US 7,578,734 B2Granted

Unit ventilator having a splitter plate and a pivoting damper blade assembly

AssigneeTrane International Inc.

InventorsSyed S. Ahmed, Kevin W. Sawyer, Bryan M. Herzog, Kim L. Hall, Kirk W. Beason

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An HVAC unit ventilator, particularly suited for schools and hotels, includes a single damper blade driven directly by a motor to control a supply air's mixture of return air and outside air. The damper blade is selectively pivotal to a full outside air position, a full return air position, and various intermediate mixed-air positions. The damper blade has flexible edge and end seals that create little if any frictional drag as the damper blade pivots to the intermediate positions, yet the seals provide a positive, tight seal when the damper stops at either the full outside air position or the full return air position. The unit ventilator includes a filter frame that not only supports an air filter but also provides the damper blade with sealing surfaces and structural support. For rigidity, the damper blade has somewhat of a box-like structure that is bi-directionally reinforced by ribs and triangular gussets.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A unit ventilator for drawing return air from a comfort zone, drawing outside air from outside the comfort zone, and delivering supply air to the comfort zone, wherein the supply air is a product of at least one of the return air and the outside air after being filtered or otherwise conditioned by the ventilator, the unit ventilator comprising:

an enclosure defining a return air inlet for receiving the return air from the comfort zone, an outside air inlet for receiving the outside air from outside the comfort zone, and a supply air outlet for discharging the supply air into the comfort zone;
a blower disposed within the enclosure to help force the supply air into the comfort zone;
and
a damper blade unit disposed within the enclosure, wherein:
a) the damper blade unit is pivotal about an axis;
b) the damper blade unit includes a return air damper blade, an outside air damper blade, a first gusset, and a second gusset, wherein the return air damper blade, the outside air damper blade, the first gusset, and the second gusset are in a substantially fixed relationship to each other;
c) the return air damper blade includes a return air damper blade tip;
d) the outside air damper blade includes an outside air damper blade tip;
e) the return air damper blade tip and the outside air damper blade tip are substantially parallel to the axis;
f) the return air damper blade tip and the outside air damper blade tip define a plane that is offset to the axis;
and
g) the first gusset and the second gusset extend from the return air damper blade to the outside air damper blade such that the return air damper blade, the outside air damper blade, the first gusset and the second gusset define a concavity within the damper blade unit;
and
h) a splitter plate lying substantially parallel to the axis and extending into the concavity, wherein the damper blade unit is pivotal relative to the splitter plate.

11 more elements

A unit ventilator for drawing return air from a comfort zone, drawing outside air from outside the comfort zone, and delivering supply air to the comfort zone, wherein the supply air is a product of varying proportions of the return air and the outside air filtered by a filter, the unit ventilator comprising:

an enclosure defining a return air inlet for receiving the return air from the comfort zone, an outside air inlet for receiving the outside air from outside the comfort zone, and a supply air outlet for discharging the supply air into the comfort zone;
a blower disposed within the enclosure to help force the supply air into the comfort zone;
a splitter plate;
a filter rack disposed within the enclosure for supporting the filter;
and
a damper blade unit comprising a return air damper blade for guiding the return air and an outside air damper blade for guiding the outside air, wherein:
a) the return air damper blade includes a return air damper blade tip;
b) the outside air damper blade includes an outside air damper blade tip;
c) the return air damper blade and the outside air damper blade are in a substantially fixed relationship to each other;
d) the damper blade unit is pivotal about an axis relative to the enclosure to help determine the proportion of the return air and the outside that make up the supply air;
and
e) the damper blade unit is selectively pivotal to a full return air position and a full outside air position such that the damper blade unit seals against the filter rack in at least one of the full return air position and the full outside air position;
and
f) the splitter plate is disposed above the axis and lies substantially parallel thereto, wherein the damper blade unit is pivotal relative to the splitter plate.

11 more elements

A unit ventilator for drawing return air from a comfort zone, drawing outside air from outside the comfort zone, and delivering supply air to the comfort zone, wherein the supply air is a product of varying proportions of the return air and the outside air filtered by a filter, the unit ventilator comprising:

an enclosure defining a return air inlet for receiving the return air from the comfort zone, an outside air inlet for receiving the outside air from outside the comfort zone, and a supply air outlet for discharging the supply air into the comfort zone;
a blower disposed within the enclosure to help force the supply air into the comfort zone;
a filter rack disposed within the Enclosure for supporting the filter;
a splitter plate disposed within the enclosure;
and
a damper blade unit disposed within the enclosure, wherein:
a) the damper blade unit is pivotal about an axis to help determine the proportion of the return air and the outside that make up the supply air;
b) the damper blade unit includes a return air damper blade, an outside air damper blace, a first gusset, and a second gusset, wherein the return air damper blade, the outside air damper blade, the first gusset, and the second gusset are in a substantially fixed relationship to each other;
c) the return air damper blade includes a return air damper blade tip;
d) the outside air damper blade includes an outside air damper blade tip;
e) the return air damper blade tip and the outside air damper blade tip are substantially parallel to the axis;
f) the return air damper blade tip and the outside air damper blade tip define a plane that is offset to the axis;
g) the first gusset and the second gusset extend from the return air damper blade to the outside air damper blade such that the return air damper blade, the outside air damper blade, the first gusset and the second gusset define a concavity within the damper blade unit;
h) the damper blade unit is selectively pivotal to a full return air position and a full outside air position such that the damper blade unit seals against the filter rack in at least one of the full return air position and the full outside air positions;
i) the splitter plate lies substantially parallel to the axis and extends into the concavity;
and
j) the damper blade unit is pivotal relative to the splitter plate.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/455,512Filed 19 Jun 2006
Published: US 2007/0290057 A120 Dec 2007
Granted: 25 Aug 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

F24F 1/0035
Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units: characterised by introduction of outside air to the room
F24F 1/0053
Characterised by mounting arrangements: mounted at least partially below the floor; with air distribution below the floor
F24F 1/0073
With means for purifying supplied air: characterised by the mounting or arrangement of filters
F24F 13/14
Movable, e.g. dampers: built up of tilting members, e.g. louvre