Adjustable air volume regulator for heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems

A volume flow regulator as used in air conditioning and ventilating systems to maintain a substantially constant volumetric airflow rate in response to fluctuations of upstream air pressure supplied to said volume flow regulator, comprising:

• (a) a duct forming a rectangular passageway for a flow of air supplied thereto, said flow of air entering said duct at an upstream end and leaving said duct at a downstream end, said duct having 2 opposing sidewalls, a top and a bottom
• (b) a V shaped baffle extending the full height of said duct, having
• (i) an apex positioned in the middle of said downstream end and parallel to said sidewalls,
• (ii) two substantially flat elongated arms extending upstream from said apex to said sidewalls at said upstream end, said baffle arms being fixedly sealed to said duct and each of said baffle arms having an opening cut within to allow the passage of said flow of air therethrough thereby dividing said flow of air into two airstreams,
• (iii) two baffle air guides extending from the upstream edge of said baffle arm openings towards said sidewalls at said downstream end to efficiently reunite and diffuse confluent said airstreams after they pass through said baffle arm openings,
• (c) a pair of gates being substantially flat and elongated inserted back to back between said baffle arms, each of said gates extending upstream from said apex to said upstream end of said baffle arms forming two passageways between said gates and said baffle arms, each of said gates having
• (i) an upstream edge curved towards the center of said duct to divide and guide said flow of air around said gates and towards said baffle arms,
• (ii) a substantially flat surface exposed to said flow of air and
• (iii) a downstream edge being pivotably attached to its adjacent said baffle arm,
• whereby said flow of air urges said gates towards said baffle arms generating a gate load with an exponential force-displacement characteristic and, if said gate load is not resisted, said gates close said baffle arm openings shutting off said flow of air,
• whereby said passageways are streamlined to offer the minimum resistance to the free passage of said flow of air,
• whereby said passageways form venturis with the passage of said flow of air, generating a light vacuum between said gates and said baffle arms,
• (d) a gate linkage means having a gate level with proximal and distal ends, said gate lever being pivotably attached by said proximal end thereof to one of said sidewalls, said gate linkage means interconnecting said gates for effective unison movement thereof towards and away from said baffle arms, and transmitting said gate load to said gate lever,
• (e) a counterbalance means articulately connected to the distal end of said gate lever to resist said gate load,
• whereby the volumetric flow rate of said flow of air remains substantially constant as said gates respond to said fluctuations in upstream air pressure, and can be changed to a predetermined flow rate, as desired, said predetermined flow rate also remaining substantially constant as said gates again respond to said fluctuations in upstream air pressure,
• whereby said volume flow regulator will not flutter, oscillate nor pulsate and this, more specifically, when said fluctuations of upstream air pressure become cyclic with a predominant pulsation frequency.