US20100323604A1

US20100323604A1 - Portable air distribution device

Info

Publication number: US20100323604A1
Application number: US12/487,960
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Duffe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-06-19
Filing date: 2009-06-19
Publication date: 2010-12-23

Abstract

A device for controlling air having a thermal differential between a higher and a lower location, having a tube with two ends and a length that traverses the distance between the higher and lower locations, with one end of the tube at the higher location and one end of the tube at the lower location, for the transfer of air therebetween and having openings at each of the ends for the air to pass at both the higher and lower locations inwardly and outwardly, a bi-directional fan for moving the air through the tube inwardly and outwardly as necessary, a switch or thermostat for switching the bi-directional fan on and off for determining the inward and outward direction and velocity of the air flow; and power for powering the bi-directional fan.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of air temperature management, and more particuarly to a portable air distribution device for the uniform distribution of air within a defined space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The temperature of a gas is a measure of the speed of its molecules. Increasing the temperature of a gas increases the average speed of the molecules. Cooler air molecules are denser than are warmer molecules of air, and move more slowly. Accordingly, when air is heated, it expands and becomes less dense, moves more quickly, and rises. Heated air thus tends to stagnate along the uppermost portion of the room, typically the ceiling. When air is not uniformly distributed, cold dense air sinks downwardly, pushing the warmer, less dense air upward.
Thus, cooler air tends to remain adjacent to the lower portion of the room, typically the floor, and warmer air adjacent the ceiling. Simply put, temperature disparities within a chamber of air, such as in a typical rectangular room, cause the warmer air to rise to the ceiling and the cooler air to sink to the floor. The hotter the air relative to the temperature of the surrounding air mass, the faster the air rises.
Temperature disparities in a given space cause temperature gradients in which air becomes stratified based on density. This phenomena is known as thermal stratification. Cooler, denser air forms the lower level of air, while warmer, less dense air forms the upper level of air. Air stratification creates drafts, which decreases heating efficiency, and increases energy consumption. Moreover, the drafts and pockets caused by air stratification cause discomfort to those occupying the effected space. It is therefore desirable to have a room with a uniform temperature, for reasons of both cost and comfort.
Forced air heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”) systems typically found in modern buildings operate via a thermostat, typically centrally located on a wall to be set at a temperature that is determined at that specific location and causing air to be expelled from a centralized unit, such as a furnace or air conditioner: air which is either cooler or warmer than the ambient air (as called for by the thermostat), through ducts which then empty into vents located at various locations of a given room, either on the floor, ceiling, or walls, purportedly for regional distribution (in a room, hallway, or other location).
Likewise, non-forced air HVAC systems are typically for heating solely (as air-conditioning is ordinarily forced air) and typically utilize the same controller (the thermostat) to call for heat (which is radiant in typical fashion when not forced air, through radiators, base-board heating and the like). Such systems take advantage of the fact that cooler air is floor-located, and hotter air rises: hence such systems are typically proximate to or on the floor, with the expectation that the heat will rise. Yet, the thermal delta between ceiling and floor is present, regardless of whether the HVAC system is forced, radiant or convection.
Due to temperature and density, air becomes stratified, thus causing warm air to rise above the level of the occupants. As a result, during cool weather, heated air will rise to the uppermost portion of a room, rather than remaining at the level of the occupants, thus creating the need for additional output of heated air, which requires additional energy consumption. The reciprocal applies to cooler air in hotter climates. If, however, the air were uniformly distributed, less heated or cooled air, and hence less energy would be required to maintain the same volume of space at the desired temperature.
Shown in the art are devices which attempt to overcome temperature stratification via use of a fan to blow air from one area to another. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,025 to Wiley, U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,342 to Hughes, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,821,095 to Dooley et. al. However, such devices have been ineffective in overcoming temperature stratification because heated air, which rises to the top of a given column of air, is not easily mixed with cooler air, which falls to the bottom of a given column of air. Blowing air causes air to move generally in a desired direction, however much of the air will become lost in route while reaching the desired location, such as a floor or ceiling. Consequently, devices heretofore known which merely utilize a large ceiling fan or similar devices to distribute air are ineffective in that air rises and falls faster than it can combine, thus preventing the air from achieving a uniform temperature. In order to create a uniform temperature using a device having predominantly a large fan, the fan must discharge the flow of air at an extremely high rate (for which ceiling fans are ill-equipped), resulting in undesired effects such as turbulence, noise, and increased energy consumption.
Also shown in the art are devices which attempt to circulate air by creating localized pockets as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,605 to Lessage, which discloses an air circulating method and device in which a fan is used to blow air in a circulating conduit, created by the positioning of furniture, to circulate the air within a desired space within a room. U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,440 to Schmidt et. al., shows a method and apparatus for ventilating or air conditioning occupied rooms which essentially extends vertically, via ducts, the existing vents in an HVAC system (typically found in the floor and/or ceiling), in order to permit the occupant of the room to move the vents to desired positions to expel heated or cooled air at a desired height.
Yet, none of these prior devices show a simple, movable columnar mechanism for providing air distribution uniformly in a simple and inexpensive manner.
It is thus an object of the instant invention to provide a portable air distribution device which provides an efficient means of distributing air to prevent temperature stratification without creating a significant increase in energy consumption.
A further object of the invention is to provide an air distribution device which can be easily installed, moved and maintained.
Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the entirety of the specification, drawings and claims are read and understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The various features of novelty which characterize the present invention are expressly and unambiguously delineated in the claims annexed to and forming part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the present invention, its practical advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
The device as shown is for controlling air having a thermal differential between a higher and a lower location, having a tube with two ends and a length that traverses the distance between the higher and lower locations, with one end of the tube at the higher location and one end of the tube at the lower location, for the transfer of air therebetween and having openings at each of the ends for the air to pass at both the higher and lower locations inwardly and outwardly, a bi-directional fan for moving the air through the tube inwardly and outwardly as necessary, a switch or thermostat for switching the bi-directional fan on and off for determining the inward and outward direction and velocity of the air flow; and power for powering the bi-directional fan.
The portable air distribution device of the present invention contains a blower means (a fan) to distribute air. Said blower means distributes air through a duct portion, having two distal openings, which allow for ingress and egress of air, respectively. When the duct portion is maintained in a vertical position, the warmest and coolest volumes of air (typically at the ceiling and floor levels, respectively) are moved to an area in which there is air of the opposite temperature extreme, in order to achieve uniform distribution of air, and reduce thermal stratification. The portable air distribution device of the present invention can also be used so that the duct portion is maintained in a horizontal position, if desired.
Said distal openings may also include a plurality of louvers which can direct air in a plurality of directions. Additionally, said louvers may be rotated or closed, to direct and/or restrict air flow.
The blower means of the instant invention is reversible so as to operate in a clockwise and counter-clockwise manner for bi-directional air movement. Changing the direction the blower means operates (either clockwise or counter-clockwise) will determine whether air is drawn into or expelled from a given distal opening, and will vary depending upon whether the user wishes to a primary volume of air in a given vertical column of air up or down, and the location of said primary volume of air. For example, when the primary volume of air to be moved is adjacent to the ceiling, the user will then set the device for operation such that the upper opening of said duct portion moves air downward, expelling the air from the lower opening of said duct portion. Conversely, when the primary volume of air to be moved is adjacent to the floor, the user will then set the device for operation such that the lower opening of said duct portion moves air upward, expelling the air from the upper opening of said duct portion.
The fan (blower means) can have a plurality of speeds, such as low, medium, and high; and may contain either a AC or DC motor, although DC is preferred. As it is recognized that it is preferable to move a large mass of air at low speeds over heating coils in order to effectively blow heated air (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,673 to Brunig), it is then preferable to include in a DC fan, which can operate at far slower speeds without compromising power, in a fashion better than that provided by an AC motor.
The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of the present also can include a telescoping duct portion that allows the user to adjust the length of the duct portion, which will often depend on the distance between the floor and ceiling of a room; the desired length of the duct portion being directly proportional to the distance between the floor and ceiling.
The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of the present can also include a filter therein so that when air is moved through the duct portion, the filter will trap contaminants of a size larger than the apertures present in said filter. The filter can be made of material having apertures of varying size, yet it should be recognized that the size of the aperture in the filter is directly proportional to the amount of air flow and the particles that can be captured.
The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of the present can also include a heating element so that when air is moved by the fan through the duct portion, the air would become heated as it passes over the heating element.
The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of the present includes a removable attachment means, such as Velcro® or adhesive strips, which can be used to maintain the device of the instant invention in a desired position along a planar surface, such as a wall, floor, or ceiling.
The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of the present includes sensors, such as temperature, pressure, and density sensors, which can automatically control when the device is turned off or on, or the velocity of the fan.
Other features will become apparent from reading the disclosure and claims of the instant invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical view of the electronic components of the preferred embodiment of the subject invention; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical view of the switching mechanism of the preferred embodiment of the subject invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, tube 2 contains the entirety of the instant invention, and is tubular in design (although other variations, like rectilinear are not precluded and within the spirit of the invention). Tube 2 can be constructed of any air-moving material, although in this instance polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”) is preferred as it is inexpensive and simple to fabricate in accordance with the design. As shown air flow occurs through the angular cuts at the top and bottom of tube 2, such that when cooler air is sought to be brought from the bottom section (typically proximate to the floor if placed in a room) it is directed outwardly from the upper portion, and the reciprocal is the case when warmer air is sought to be brought downwardly from the ceiling, all as shown by the air flow arrows in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 further comprises attachment means 4 which, in this instance may be Velcro®-styled such that the device can be moved to various locations, as needed. Attachment means 4 can also be hooking assemblies, as all such attachment means fall within the letter and spirit of the instant invention. Conceptually, tube 2 is placed in a room, typically a corner, out of view, and operates in accordance with switch 12, as shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. Switch 12 enables the device to be turned on and off, its speed regulated if desired, and a thermostat included, if desired, all as explained in greater detail in relation to FIG. 3.
Also shown in FIG. 1 is bi-directional fan 10 which receives its commands from switch 12 to determine both speed and direction. Evidently, the direction of air flow is determined by the user depending upon the room conditions and desire to have warmer or cooler air moved from ceiling to floor or floor to ceiling, as the case may be.
Tubular device 2 is powered by power supply 14, which can be a battery or include a plug-in to the wall with a transformer, when necessary (not shown, but known to one of ordinary skill in the art). Since most fans (like fan 10) are DC powered, batteries are preferred, although the transformer will, as well, provide DC power for the fan to operate.
Sensors 8 perform a direct function in the preferred embodiment by rendering the operation of the device virtually automatic. Such sensors 8 are temperature sensitive, such that when a difference is detected, the switch is on, the thermostat is set (when provided), the unit will operate automatically to switch the direction of fan 10 depending upon the thermal differential between the sensors 8. It should be appreciated that sensors 8 can be located further upwardly or downwardly but must be of sufficient distance apart to detect the required thermal differential for the automatic feature to apply.
Likewise, tube 2 can be made in a plurality of differing heights and also can be telescoping such that the device can accommodate rooms of multiple height dimensions.
FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic view of the electronic components of the preferred embodiment of tube 2, wherein power is supplied via box 14 (either battery or via wall outlet, as described hereinabove), through the switch/thermostat (see Ex. 3) to the bi-directional fan 10 and via thermal sensors 4 (when in automatic mode to determine thermal differentials, fan direction, and fan speed).
FIG. 3 represents the preferred embodiment of switch 12, wherein a thermostat is shown 14 which judges the thermal difference between sensors 8 (see FIG. 1) and automatically controls air flow and speed through the fan. Switch 12 contains, in this embodiment, three levels, specifically an off position at box 18 via sliding switch 16. Sliding switch 16 slidably moves between off position 18 through high position 20 through low position 22, thereby providing the ability of the user to control fan speed when the automatic mode is not engaged via thermostat 14. Thermostat 14 is of typical design in that it moves circularly and possesses typical degrees for purposes of setting by the user.
Thus it can be observed that the design of tube 2, with its components, can provide dual action air flow at various speeds, can be placed in a plurality of locations, and will enable balancing of the thermal differential typically present in rooms.
While there have shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the invention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A device for controlling air having a thermal differential between a higher and a lower location, comprising:

(a) air directioning means having two ends, said means traversing the distance between the higher and lower locations, with one end at the higher location and one end at the lower location, for the transfer of air therebetween and having openings at each of the ends for the air to pass at both the higher and lower locations inwardly and outwardly;

(b) a bi-directional fan for moving the air through the air directioning means inwardly and outwardly;

(c) switching means for switching the bi-directional fan on and off and for determining the inward and outward direction of the air flow; and

(d) powering means for powering the bi-directional fan.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising attachment means for attaching the device to a user-specified location, in a relative vertical plane.

3. The attachment means of claim 2 comprising Velcro® or similar material.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the air directioning means is tubular.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the tubular air directioning means is comprised of PVC.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching means is an on/off switch.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching means is a thermostat.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching means is a high/low switch.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching means determines the velocity of air flow through the air directioning means.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the switching means is a slidable switch between higher and lower velocities.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising thermal sensors for determining the thermal differential.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the switching means comprises a thermostat that is regulated based upon the thermal differential.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the powering means comprises a battery.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the powering means comprises wall current.

15. A device for controlling air having a thermal differential between a higher and a lower location, comprising:

(a) a tube having two ends of length sufficient to traverse the distance between the higher and lower locations, with one end at the higher location and one end at the lower location, for the transfer of air therebetween and having openings at each of the ends for the air to pass at both the higher and lower locations inwardly and outwardly;

(b) a bi-directional fan for moving the air through the tube inwardly and outwardly;

(c) at least one sensor for sensing the thermal differential and for sending a signal when the thermal differential reaches a certain level;

(c) a switch for receiving the signal and causing the bi-directional fan to switch on; and

(d) powering means for powering the bi-directional fan.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the switch is a thermostat set to engage upon the sending of the signal.