GB2285504A

GB2285504A - Hot air distribution

Info

Publication number: GB2285504A
Application number: GB9423753A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alfred Slack
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-12-09
Filing date: 1994-11-24
Publication date: 1995-07-12
Also published as: GB9423753D0

Abstract

Heat distributing apparatus acts to recirculate the air in a room by drawing relatively hot air from adjacent the ceiling of the room to floor level where it is mixed to reduce the average temperature of the room to permit a quicker warm up rate. Air is drawn from inlet 5 down a telescopic conduit 3, 4 by a suction fan 8 and emitted radially outwards at floor level parallel to the floor. The apparatus provides for more efficient heating of a room. The conduit may be incorporated into furniture, may include a light, may be formed by a flexible curtain or by sound-absorbing material, and has an air filter. <IMAGE>

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HEAT DISTRIBUTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for distributing heated air in a room in order to conserve energy.

In conventional indoor heating systems heated air in a room rises to the ceiling and begins to lose heat thereto. Having lost this heat the air adjacent the ceiling is replaced by hotter air rising from the heat source. The new hot air forms another layer which passes on heat to the ceiling as before. Thus the hottest air is always at the highest point in the room and dissipates heat at the highest rate. The cooled air passes along the ceiling away from the heat source and is then pushed down towards floor level by the rising hot air. It will thus be evident that to in order to maintain the temperature of the room at body height at a comfortable level a great deal of hotter air is wasted in area above body height.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the aforesaid disadvantage thereby improving conservation of energy.

According to the present invention there is provided heat distributing apparatus for distributing heated air in a room, the apparatus comprising an elongate conduit having an inlet for receiving heated air from an upper part of said room and an outlet, and means for driving air from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the outlet has guide means for distributing the heated air to the lower part of the room.

The means for driving the air is preferably a suction fan which is located in the conduit adjacent the outlet. The guide means may be provided by a plurality of vanes which direct the air outwardly and parallel to a floor of the room.

Preferably the conduit is cylindrical with radially outwardly flared ends for the inlet and outlet. The conduit may be telescopic or collapsible with locking means to hold it in an extended configuration.

The conduit may have a filtration device to cleanse the air.

The apparatus may be formed as part of a piece of furniture in a room to make it less obtrusive.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of distribution of air in a heated room comprising taking air from the upper level of the room, transporting to a lower level of the room and mixing it with the air at the lower level.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the heat distributing apparatus of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the heat distributing apparatus incorporated into a piece of furniture; Figure 3 shows a part cut-away view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 4 is a sectional view along line X-X of Figure 2.

Referring to figure 1 of the drawings the heat distributing apparatus is shown to extend between a ceiling 1 and a floor 2 of a room. The apparatus comprises an upper cylindrical conduit 3 which is fitted in a telescoping relationship with a lower cylindrical conduit 4.

The upper conduit 3 flares radially outwardly at its free end to end in an inlet 5 adjacent the ceiling 1. The lower conduit 4 is flared radially outwardly to end in an outlet 6 adjacent the floor 2 of the room. At the end of the outlet there is a plurality of radially disposed vanes 7 which act to direct the emitted air radially outwardly and parallel to the floor.

Immediately above the outlet 6 in the flared portion of the lower conduit 4 there is a motor driven suction fan 8 which acts to draw air down the conduit 3,4 from the ceiling 1 to the floor 3.

The lower conduit 4 is fitted with an conventional clamping arrangement 9 to hold the upper and lower conduits 3,4 together in the extended position.

In operation the fan 8 operates to draw the heated air adjacent the ceiling 1 in through the inlet 5 and down the conduit 3,4 whereupon it is emitted through the outlet 6. The vanes 7 direct the heated air radially outwardly and parallel to the floor 2. The hottest air in the room is thus transported to floor level where the air is coolest. Here the hot and cold air are mixed to reduce the average temperature of the room and to give a quicker rate of heating at the lower levels of the room.

The outlet 6 should be made as small as possible to give a fast air flow.

The energy used to drive the fan 8 is converted to heat in stirring the air which beneficially adds to the desired heating of the lower room level. Energy is thereby effectively conserved.

The outlet 6 of the conduit 3,4 is made as large and stable as possible for most efficient operation.

In order to keep the noise level of the equipment down the conduit is manufactured from a material which is a poor conductor of sound. In addition, the fan is made to run relatively slowly to reduce potential noise. Rotor blades of the fan may be set in concentrical circles with the blade tips fitting close to a curved conical fan cover (not shown) to provide an increase in air speed without much noise increase.

In one embodiment a small ventilating fan (not shown) is provided for the motor chamber to prevent overheating.

The apparatus may be made unobtrusive by incorporating it into a piece of household furniture or a lighting unit. Figure 2 shows the apparatus incorporated into a corner unit 10 of a room where it is hidden from view. The corner unit may have air directing vanes 11 which guide the heated air to the centre of the room. Alternatively the tube may be made from a translucent material and fitted with an interior light to make it an aesthetically pleasing article of furniture.

For best operation the apparatus is placed opposite the heat source of the room.

An alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 3 and 4 which show a bottom portion 20 of the heat distributing apparatus in which the conduit is in the form of a flexible curtain 21 of, for example, textile material.

The bottom portion 20 comprises a conical base 22 with a concave wall arranged so that its apex 22a is directed upwards, and three legs 23 positioned equi-angularly around the periphery of the base 22. The end of the curtain 21 is attached to a collar 24 which is concentric with base 22 and is adjustable in height relative to the base 22 to vary the size of an outlet gap 25 below the collar 24.

On the feet there is mounted a circular mesh 26 which may be used to support a filter (not shown).

Air circulating down the curtain-lined conduit passes through the filter which acts to purify the air by removing dust or pollen particles etc and is guided by the conical surface of the base 22 out through the outlet 25 defined between the ground and the lower edge of the collar 24.

The feet 23 are hollow and receive legs 27 which are axially adjustable relative to the feet 23. The legs 27 pass up the interior of the conduit and are connected to the top edge of the curtain 21 adjacent the inlet (not shown). The height of the conduit is hence adjustable by raising or lowering the legs within the feet and locking device (not shown) is provided on at least one leg 27 to maintain the conduit height in a selected position.

The inlet of the conduit may be of the same design as the outlet.

In this alternative embodiment the fan would be located towards the top of the conduit, adjacent the inlet.

The filter and air mesh has cut-out slots in its periphery which enable it to be removed easily by turning it sideways to pass between the legs 27.

The alternative embodiment provides for a more lightweight product which is aesthetically pleasing. The curtain materials could be designed to match the interior decor of the room in which it is situated.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Heat distributing apparatus for distributing heated air in a room, the apparatus comprising an elongate conduit having an inlet for receiving heated air from an upper part of said room and an outlet, and means for driving air from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the outlet has guide means for distributing the heated air to the lower part of the room.

2. Heat distributing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for driving the air is a suction fan located adjacent the outlet.

3. Heat distributing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fan is located in the conduit.

4. Heat distributing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the guide means is a plurality of vanes which direct the air outwardly parallel to a floor of the room.

5. Heat distributing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide means is a conical member with a concave surface which directs the air outwardly parallel to a floor of the room.

6. Heat distributing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the conduit is cylindrical with radially outwardly flared ends for the inlet and outlet.

7. Heat distributing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the conduit is a flexible curtain.

8. Heat distributing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the flexible curtain is connected to supporting legs.

9. Heat distributing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein, the conduit is telescopic or collapsible.

10. Heat distributing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the conduit has locking means which is operable to hold the conduit in an extended configuration.

11. Heat distributing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the conduit has an air filtration device.

12. Heat distributing apparatus according to any preceding claim, where the outlet has an adjustable collar to control the amount of air output from the apparatus.

13. Heat distributing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, and Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

14. An article of furniture incorporating heat distributing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

15. A method of distribution of heated air in a room comprising taking air from the upper level of the room, transporting to a lower level of the room and mixing it with the air at the lower level.