Air diffusion unit and control mechanism therefor

Claim 5

An air diffusion system for supplying a laminar air flow input into a work space where the ambient air surrounding a performance of a task must be conditioned to a certain standard comprising: a. an air supply means for supplying air, said means supplying air conditioned to said standard, b. an air distribution means for distributing said supplied air, said distribution means connected to said supply means. c. air diffusion module means carried by a ceiling portion of said work space to provide said work space with a uniform laminar downward air flow, said modules connected to said air distribution means, and said air supply means supplying air to said modules through said distribution means, and each module including, an upper control plenum connecting with said air distributing means through a module inlet, a lower supply plenum defined in part by an intermediate plate separating said upper control plenum from said lower supply plenum, said intermediate plate having at least two selectively positioned and sized openings to provide for a uniform passage of said air from said upper plenum to said openings and a readily removable perforated bottom plate to provide an outlet for said air from said module to said work space, diffusion means hingedly attached to said intermediate plate to cover said openings and positioned within said lower plenum to provide a uniform passage of said air through said openings in said intermediate plate throughout said lower plenum, said means selectively relocatable to allow an unrestricted access to said openings in said intermediate plate. balancing means for selectively controlling the amount of air passing through each module, said means carried, one each, by a respective module upstream from said intermediate plate, wherein said balancing means is selectively adjusted to equalize the velocity of air passing through each opening in said intermediate plate so that the amount of air input by each module into the work space is approximately equal.

Claim 6

An air diffusion system for supplying a laminar air flow input into a work space where the ambient air surrounding a performance of a task must be conditioned to a certain standard comprising: a. an air supply means for supplying air, said means supplying air conditioned to said standard, b. an air distribution means for distributing said supplied air, said distribution means connected to said supply means. c. air diffusion module means carried by a ceiling portion of said work space to provide said work space with a uniform laminar downward air flow, said modules connected to said air distribution means, and said air supply means supplying air to said modules through said distribution means, and each module including, an upper control plenum connecting with said air distributing means through a module inlet, a lower supply plenum defined in part by an intermediate plate separating said upper control plenum from said lower supply plenum, said intermediate plate having at least two selectively positioned and sized openings to provide for a uniform passage of said air from said upper plenum to said openings and a readily removable perforated bottom plate to provide an outlet for said air from said module to said work space, diffusion means hingedly attached to said intermediate plate to cover said openings and positioned within said lower plenum to provide a uniform passage of said air through said openings in said intermediate plate throughout said lower plenum, said means selectively relocatable to allow an unrestricted access to said openings in said intermediate plate. balancing means for selectively controlling the amount of air passing through each module, said means carried, one each, by a respective module upstream from said intermediate plate, wherein said balancing means is selectively adjusted to equalize the velocity of air passing through each opening in said intermediate plate so that the amount of air input by each module into the work space is approximately equal.

Claim 7

An air diffusion system as defined by claim 3 and further characterized by said module comprising: a box-shaped body comprising four frame members having end portions joining at a right angle to form enclosing vertical sides and a horizontal top plate carried by a top portion of said frame members, an inlet defined by a circular opening in said top plate and connected to said air distribution means, a control plenum defined by said top plate as a top, said frame members as sides and a horizontal intermediate plate as a bottom, said orifice means defined by two rectangular openings in said intermediate plate, and said balancing means comprising a conical-shaped disc being axially aligned and located below said inlet and above said intermediate plate and a screw means having a top portion attached to the bottom side of said disc and a lower portion threadedly engaged and extending below said intermediate plate, a rotation of said screw means raising and lowering said disc, wherein said supplied air enters said body through said inlet, passes into said upper control plenum and through said openings in the intermediate plate.

Claim 8

An air diffusion system as defined by claim 3 and further characterized by: said supplied air conditioned less than said standard, and a filtering means for removing additional particulate from said supplied air, said filtering means carried by said module between said balancing means and said orifice means, wherein the air supply is further condition by said filter to be within said standard.

Claim 9

An air diffusion system for supplying a laminar air flow input into a work space where the ambient air surrounding a performance of a task must be conditioned to a certain standard comprising: a. an air supply means for supplying air, said means supplying air conditioned to said standard, b. an air distribution means for distributing said supplied air, said distribution means connected to said supply means, c. air diffusion modules carried by a ceiling portion of said work space, said modules connected to said air distribution means, and said air supply means supplying air to said modules through said distribution means, d. an orifice means carried by each module for measuring a velocity of said supplied air through said orifice, and e. a balancing means for selectively controlling the amount of air passing through each module, said means carried, one each, by a respective module upstream from said orifice means, wherein said balancing means is selectively adjusted to equalize the velocity of air passing through each orifice means so that the amount of air input by each module into the work space is approximately equal, said supplied air conditioned less than said standard, and a filtering means for removing additional particulate from said supplied air, said filtering means carried by said module between said balancing means and said orifice means, wherein the air supply is further conditioned by said filter to be within said standard. each said module comprising: a box-shaped body comprising four frame members having end portions joining at a right angle to form enclosing vertical sides and a horizontal top plate carried by a top portion of said frame members, said top plate having an opening therein prepared to receive said filtering means, a filter chamber carried by said body in an uppermost position thereof, said chamber defind by said top plate as a bottom of said chamber and a filter cover box having a horizontal top and four connecting vertical sides, said box aligned with said opening in said top plate, an inlet defined by an oval-shaped opening in one of said vertical sides to said filter chamber and connected to said air distribution means, said filter means comprising a Hepa filter having a box-shaped body and an outwardly projecting bottom flange, said filter body extending upwardly into said filter chamber through said opening in said top plate and said flange and said top plate joining to form a seal, a control plenum defined by said top plate as a top, said frame members as sides and a horizontal intermediate plate as a bottom, said orifice means defined by two rectangular openings in said intermediate plate, and said balancing means comprising an L-shaped gate having a vertical leg slidably secured to said vertical side of said filter cover box and positioned to cover said inlet when said gate is raised to an uppermost position and a screw means having an upper portion threadably connected to a horizontal leg of said gate, a center portion rotationally engaged with said top plate and a bottom portion extending downwardly through a hole in said intermediate plate, a rotation of said screw means raising and lowering said plate, wherein said supplied air enters said body through said inlet into said filter chamber, passing through said filter into said control lenum, and then through said openings in said intermediate plate.

Claim 10

An air diffusion system for supplying a laminar air flow input into a work space where the ambient air surrounding a performance of a task must be conditioned to a certain standard comprising: a. an air supply means for supplying air, said means supplying air conditioned to said standard, b. an air distribution means for distributing said supplied air, said distribution means connected to said supply means, c. air diffusion modules carried by a ceiling portion of said work space, said modules connected to said air distribution means, and said air supply means supplying air to said modules through said distribution means, d. an orifice means carried by each module for measuring a velocity of said supplied air through said orifice, and e. a balancing means for selectively controlling the amount of air passing through each module, said means carried, one each, by a respective module upstream from said orifice means, wherein said balancing means is selectively adjusted to equalize the velocity of air passing through each orifice means so that the amount of air input by each module into the work space is approximately equal, said supplied air conditioned less than said standard, and a filtering means for removing additional particulate from said supplied air, said filtering means carried by said module between said balancing means and said orifice means, wherein the air supply is further conditioned by said filter to be within said standard. each said module comprising: a box-shaped body comprising four frame members having end portions joining at a right angle to form enclosing vertical sides and a horizontal top plate carried by a top portion of said frame members, said top plate having an opening therein prepared to receive said filtering means, a filter chamber carried by said body in an uppermost position thereof, said chamber defind by said top plate as a bottom of said chamber and a filter cover box having a horizontal top and four connecting vertical sides, said box aligned with said opening in said top plate, an inlet defined by an oval-shaped opening in one of said vertical sides to said filter chamber and connected to said air distribution means, said filter means comprising a Hepa filter having a box-shaped body and an outwardly projecting bottom flange, said filter body extending upwardly into said filter chamber through said opening in said top plate and said flange and said top plate joining to form a seal, a control plenum defined by said top plate as a top, said frame members as sides and a horizontal intermediate plate as a bottom, said orifice means defined by two rectangular openings in said intermediate plate, and said balancing means comprising an L-shaped gate having a vertical leg slidably secured to said vertical side of said filter cover box and positioned to cover said inlet when said gate is raised to an uppermost position and a screw means having an upper portion threadably connected to a horizontal leg of said gate, a center portion rotationally engaged with said top plate and a bottom portion extending downwardly through a hole in said intermediate plate, a rotation of said screw means raising and lowering said plate, wherein said supplied air enters said body through said inlet into said filter chamber, passing through said filter into said control lenum, and then through said openings in said intermediate plate.

Claim 11

An air diffusion module for use in a laminar air flow diffusion system comprising: a. a module body b. an inlet opening into said body prepared for connection to an air distributing system, c. a balancing means for controlling an amount of air entering said body, said means carried by said body and located adjacent to and downstream from said inlet, d. an upper control plenum in said body being downstream from said balancing means, e. an intermediate plate forming a bottom for said upper control plenum and having two orifice openings therein, said openings providing outlets from said control plenum, f. two air diffusion units hingably carried by said intermediate plate, said unit having a box-like perforated body to allow a flow of air through said body, said respective unit positioned adjacent to and downstream from said respective orifice opening, g. a lower distribution plenum in said body being downstream from said diffusion unit, and h. a removable air diffusion bottom plate carried by said body and forming a bottom for said lower distribution plenum, said plate being perforated to allow a flow of air from said lower chamber into a work space, wherein said module is used to distribute air having a laminar flow.

Claim 12

An air diffusion module for use in a laminar air flow diffusion system comprising: a. a module body b. an inlet opening into said body prepared for connection to an air distributing system, c. a balancing means for controlling an amount of air entering said body, said means carried by said body and located adjacent to and downstream from said inlet, d. an upper control plenum in said body being downstream from said balancing means, e. an intermediate plate forming a bottom for said upper control plenum and having two orifice openings therein, said openings providing outlets from said control plenum, f. two air diffusion units hingably carried by said intermediate plate, said unit having a box-like perforated body to allow a flow of air through said body, said respective unit positioned adjacent to and downstream from said respective orifice opening, g. a lower distribution plenum in said body being downstream from said diffusion unit, and h. a removable air diffusion bottom plate carried by said body and forming a bottom for said lower distribution plenum, said plate being perforated to allow a flow of air from said lower chamber into a work space, wherein said module is used to distribute air having a laminar flow.

Claim 13

An air diffusion unit according to claim 7 and further characterized by: said body being box-shaped comprising four frame members having end portions joining at a right angle to form enclosing vertical sides and a horizontal top plate carried by a top portion of said frame members, said plate forming a top for said upper control plenum, said inlet defined by a circular opening in said top plate, said balancing means comprising a conical shaped disc being axially aligned and located below said inlet and above said intermediate plate and a screw means having a top portion attached to a bottom side of said disc and a lower portion threadedly engaged with and extending below said intermediate plate, a rotation of said screw means raising and lowering said disc, and said orifice openings being rectangular and symmetrically located in said intermediate plate, wherein said disc is raised to regulate an air supply through said orifice opening.

Claim 14

An air diffusion module defined by claim 7 and further characterized by: a filter means for removing additional particulate from said air supply, said filter carried by said body between said balancing means and said upper control plenum, wherein said filter means is used to further remove airborne particulate.

Claim 15

An air diffusion unit according to claim 9 and further characterized by: said body being box-shaped comprising four frame members having end portions joining at a right angle to form enclosing vertical sides and a horizontal top plate carried by a top portion of said frame members, said plate forming a top for said control plenum and having a rectangular opening therein prepared to receive said filtering means, a filter chamber carried by said body in an uppermost portion thereof, said chamber defined by said top plate as a bottom of said chamber and a filter cover box having a horizontal top and four connecting vertical sides, said box aligned with said opening in said top plate, said inlet defined by an oval-shaped opening in one of said vertical sides of said filter cover box, said filtering means comprising a Hepa filter having a box-shaped body and an outwardly projecting bottom flange, said filter body extending upwardly into said chamber through said opening in said top plate, and said flange and said top plate joining to form a seal, said orifice openings being rectangular and symmetrically located in said intermediate plate, and said balancing means comprising an L-shaped gate having a vertical leg slidably secured to said vertical side of said filter cover box and positioned to cover said inlet when said plate is raised to an uppermost position and a screw means having an upper portion threadedly connected to a horizontal leg of said gate, a center portion rotationally engaged with said top plate and a bottom portion extending downwardly through a hole in said intermediate plate, a rotation of said screw means raising and lowering said plate.

Claim 16

An air diffusion module as defined by claim 7 and further characterized by said body comprising: an elongated frame member forming a vertical side, said member having as an integral part thereof, inwardly projecting support flanges for supporting, an inner elongated channel, and mitered end portions, and a corner angle plate having a right and left leg portion for securing respective frame members, wherein said body is fabricated by joining four frame members to form an enlosed area having right angle corners made by mating respective mitered end portions of said frame members and securing said corners by inserting the legs of said angle plate into the respective inner channel of said respective frame member forming said corner.

Claim 17

A pressure-displacement type ventilating apparatus comprising, a source of pressurized conditioned air, duct means leading from said source to a point of utilization, an outlet module connected to said duct means and more specifically comprising, a module body, a first distribution plenum carried by said body and having a suitable inlet connecting with said duct, a second distribution plenum carried by said body and separated from said first distribution plenum by an intermediate plate, an outlet diffusor forming a readily removable bottom of said second distribution plenum to allow a distribution of said air to a space below, said diffusor providing selective access to said intermediate plate, intermediate diffusion means including a selectively sized orifice opening in said intermediate plate to provide for a movement of said air between said first and second distribution plenums and hingeable diffusing means attached to a bottom of said intermediate plate and positioned to selectively cover said orifice opening and causing a diffusion of said air passing through said orifice and into said second distribution plenum, and a control valve carried by said module body and controlling the admission of said air into said first distribution plenum, wherein a volume of said air through said outlet diffusor may be selectively regulated by said control valve as a function of a velocity of said air passing through said orifice opening when said diffusing means is removed and said orifice opening is uncovered.

Claim 18

A pressure-displacement type ventilating apparatus comprising, a source of pressurized conditioned air, duct means leading from said source to a point of utilization, an outlet module connected to said duct means and more specifically comprising, a module body, a first distribution plenum carried by said body and having a suitable inlet connecting with said duct, a second distribution plenum carried by said body and separated from said first distribution plenum by an intermediate plate, an outlet diffusor forming a readily removable bottom of said second distribution plenum to allow a distribution of said air to a space below, said diffusor providing selective access to said intermediate plate, intermediate diffusion means including a selectively sized orifice opening in said intermediate plate to provide for a movement of said air between said first and second distribution plenums and hingeable diffusing means attached to a bottom of said intermediate plate and positioned to selectively cover said orifice opening and causing a diffusion of said air passing through said orifice and into said second distribution plenum, and a control valve carried by said module body and controlling the admission of said air into said first distribution plenum, wherein a volume of said air through said outlet diffusor may be selectively regulated by said control valve as a function of a velocity of said air passing through said orifice opening when said diffusing means is removed and said orifice opening is uncovered.

Claim 19

An air diffusion module for use in a laminar air flow diffusion system comprising, a. a modular body, b. an air flow inlet for connection to a source of said air flow and carried by said body in a top portion thereof, c. first distribution chamber carried by said body adjacent to said inlet to receive said flow of air from said inlet, said chamber including at least two outlet means each having a selected fixed size to discharge an approximate equal volume of air downwardly, d. diffusion means to cause a dispersion of air flow passing through said separate outlet means of said first distribution chamber, said diffusion means removably attached to a bottom of said first chamber and positioned to diffuse air downwardly, e. a second distribution chamber carried by said body adjacent to said diffusion means to receive said air flow from said diffusion means and including a selectively removable perforated bottom plate to provide a diffusion outlet for said second chamber when said plate is in a first condition and an unrestricted access to said diffusion means and to said first chamber outlet in said second condition, f. valve adjustment means carried by said body to regulate said air flow through said air flow inlet to said first chamber, said means being readily accessible when said bottom plate of said second distribution chamber is in said second condition so that the module may be balanced in a system by controlling the flow of air through said inlet.

Claim 20

An air diffusion module for use in a laminar air flow diffusion system comprising, a. a modular body, b. an air flow inlet for connection to a source of said air flow and carried by said body in a top portion thereof, c. first distribution chamber carried by said body adjacent to said inlet to receive said flow of air from said inlet, said chamber including at least two outlet means each having a selected fixed size to discharge an approximate equal volume of air downwardly, d. diffusion means to cause a dispersion of air flow passing through said separate outlet means of said first distribution chamber, said diffusion means removably attached to a bottom of said first chamber and positioned to diffuse air downwardly, e. a second distribution chamber carried by said body adjacent to said diffusion means to receive said air flow from said diffusion means and including a selectively removable perforated bottom plate to provide a diffusion outlet for said second chamber when said plate is in a first condition and an unrestricted access to said diffusion means and to said first chamber outlet in said second condition, f. valve adjustment means carried by said body to regulate said air flow through said air flow inlet to said first chamber, said means being readily accessible when said bottom plate of said second distribution chamber is in said second condition so that the module may be balanced in a system by controlling the flow of air through said inlet.

Claim 21

An air diffusion module as defined by claim 13 and characterized as including, means for filtering said air carried by said body between said air flow inlet and said first distribution chamber.