified simply as being modem-day respiratory and nervesystem frustrating or disturbing environmental problems.

Conventional air-conditioning systems employ fans or blowers which drive the supply air at high velocities through conditioning devices and thence through the associated delivery conduits or ducts. Such prior art systems may employ conditioning devices which are either centrally located to supply a number of rooms, or are individually located in close association with each separate room. In any case the conditioned air is transported to a room through a ducting system at high velocity, and pours into the room in the form of a highvelocity draft-producing stream. Thus, all such systems are invariably draft-producing.

Also, they are inherently noisy, even when the blower machines are located remotely from the room, because the conditioned air is rushed through the transmission ducts (which typically are metal tunnels) at such rates as to generate mechanical vibrations and/or high frequency drum effects throughout the structures of the ducting system. Such sounds are thereby funneled into the room, and tend to be so disturbing to the room occupants as to constitute serious rest-period interruptions and/or irritations to their nervous systems; thereby frustrating their attempts to find quiet work or rest or sleep-inducing environments.

The draft and noise effects incidental to operations of todays conventional type air-conditioning systems clearly constitute pollutions of the environment such as should be avoided in future personnel dwelling and/or working space architectual design; and the present invention is directed to a new and improved system for transporting beneficiated air (whether it be fresh or recycled) into and through such room spaces such as will obviate the aforesaid disadvantages of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE A false wall provided with open air passageways dispersed throughout substantial portions of its planar extent is located interiorly of a room and in spaced relation from a true wall of the room; thereby defining an open plenum space therebetween. A fresh or recycled (hereinafter referred to as supply) air inlet is arranged in one-way open communication with the plenum space. A positive air displacement device of the slow-moving, one-way pump type is disposed within the plenum space, and is motivated so as to move air leisurely and quietly from within the plenum space through the wide-spread extent of the false wall, so as to then float in widely dispersed pattern across and through the room toward a suitable outlet located in apposition to the false wall.

In one form of the invention suitable air beneficiation device(s) may be disposed within the plenum space. Alternatively, they may be located within the air supply duct system; or, at some central location for beneficiating the air to be supplied through a plurality of branch conduits into a multiple dwelling room system. In any case each room is to be supplied with air by way of its own plenum space within which a leisurely oper ating one-way positive air displacement device is operable under control of the room occupant to regulate the rate of air travel through the room.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may be practiced as shown by way of examples in the following drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in section and illustrative of the interiors of an in-line series of motel rooms or the like, embodying an air transport system of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, schematic, vertical section through a multiple room motel-type dwelling structure, embodying an air transport system such as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 but illustrates utilization of a centrally located heating/cooling or other air beneficiating unit for supplying air separately to each room of a multiple room structure;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken generally as suggested by line 44 of FIG. 2, showing in front elevational view the air transport device thereof and optionally modified forms of air inlet arrangements; I

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken as suggested by line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale fragmentary illustration showing one form of beneficiated air inlet and spent air outlet arrangement, and also an example of a suitable means for actuating the air displacement device which is located within the plenum space;

FIG. 7 corresponds to FIG. 6 but illustrates another form of air displacement device operative arrangement;

FIG. 8 corresponds to FIG. 6 but illustrates still another form of air transport arrangement in accordance with the invention; as well as another example of a heat exchanger or other supply air beneficiating device or arrangement located within the plenum space for treating the inlet air;

FIG. 9 corresponds to FIG. 4 but shows another suitable form of the air displacement device; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken as suggested by line 10l0 of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing at FIGS. 1-3 in accordance with the present invention there is illustrated therein a modern-day tandem type motel arrangement of rooms designated generally at A, B, C; the true and typically sound-proofed dividing walls therebetween being indicated at 10. Disposed within each dwelling space ahead of its true wall (optionally, adjacent any wall surface of the room) is a false wall 12, defining therebetween a plenum space 14. A supply air inlet duct is provided for each room such as indicated at 16; one-way passage control therefore being provided for by any suitable means such as the flap valve members as shown at 17 (FIG. 4). Note that the air inlet ducts may be located optionally either at the upper or lower levels of the room or at both elevations as shown at FIG. 4. Thus, in the colder climates or seasons heated air may be preferentially admitted through the lower inlet, while in warmer climates or seasons cooled air may be preferentially admitted through the upper inlet. Spent air outlet ducts for each room may be arranged optionally as shown at 18-19; the outlet ducts providing air exits to the outside atmosphere, such as through the true wall of the next in line room of the motel room series, as a means of conserving the requisite building lot space.

The invention is exemplified by a system including a positive air displacement type device such as shown by way of one example may be in the form of a one-wayvalved panel 20, which is disposed in each plenum space 14. As illustrated in more detail at FIGS. 4, 5, 9, 10, such panel devices may each comprise a generally rectangular frame 22 including intermediately disposed

cross bars

24, 26. The frame device may be fabricated of any suitable material, and in any case to provide a plurality of apertures therethrough such as are indicated at 28. Check valve type cover or flap devices as indicated at 30 formed of some soft cloth or plastic or other suitable sheet material are individually fashioned and fastened along one edge thereof as shown at 32 to the frame structure, so as to thereby pivot freely therefrom in front of the apertures 28 as shown in the draw mg.

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, 8-10, by way of example, the frame 22 may be hingedly suspended along its upper edge as by hinge devices 34 to brackets extending from the ceiling of the plenum space 14. Thus it will be understood that back and forth oscillations of the panel device while hanging upon its hinge supports will cause it to sweep within the plenum space in such manner as to move air leisurely from within the inlet duct through the false wall 12 and into and throughout the room; the valve or flap devices 30 swinging alternately from aperture-closing to aperture-open positions as the panel moves forwardly and then rearwardly within the plenum space. The panel devices may be motivated by any suitable means such as a double-acting pneumatic or hydraulic rotary or piston/cylinder motor as shown at 35 (FIGS. 6-8); or an electric motor or the like, connecting to a crank arm extending from the panel. Or, as shown in FIG. 7, the panel devices may be freely hung from bell-cranks 38 which in turn are pivotally mounted upon stationary structure as shown at 39, so as to be moved alternately forwardly and rearwardly while remaining in vertical attitude within the plenum space 14. In any case, control of the speed of operation of the drive motor unit will of course regulate the rate of air displacement from the inlet duct 16 through the false wall 12; it being noted that the supply air in duct 16 is at ambient pressure, and that therefor its rate of replacement of room air is solely dependent upon the rate of operation of the panel 20.

As shown in FIG. 3 the conditioned air inlets 16 may supply beneficiated air as needed from a centrally located air treatment facility such as is indicated at 40; the air being drawn therefrom through a manifold duct 42 and thence through ducts 44 which individually serve various rooms of the building. However, it is to be understood that each room of the building may be supplied with locally beneficiated air by its own individual air treatment facility, such as may be located either externally of the room or within its plenum chamber 14 as suggested at 45 (FIG. 8). Note that in this case a grid of heating/cooling tubes or the like is shown by way of example as being positioned within the plenum space 14, whereby air drawn through the space as explained hereinabove will become beneficiated as the case may require.

The air supply inlet to the plenum chamber may be located at any appropriate position/elevation in the plenum chamber, according to structural and air temperature conduction considerations. The provision and locationing of spent air outlet openings will also be determined by room air temperature level considerations. Accordingly, in one preferred form of the system of the invention spent air outlet registers such as shown at 18, 19, may be provided across the room from the false wall and adjacent the upper and lower levels of the room; and will be provided with flow regulating registers or louvers. Thus, when the system is furnishing heated air the spent air may be exhausted through the floor level exit (with a view to conserving heat within the room); and when furnishing cooled air the spent air may be exhausted through the ceiling level exit to facilitate removal of the hottest air from the room. Also, it will be understood that the registers may be adjusted to provide any desired composite or bi-level air exiting arrangement.

The rate of response of the system to demands to heat or cool or otherwise ventilate or beneficiate the air in a room is readily regulatable by appropriate adjustments of the heating/cooling or other beneficiating medium supply controls, and by regulation of the rate of oscillation of the valve panel within the plenum chamber. For example, the temperature of and the rate of delivery of the heat-exchange medium (whether it be a liquid or a gas or a molten metal, or an electrical resistance heater) will of course be regulated by any suitable manual or automatic or combination control system, such as are currently known and available on the market for control of conventional air conditioning systems. In this respect references may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,734,810; 3,744,275; and 3,745,788. Rate of oscillation of the valve panel as shown or of any other suitable air displacement device may of course be readily regulated through use of an appropriate speed control for the motor driving the displacement device; and the manual controls for the entire system may of course be coordinated and centralized at a control console accompanied by appropriate instructive indicia, to facilitate monitoring of the operation of the system.

It will be appreciated that the air beneficiation device of the system of the invention may provide any desired service such as mentioned hereinabove or may be employed to introduce medication or other additives into the room atmosphere. For example, the device may comprise a porous pad or the like which is adapted to be saturated with a liquid medicant; or, for example, it may comprise a source of oxygen to be used in lieu of an oxygen tent, or whenever it is desired to increase the oxygen content of the occupied atmosphere. In any case it will be understood that the system is operable to provide at the same time a desired change of air throughout substantially the entire extent of the room room;

an air beneficiating device located within said passageway;

a motorized one-way-valved position airdisplacement device disposed within said plenum chamber;

control means for regulating the operation of said motorized device and the speed of operation thereof whereby beneficiated air may be displaced to flow through said false wall and in widely dispersed pattern into said room; and

exit means for allowing discharge of spent air from said room as said displacement device operates to deliver beneficiated air into the room.

2. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air beneficiating device is motorized and control means are provided to regulate operation thereof.

3. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device is located externally of said plenum chamber.

4. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device is located internally of said plenum chamber.

5. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air displacement device comprises a panel hingedly mounted to reciprocate within said plenum space so as to progressively displace air to move therefrom through said false wall.

6. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said false wall is artistically decorative when viewed from inside said room.

7. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air supply source comprises a source of outside fresh air.

8. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air supply source comprises a source of recycled air.

9. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises a heater.

10. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises a cooler.

11. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises an air humidifying device.

12. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises a dehumidifying device.

13. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises an air filtering device.

14. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises an air odor change device.

15. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air beneficiating device is adapted to supply a medicant to the transported air.

16. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device is adapted to add oxygen to the transported air.

17. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inlet means is one-wayvalved.

Patent 5, 5 Dated September 17, 1974 Inventor s) John B. Bean It is certified that error appears in the above identified patenf and that said-Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

7 columnll; line 59, ."3, 745,788" should f-ifead 3,745,778: Claim 1, line '30, "p o sition"" s hou ld read positive v Sigfied and sealed this 7. th day of Jenil a ry' 1975..

(SEAL) Attest: v I MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL; DANN v Attesting Ofificer v v I Comissiqnej: of Patents FORM Po 1oso(10-.-69) I V 5 v gw 3

Claims

1. An air transport system for leisurely moving beneficiated air derived from an ambient source into and through a dwelling room or the like, said system comprising in combination: inlet means leading from an air supply source into a plenum chamber disposed behind a ''''false'''' wall of said room, said false wall being structured so as to be readily air-passage permeable throughout a substantial extent of its planar surface, whereby said inlet means and said plenum chamber combine to provide a passageway for supply of air into said room; an air beneficiating device located within said passageway; a motorized one-way-valved position air-displacement device disposed within said plenum chamber; control means for regulating the operation of said motorized device and the speed of operation thereof whereby beneficiated air may be displaced to flow through said false wall and in widely dispersed pattern into said room; and exit means for allowing discharge of spent air from said room as said displacement device operates to deliver beneficiated air into the room.

7. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air supply source comprises a source of outside ''''fresh'''' air.

12. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises a de-humidifying device.

17. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inlet means is one-way-valved.