Climate control system with slit-vent fluid delivery
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Kearney, Clarisse Mazuir, Arthur Y. Zhang, Samuel B. Schaevitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid delivery module includes a housing defining a fluid flow path between an inlet and an outlet. The housing includes a top surface portion and a bottom surface portion that are movable to vary a flow direction of a fluid flow along the fluid flow path. The fluid delivery module includes an outlet treatment movable to vary a flow rate of the fluid flow exiting the outlet and a control unit configured to send commands to move at least one of the top surface portion, the bottom surface portion, or the outlet treatment according to a fluid delivery profile that dictates a flow pattern of the fluid flow.
Claims20
A fluid delivery module, comprising:
- a housing defining a fluid flow path between an inlet and an outlet;
- a fluidic control device disposed in the housing between the inlet and the outlet and movable to vary a flow direction of the fluid flow path within the housing;
- an outlet treatment formed of a porous material covering the outlet that is controllable to restrict fluid flow exiting the outlet, movable to vary a flow rate of the fluid flow exiting the outlet and movable to vary a flow direction of the fluid flow exiting the outlet;
- and
- a control unit configured to send commands that move the fluidic control device and that move the outlet treatment according to a fluid delivery profile that dictates a flow pattern of the fluid flow being delivered by the fluid delivery module.
A fluid delivery module, comprising:
- a housing defining a fluid flow path between an inlet and an outlet, the housing including a top surface portion and a bottom surface portion that are movable to vary a flow direction of a fluid flow along the fluid flow path;
- an outlet treatment movable to vary a flow rate of the fluid flow exiting the outlet;
- and
- a control unit configured to send commands to move at least one of the top surface portion, the bottom surface portion, or the outlet treatment according to a fluid delivery profile that dictates a flow pattern of the fluid flow.
A climate-control method, comprising:
- receiving, at a control unit, information associated with a fluid delivery profile, wherein the fluid delivery profile dictates a flow pattern of bursts including at least one of semi-random, sinusoidal, or oscillating directional changes in a fluid flow exiting an outlet of a fluid delivery module;
- and
- sending, from the control unit, a command to modify movement of a top surface portion or a bottom surface portion of the fluid delivery module to change a cross-sectional area of the outlet to achieve the flow pattern according to the fluid delivery profile,
- wherein the fluid delivery module includes an outlet treatment extending between the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion of the fluid delivery module that at least partially covers the outlet, and
- wherein the outlet treatment is controlled based on the movement of the top surface portion or the bottom surface portion to restrict the fluid flow, to change a direction of the fluid flow, or to oscillate the fluid flow to achieve the flow pattern according to the fluid delivery profile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.