Air volume and pressure reducing means in an air conditioning means

Claim 2

In an air-conditioning system including a conduit for passing air, an air volume and pressure reducing valve comprising a first plate and a second plate parallel with said first plate, said valve being interposed in said conduit in position for the air to flow therethrough, said plates being provided with a multiplicity of offset apertures substantially circular in cross section therethrough, at least one of said plates being provided with a plurality of protrusions in substantial alignment with at least some of the apertures in the other of said plates and extending towards and normally into the corresponding apertures in the other of said plates with sufficient clearance to establish air passages, means for moving one of said plates relatively towards and away from the other of said plates to positions in which said plates are parallel with one another to change the sizes of the air passages and vary the air flow around said protrusions and through the corresponding apertures and thereby maintain a uniform distribution of air flowing from the apertures.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said other of said plates is provided with a plurality of protrusions in substantial alignment with at least some of the apertures in said one of said plates and normally into the corresponding apertures in said one of said plates to establish air passages.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said protrusions are substantially paraboloid in shape.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 in which said protrusions are substantially paraboloid in shape.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2 in which said apertures are no larger than one inch in diameter and in which said apertures are distributed over most of the area of said plates.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said one of said plates is fixedly mounted in said conduit and the other of said plates is movably mounted relative thereto.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 in which said means for moving the movable one of said plates relative to the fixed one of said plates comprises resilient means operably interposed between said plates to urge said plates apart and variable clamping means engaging said plates for moving said plates together against the force of said resilient means.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7 in which said resilient means extends between said plates around the peripheries thereof to seal the plates against the air flow outwardly from between said plates.

Claim 10

In an air-conditioning system includinG a conduit portion for passing air into a space, an air volume and pressure reducing means comprising a first substantially horizontal upper plate having upper and lower surfaces, a second substantially horizontal lower plate having upper and lower surfaces, said upper plate being provided with a multiplicity of substantially cylindrical vertical apertures extending through said upper plate and through said upper and lower surfaces thereof, said upper plate around the upper and lower ends of said apertures being rounded, said lower plate being provided with a multiplicity of substantially cylindrical vertical apertures similar to said apertures in said upper plate, means supporting said plates in said conduit portion with said lower plate arranged in spaced parallel relationship below said upper plate and with said apertures of said lower plate being offset relative to said apertures of said upper plate so that the air in said conduit portion above said upper plate is adapted to pass downwardly through said apertures in said upper plate, then horizontally in the space between said upper and lower plates and thence downwardly through said apertures in said lower plate towards the space to be air-conditioned, a multiplicity of upper protrusions integrally attached to said upper plate on the lower surface thereof and depending therefrom, said upper protrusions corresponding in number to said apertures in said lower plate and being respectively in alignment therewith, a multiplicity of lower protrusions integrally attached to said lower plate on the upper surface thereof and upstanding therefrom, said lower protrusions corresponding in number to said apertures in said upper plate and being respectively in alignment therewith, said protrusions being smooth and rounded to allow a smooth flow of air therearound.

Claim 11

In an air-conditioning system includinG a conduit portion for passing air into a space, an air volume and pressure reducing means comprising a first substantially horizontal upper plate having upper and lower surfaces, a second substantially horizontal lower plate having upper and lower surfaces, said upper plate being provided with a multiplicity of substantially cylindrical vertical apertures extending through said upper plate and through said upper and lower surfaces thereof, said upper plate around the upper and lower ends of said apertures being rounded, said lower plate being provided with a multiplicity of substantially cylindrical vertical apertures similar to said apertures in said upper plate, means supporting said plates in said conduit portion with said lower plate arranged in spaced parallel relationship below said upper plate and with said apertures of said lower plate being offset relative to said apertures of said upper plate so that the air in said conduit portion above said upper plate is adapted to pass downwardly through said apertures in said upper plate, then horizontally in the space between said upper and lower plates and thence downwardly through said apertures in said lower plate towards the space to be air-conditioned, a multiplicity of upper protrusions integrally attached to said upper plate on the lower surface thereof and depending therefrom, said upper protrusions corresponding in number to said apertures in said lower plate and being respectively in alignment therewith, a multiplicity of lower protrusions integrally attached to said lower plate on the upper surface thereof and upstanding therefrom, said lower protrusions corresponding in number to said apertures in said upper plate and being respectively in alignment therewith, said protrusions being smooth and rounded to allow a smooth flow of air therearound.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 in which means is provided for moving one of said plates relatively towards and away from the other of said plates, and in which each of said protrusions is smaller than its corresponding aperture whereby said protrusions are adapted to be moved in said apertures by said relative movement of said plates to vary the air flow through said apertures.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 in which said protrusions are substantially paraboloid in shape.