NL1036329C2

NL1036329C2 - Screening device.

Info

Publication number: NL1036329C2
Application number: NL1036329A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Albert George Stalder; Gainer Gavin Ameln Stalder
Original assignee: Albert George Stalder
Priority date: 2008-12-18
Filing date: 2008-12-18
Publication date: 2010-06-21

Description

SCREENING DEVICE

The current invention relates to a screening device comprising a roof structure at a distance from a surface, 5 for instance the floor, wherein the screening device comprises an air inlet, a pump, guiding means and an air outlet, wherein the pump is arranged to pump air from the inlet through the guiding means to the outlet and wherein the outlet extends along an outer edge of the roof structure 10 and is arranged to create an air curtain between the roof structure and the surface for creating a substantially screened zone there between.

Such screening devices are known.

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In a lot of spaces, for instance in public spaces, it is nowadays forbidden to smoke since the inhalation of smoke by non-smokers is considered as too dangerous for their health. Although in some buildings a smoking room is present, a lot 20 of buildings or establishments lack such smoking area. Smokers are in this case obliged to smoke outside.

In order to provide a smoking area within a single room or space, devices exist which create an air curtain for 25 screening of a zone. These devices usually comprise a roof structure provided with air outlets on their circumference for creating said air curtain. By blowing out air out of the outlets, an air screen or air curtain is created between the roof structure and for instance the floor providing a 30 substantially screened zone there between. The air curtain encloses the zone under the roof structure, preventing any smoke to pass through said air curtain, thereby providing a smoke free environment outside the air curtain.

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The known devices are however too large and too complex to be used for instance in small rooms. The known devices are furthermore expensive due to their complexity.

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It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an efficient, cheap and/or compact screening device for creating a substantially screened zone.

10 In order to accomplish that objective, the screening device according to the invention is characterized in that the roof structure is formed by the guiding means. Since the means for guiding the air form the roof structure, a compact and efficient screening device is provided.

15

According to a preferred embodiment of the screening device according to the invention the guiding means comprise a plate shaped member extending substantially horizontally, wherein the pump and the guiding means are arranged to guide 20 the air along the surface of the plate shaped member and wherein the outer edge of the plate shape member is bent for forming the outlet. By guiding the air along a surface of a plate shaped member and bending said air with the bent edges an air curtain is created. The outlets are hereby formed by 25 the bent edges of the plate shaped member. The edges are hereby bent in the direction of the surface, for instance the floor for bending the airstream in the right direction.

It is for instance also possible to provide the plate shaped 30 member with a curvature wherein al least the edges of the member have a vertical component for directing the airstream towards the surface.

3

Preferably the guiding means comprise a double walled plate shaped member, wherein the pump and the guiding means are arranged to guide the air between said walls. Using a double walled plate shaped member the air can be guided in a closed 5 environment, increasing the efficiency of the device since less air pressure is lost due to for instance turbulence or drag.

More preferably the wall of the double walled plate shaped 10 member facing towards the surface has a smaller surface area than the other wall, wherein the distance between the edges of said walls forms the outlet. In this way an outlet is provided for directing the air curtain in a substantially vertical direction towards the surface, for instance the 15 floor or a table surface.

It is also possible to use a substantially enclosed double walled plate shaped member, wherein the outlet comprises a plurality of holes or a slit near the outer edge or 20 circumference of said member.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the screening device according to the invention the guiding means comprise at least one tubular member, wherein the outlet is formed by 25 at least one opening in said tubular member. Using a tubular member or a tube as guiding means provides a compact and cheap composition. Using a tubular member as guiding means, a flexible system is provided, since by changing the shape of the tubular member, the shape of the resulting air 30 curtain is adapted. The outlet preferably comprises a plurality of holes or a slit provided in said tubular member on the side facing the surface.

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Preferably at least a length of the tubular member extends substantially horizontally in a closed loop for forming said roof structure. The closed loop provides an enclosed zone such that no smoke can escape said zone.

5

It is also possible to provide shielding means to the roof structure to cover up the guiding means. It is for instance possible to cover the tubular member with cloth or plastic.

10 According to a further preferred embodiment of the screening device according to the invention the inlet extends in the screened zone and wherein the device furthermore comprises a filter for filtering the air for creating the air curtain. Using a filter, the air in the screened zone is used for 15 creating a filtered air curtain. The screened zone comprising the smoke is thereby enclosed by a filtered air stream. Suitable filters for filtering cigarette smoke are known to the person skilled in the art.

20 A further preferred embodiment of the screening device further comprises a stand for holding the roof structure at a distance from the surface, wherein the stand is formed by the guiding means, wherein the inlet is provided on the stand and wherein the stand is arranged for guiding the air 25 from the inlet to the roof structure. The inlet is for instance provided in the foot of the stand and the air is subsequently guided to the roof structure using the stand. Preferably the stand comprises a tubular member. It will be noted that this results in a compact screening device.

And more preferably the roof structure and the stand are manufactured from a single tubular member. Using a single tubular member, a very compact and cheap screening device is 30 5 provided. Preferably the pump is formed integral with the tubular member. It is also possible to form a filter integral with the tubular member.

5 It is also possible that the inlet extends near the roof structure. In this embodiment a stand can be omitted and the roofing structure can then for instance be mounted to a ceiling using suitable connection means.

10 It should be noted that the invention is not limited for creating an enclosed smoking area only. It is for instance also possible to create an air curtain enclosed area for preventing for instance bugs to enter the zone. This is in particular useful in the outdoors. It will be appreciated 15 that for this use a filter can be omitted.

The present invention is further illustrated by the following Figures, which show preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention, and are not intended to 20 limit the scope of the invention in any way, wherein: - Figure 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of the invention in cross section; 25 - Figure 2 schematically shows the device from figure 1 in perspective; - Figure 3 schematically shows a second embodiment in cross section, and; 30 - Figures 4 and 5 schematically show further embodiments of the invention in perspective.

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In figures 1 and 2 a first embodiment of the screening device 1 according to the invention is shown. The device 1 is arranged to create a substantially enclosed zone 12 wherein it is possible to smoke without any smoke escaping 5 from said zone 12.

The device 1 is provided with a roof structure in the form of a plate 5. Plate 5 is attached to a ceiling 3 using a connection rod 4. Other suitable connection means can be 10 used. In order to create an enclosed zone 12 between the roof structure and a surface, in this case the floor 2, an air curtain 7 is created. Air curtain 7 extends between the plate 5 and the floor 2.

15 For creating said air curtain 7, a pump 11 is provided.

Suitable pumps are known to the person skilled in the art. Pump 11 extends under the surface of plate 5 and pumps out air in a radially outward direction. The air 71 is guided by the plate 5 and is directed in a downward direction towards 20 the surface 2 by deflections 51. The deflections 51 hereby form the outlet 6.

The air curtain 7 prevents any smoke 8 in the enclosed zone 12 to travel to the environment 12a outside said zone 12.

25 Instead, the device is provided with an inlet 9 extending near the roof structure in the form of plate 5. The inlet 9 is connected to a filter 10 for filtering the air 8 before it is transferred to the pump 11.

30 In figure 3 a double walled plate shaped member is used as guiding means. The plate 52 hereby provides enhanced guidance of the air 71 from the pump to the outlet 6. The outlet 6 is in this embodiment formed by the distance between the edges of the plates 5 and 52. Although only the edges of the plate 5 are provided with bends 51, it is also possible to provide the plate 52 with similar bends.

7 5 The device 1 is furthermore provided with a stand 13 in the form of a tube. The stand 13 is arranged to guide air from the pump 11 to the roof structure. For filtering the air 8 in the zone 12, a filter 10 is provided in the stand 13 between the inlet 9 and the outlet 6.

10

In figure 4 the roof structure is formed by the guiding means in the form of tubular members 53 and 54. Tube 53 extends substantially horizontally in a circle. The underside of the tube 53, that is the side directed to the 15 surface 2, is provided with a plurality of holes for creating the air curtain indicated with 7. The tube 53 is connected to the stand 13 using connecting tubes 54 which extend radially with respect to the tube 53. The areas between the tubes 54 can be covered with a suitable cover, 20 for instance manufactured from cloth or plastic. In this embodiment the inlet 9 extends outside the enclosed zone and a filter is therefore omitted.

In the embodiment shown in figure 5 the tube 53 and the tube 25 from the stand 13 are formed integral. The end of the tube is formed in a loop which forms the roof structure. The loop preferably extends horizontally.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment 30 shown, but extends also to other embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. It should for instance be noted that the invention is not limited to a particular shape of the roof structure. It is for instance also 8 possible to use rectangular roof structures. It is furthermore possible to combine features from the different shown embodiments. It is for instance possible to use a tubular member as is shown in figure 4 for the roof 5 structure of the device shown in figure 3.

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Claims

A screening device comprising a roof structure at a distance from a surface, wherein the screening device comprises an air inlet, a pump, guide means and an air outlet, the pump being adapted to pump air from the inlet through the guide means to the outlet and wherein the outlet extends along an outer edge of the roof structure and is arranged to create an air curtain between the roof structure and the surface for creating an at least substantially shielded zone between them, characterized in that the roof structure is formed by the guide means .

2. Screening device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide means comprise a plate-shaped body that extends substantially horizontally, wherein the pump and the guide means are adapted to guide the air along the surface of the plate-shaped body and wherein the outer edge of the plate-shaped body body is bent to form the outlet.

3. Screening device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide means comprise a double-walled plate-shaped body, the pump and the guide means being adapted to guide the air between the walls.

4. Screening device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wall of the double-walled plate-shaped body facing the surface has a smaller surface area than the other wall, wherein the distance between the edges of the walls forms the outlet.

5. Screening device according to claim 1, wherein the guide means comprise at least one tubular body 5, the outlet being formed by at least one opening in the tubular body.

6. Screening device as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least a length of the tubular body extends at least substantially horizontally in a closed loop for forming the roof structure.

A shielding device according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 7, wherein the inlet extends into the shielded zone and wherein the device further comprises a filter for filtering the air to create the air curtain.

8. Screening device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims 1 to 7, further comprising an upright for keeping the roof structure at a distance from the surface, wherein the upright is formed by the guide means, in which the inlet is provided on the upright and wherein the post is adapted to conduct air from the inlet to the roof structure.

9. Screening device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the upright comprises a tubular body.

10. Screening device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the roof structure and the upright are made of the same tubular body.

11. Screening device according to claim 7, wherein the inlet extends near the roof structure. 1036329