U.S. patent application number 11/361574 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-22 for variable air volume time modulated floor terminal.
Invention is credited to Stan Demster, Andrew Helgeson, Michael J. McQueeny, Jeffery Otte, James A. Reese.
Application Number | 20070066213 11/361574 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39157910 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070066213 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Helgeson; Andrew ; et
al. |
March 22, 2007 |
Variable air volume time modulated floor terminal
Abstract
A floor terminal for positioning in a passageway in a raised
floor system having conditioned air. The floor terminal includes an
air delivery system, a damper coupled to the air delivery system,
and a grate assembly coupled to the air delivery system. The air
delivery system includes a pair of sidewalls, a back, a bottom, a
bracket and a baffle, wherein the baffle is selectively coupled
between the pair of sidewalls. The damper is selectively coupled to
the air delivery system. The damper includes a vane positioned
between a frame and a motor in a housing, wherein the motor moves
the vane between a first position and a second position to
selectively vary the flow of air through the damper. The grate
assembly fits within the bracket to couple the grate assembly with
the air delivery system to mount the air delivery system and the
damper within the passageway and to position the air delivery
system within the hole in the floor.
Inventors: |
Helgeson; Andrew; (Kansas
City, KS) ; McQueeny; Michael J.; (Leawood, KS)
; Reese; James A.; (Albany, MO) ; Otte;
Jeffery; (Overland Park, KS) ; Demster; Stan;
(Lenexa, KS) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHOOK, HARDY & BACON LLP;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
2555 GRAND BLVD
KANSAS CITY
MO
64108-2613
US
|
Family ID: |
39157910 |
Appl. No.: |
11/361574 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10606085 |
Jun 25, 2003 |
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11361574 |
Feb 24, 2006 |
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10150266 |
May 17, 2002 |
6945866 |
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10606085 |
Jun 25, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
454/247 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 2221/40 20130101;
F24F 13/10 20130101; F24F 13/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
454/247 |
International
Class: |
F24F 13/08 20060101
F24F013/08 |
Claims
1. A floor terminal for positioning in a passageway in a raised
floor system having conditioned air, the floor terminal being sized
for positioning within a hole in the floor, the floor terminal
including: an air delivery system having a pair of sidewalls, a
back, a bottom, a bracket and a baffle, the baffle being coupled
between the pair of sidewalls; a damper coupled to the air delivery
system, the damper having a frame with a housing, the housing
containing a motor, and a vane coupled between the frame and the
housing, wherein the motor is coupled with the vane to move the
vane between a first position and a second position to selectively
vary the flow of air; and a grate assembly having a mounting
portion and at least one grate plate, the mounting portion having a
sidewall, an inwardly depending flange, and an outwardly depending
flange, wherein the sidewalls of grate assembly fit within the
bracket of the air delivery system to permit coupling of the grate
assembly with the air delivery system to mount the air delivery
system and the damper within the passageway and to position the air
delivery system within the hole in the floor.
2. The floor terminal of claim 1, wherein the damper is coupled
with the air delivery system after the damper and the air delivery
system are placed within the passageway in the raised floor.
3. The floor terminal of claim 2, wherein the grate assembly is
coupled with the air delivery system after the damper is coupled
with the air delivery system within the passageway of the raised
floor system to mount the air delivery system within the hole in
the floor.
4. The floor terminal of claim 3, wherein the motor is a stepper
motor.
5. The floor terminal of claim 4, wherein the stepper motor
selectively moves the vane from the first position to the second
position via magnetic attraction.
6. The floor terminal of claim 5, wherein the vane is closed in the
first position and wherein the vane is open in the second
position.
7. The floor terminal of claim 6, wherein the bracket includes a
front flange, a pair of side members, and a rear member, the front
flange being coupled to the frame of the damper.
8. The floor terminal of claim 7, wherein the bottom includes a
front edge with a lip, the lip being coupled with the frame of the
damper.
9. The floor terminal of claim 8, wherein the baffle is selectively
movable within the air delivery system to control the flow of
air.
10. The floor terminal of claim 9, wherein the at least one grate
plate includes a plurality of slotted sections.
11. A floor terminal for positioning in a passageway in a raised
floor system having conditioned air, the floor terminal being sized
for positioning within a hole in the floor, the floor terminal
including: an air delivery system having a pair of sidewalls, a
back, a bottom, a bracket and a baffle, the baffle being coupled
between the pair of sidewalls; wherein one of the pair of sidewalls
contains a hole with a duct coupled thereto; a damper coupled to
the air delivery system, the damper having a frame with a housing,
the housing containing a motor, and a vane coupled between the
frame and the housing, wherein the motor is coupled with the vane
to move the vane between a first position and a second position to
selectively vary the flow of air; a grate assembly having a
mounting portion and at least one grate plate, the mounting portion
having a sidewall, an inwardly depending flange and an outwardly
depending flange, wherein the sidewalls of grate assembly fit
within the bracket of the air delivery system to permit coupling of
the grate assembly with the air delivery system to mount the air
delivery system and damper within the passageway and position the
air delivery system within the hole in the floor.
12. The floor terminal of claim 11, wherein the damper is coupled
with the air delivery system after the damper and the air delivery
system are placed within the passageway in the raised floor.
13. The floor terminal of claim 12, wherein the grate assembly is
coupled with the air delivery system after the damper is coupled
with the air delivery system within the passageway of the raised
floor system to mount the air delivery system within the hole in
the floor.
14. The floor terminal of claim 13, wherein the motor is a stepper
motor.
15. The floor terminal of claim 14, wherein the stepper motor
selectively moves the vane from the first position to the second
position via magnetic attraction.
16. The floor terminal of claim 15, wherein the vane is closed in
the first position and wherein the vane is open in the second
position.
17. The floor terminal of claim 16, wherein the bracket includes a
front flange, a pair of side members, and a rear member, the front
flange being coupled to the frame of the damper.
18. The floor terminal of claim 17, wherein the bottom includes a
front edge with a lip, the lip being coupled with frame of the
damper.
19. The floor terminal of claim 18, wherein the baffle is
selectively movable within the air delivery system to control the
flow of air.
20. The floor terminal of claim 19, wherein the at least one grate
plate includes a plurality of slotted sections.
21. A method for delivering conditioned air to a room having a
space located below a floor underlying the room, the method
comprising the steps of: enclosing an area under the floor to
create a supply plenum; providing a floor terminal having an air
delivery system, a damper coupled to the air delivery system, and a
control system; and supplying conditioned air to the supply plenum
for delivery to the room above the floor terminal through the air
delivery system; wherein the vane of the damper of the floor
terminal has a first position, where the conditioned air is applied
to the space, and a second position, where the flow of air to the
space is blocked, and wherein the control system selectively
effects the movement of the vane of the damper from the first
position to the second position.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the control system includes a
stepper motor.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the stepper motor selectively
moves the vane of the damper from the first position to the second
position via magnetic attraction.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the a magnetic attraction is
created by flowing a current though a pair of windings.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/606,085, filed Jun. 25, 2003, entitled
"Method And Apparatus For Delivering Conditioned Air Using Pulse
Modulation", which itself is a divisional of prior U.S. application
Ser. No. 10/150,266, filed May 17, 2002, entitled "Method and
Apparatus for Delivering Conditioned Air Using Pulse Modulation",
now U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,866.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND
[0003] This invention relates to a variable air volume floor
terminal and more particularly to a floor terminal for use in a
raised floor system.
[0004] There are a number of ways to heat and air condition spaces
within buildings. In many office buildings heating and air
conditioning is achieved through ducts in the ceilings of the
buildings. However, because the cooling air is introduced from
above, it forces some of the warmer air in the ceiling downward,
resulting in cooling inefficiencies and a reduction in ventilation
effectiveness. Ceiling-based systems also are often expensive to
install, service, or modify, since all of the required ducting, and
terminals, among other things, are located in the ceilings.
[0005] Alternatively, in many office buildings heating and air
conditioning is achieved through ducts and plenums in the floors of
the buildings. Typical floor terminals used with raised floor
systems in the industry are placed in an air passageway in the
floor. The opening of the floor terminal is sized in accordance
with the opening in the floor. The floor terminal generally
contains a mechanically driven damper and an air delivery assembly.
However, when the damper and the air delivery assembly are
assembled before installation they do not fit within the hole in
the floor from above. This requires the user to have access to the
terminal both above and below the floor for installation.
Specifically, the user must have access to the plenum of the raised
floor system to install the assembled floor terminal.
[0006] Accordingly, it would be desirable to manufacture a floor
terminal that may be used in a raised floor system. Further, it
would be desirable to manufacture a floor terminal that may be
installed without the need for access below the floor. Thus, while
floor terminals are known, there remains a need for an improved
floor terminal that has the ability to be installed with access
only to the portion above the floor.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0007] Accordingly, an improved floor terminal is provided that is
mountable in an air passageway beneath a floor. The floor terminal
is used in applications where a plenum exists in a subspace beneath
the floor. Conditioned air is provided in the subspace or air
passage and the floor terminal selectively controls the amount of
air emitted. The floor terminal includes a damper and an air
delivery assembly. The damper includes a frame, a pair of rotatable
hubs, a housing, and a vane. The hubs are coupled to the frame and
housing with the vane being mounted therebetween. A stepper motor
is contained in the housing and coupled with the vane. Movement of
the vane by a stepper motor allows the air output to be selectively
controlled. The damper is coupled to the air delivery assembly.
[0008] The air delivery assembly includes a bottom, a back, left
and right sides, a bracket and a baffle. The back depends upwardly
from a rear portion of the bottom. The left and right sides may be
mirror images of one another and are coupled to the bottom and the
back. The baffle is coupled between the left and right sides. The
bracket is U-shaped and contains a front flange, a pair of side
members, and a rear member. The rear member of the bracket is
coupled with the back while the side members of the bracket are
coupled with the left and right sides. The side members and the
rear member are formed from a single piece of sheet metal. The
front flange is coupled with the frame of the damper. Thus, once
the damper and air delivery system are assembled, the walls of the
bracket along with the front flange cooperate to form an opening
suitable for attachment to the opening in the floor.
[0009] The floor terminal also includes a grate assembly. The grate
assembly is generally rectangular (though it can be other shapes,
such as round, in alternate embodiments) and includes a mounting
portion or trim ring and a pair of grates. The mounting portion is
used to mount the assembled damper and air delivery system within a
hole in the floor. The mounting of the floor terminal can be
accomplished without the need for access below the floor.
[0010] Additional advantages, and novel features of the invention,
will be set forth in part in a description which follows and will
become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the
following, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the
specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith,
and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like
parts in the various views:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floor terminal with a
damper having a vane in the closed position and an air delivery
system;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the floor terminal of FIG. 1
with the vane in the open position and having a grate assembly
attached to the air delivery system;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a
floor terminal with a damper having a vane in the closed position,
an air delivery system, and a duct;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a side-elevation, cross-sectional view of the
floor terminal of FIG. 2 taken along the line 44 showing the floor
terminal installed in the floor;
[0016] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the terminal of FIG. 2 with
the grates removed; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a partial, enlarged view of the area 6 of FIG. 4
showing the connection between the air delivery system and the
damper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Referring to the drawings in greater detail and to FIG. 1, a
floor terminal for use in a raised floor system is shown and is
designated generally by the numeral 10. The floor terminal 10
includes a damper 12 and an air delivery assembly 14. All of the
pieces of the floor terminal 10 shown in FIG. 1 are generally
formed from sheet metal.
[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, the damper 12 will be
discussed. FIG. 2 shows a completely assembled floor terminal 10,
while FIG. 4 shows the floor terminal 10 installed in an opening
and a passageway in a raised floor system 15. The damper 12
includes a frame 16, a pair of hubs 18 (not visible), 20, and a
vane 22. The frame 16 includes a top wall 24, a sidewall 26, a
bottom wall 28, and a housing 30. The top, side, and bottom walls
24, 26, 28 of the frame 16 are integrally connected. However, it
should be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the
walls 24, 26, 28 may be separate pieces attached together by any
suitable means. The top wall 24 of the frame 16 contains a pair of
upwardly depending flanges 32, the sidewall 26 of the frame 16
contains a pair of outwardly depending flanges 34, and the bottom
wall 28 of the frame 16 contains a pair of downwardly depending
flanges 36. The sidewall 26 contains a centrally located aperture
38 (not shown), the purpose of which will be further discussed
below. The housing 30 is coupled to the top and bottom walls 24, 28
of the frame 16 at a location opposite the sidewall 26 of the frame
16.
[0020] The housing 30 contains a cover 40 and houses a motor 42
(not shown), having an output shaft 44 (not shown), that protrudes
from an aperture 46 (not shown) located in the housing 30. The
motor 42, while not shown, is a stepper motor that uses magnetic
attraction to move the vane 22 from the open position of FIG. 2 to
the closed position of FIG. 1. The aperture 38 in the sidewall 26
of the frame 16 and the aperture in the sidewall of the housing 30
align and the pair of hubs 18, 20 are coupled therewith.
[0021] The motor 42, along with the damper 12, are disclosed in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/606,085 which is herein
incorporated by reference. As discussed therein, a control system
for the damper receives input signals from a thermostat or other
sensor in the room. Based on the signals received, the control
system provides control signals to the motor 42 which operates the
damper 12. The control system may provide an "open" signal or a
"close" signal to the motor 42. When an open signal is provided,
the motor 42 is activated to rotate the vane 22 of the damper 12 to
the open position, and the damper 12 remains in that position until
a close signal is provided, wherein, the motor 42 rotates the vane
22 of the damper 12 to the closed position.
[0022] The control of the damper 12 involves assigning the damper
12 a duty cycle having a fairly short duration, normally under two
minutes and often amounting only to seconds. During each duty
cycle, the damper 12 is maintained open (or "on") for a time period
that is dependent upon a set point temperature and the actual
temperature in the room or space. During the remainder of each duty
cycle, the damper 12 is maintained closed (or "off"). The duration
of each "open" or "on" time period is adjusted in order to maintain
the set point temperature.
[0023] The vane 22 is connected with the housing 30 and the frame
16 by the pair of hubs 18, 20. The vane 22 is a generally
rectangular piece of metal that extends between the sidewall 26 of
the frame 16 and the housing 30. The details of the hubs 18, 20 are
described but not shown. The hubs 18, 20 each contain a channel 48
that receives a portion of the vane 22. The hubs 18, 20 also each
contain an aperture 50. The aperture of one hub 18 receives the
output shaft 44 of the motor 42 while the aperture of the other hub
20 receives a rod 52 that is rotatably coupled with the aperture 38
of the sidewall 26. This allows the vane 22 to be rotated relative
to the frame 16 between open and closed positions by activation of
the motor 42 (not shown). FIG. 1 shows the floor terminal 10 with
the vane 22 of the damper 12 in the closed position while FIG. 2
shows the floor terminal 10 with the vane 22 of the damper 12 in
the open position.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 5, the air delivery assembly 14 will
be discussed. The air delivery assembly 14 contains a bottom 54, a
back 56, right and left sides 58, 60, a bracket 62, and a baffle
64. The back 56 depends upwardly from a rear portion of the bottom
54. As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the bottom 54 includes an upwardly
depending lip 66 at its front edge. The upwardly depending lip 66
is used to couple the air delivery assembly 14 with the damper 12.
Specifically the downwardly depending flange 36 of the bottom wall
28 of the damper 12 mates with the upwardly depending lip 66.
[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the back 56 contains an
upper edge 68 with an outwardly depending flange 70. The outwardly
depending flange 70 contains a pair of apertures 71. The back 56
further contains a pair of tabs 72. The right and left sides 58, 60
are mirror images of one another. The right and left sides 58, 60
are generally rectangular and include front, rear, and lower
flanges 74, 76, 78 and an upper member 80. The front, rear, and
lower flanges 74, 76, 78 depend outwardly. The upper member 80
depends inwardly and further contains an upwardly depending flange
82. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outwardly depending flanges 76,
78 at the rear and lower edges of the right and left sides 58, 60
are coupled with the bottom 54 and the back 56 by rivets 84. It
should be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that any
suitable coupling method may be used As shown in FIG. 5, the right
and left sides 58, 60 contain several sets of apertures 86. The
apertures 86 are used to mount the baffle 64 therebetween. The
baffle 64 may be mounted to either set of apertures 86 to vary the
flow of air.
[0026] The bracket 62 contains a front flange 88, a pair of side
members 90, 92, and a rear member 94. The side members 90, 92 and
the rear member 94 are formed from a single piece of sheet metal.
Each of the side members 90, 92 and rear member 94 contain a wall
96, 98, 100 and a depending flange 102, 104, 106. The flanges 102,
104 on the side members 90, 92 depend outwardly while the flange
106 on the rear member 94 depends inwardly. The flange 106 on the
rear member 94 contains a pair of apertures 107. As seen in FIG. 4,
when assembled, the rear flange 106 of the bracket 62 fits under
the outwardly depending flange 70 on the back 56. The apertures 71
align with apertures 107. Further, as seen in FIG. 1, the walls 96,
98 of side members 90, 92 mate with the upwardly depending flanges
82 of the right and left sides 58, 60 and are located outwardly
therefrom.
[0027] As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front flange 88 includes a lip
108 and an upwardly depending wall 110. The upwardly depending wall
110 of the front flange 88 is coupled to the rear upwardly
depending flange 32 of the top wall 24 of the frame 16 by rivets
112, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, it should be appreciated
by one of ordinary skill in the art that any suitable coupling
method may be used. The lip 108 contains a pair of ends each having
first and second apertures 114, 116. The first set of apertures 114
are used when coupling the damper 12 to the air delivery assembly
14 during assembly, as will be discussed further below. The second
set of apertures 116 are located inwardly from the first apertures
114 on the lip 108. The second apertures 116 are used to attach a
grate assembly 118, as will be discussed further below.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the floor terminal 10 also
includes the grate assembly 118. The grate assembly 118 is
generally rectangular and is constructed from die-cast aluminum. It
should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that any
suitable material may be used. The grate assembly 118 includes a
mounting portion 120 and at least one grate plate 122. The mounting
portion 120 is a generally rectangular frame that includes
interconnected sidewalls 124, a lower flange 126, and an upper
flange 128. The sidewalls 124 form a rectangular housing having
four corners. The upper flange 128 depends outwardly from the
sidewalls 124 and serves to mount the air delivery assembly 14
within the hole in the floor 15, as will be further discussed
below. The lower flange 126 depends inwardly from the sidewalls 124
and contains an aperture 130 proximate each corner. The apertures
130 are used to mount the grate assembly 118 to the front flange 88
and bracket 62 via screws 132 to position the floor terminal 10
within the floor. The grate plates 122, shown in FIG. 2, fit within
the sidewalls 124 and rest on the lower flange 126. The grate
plates 122 contain a plurality of slotted sections 132 that are
used to direct the flow of air from the air delivery assembly
14.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of a floor terminal
134. The floor terminal 134 of FIG. 3 is the same as the floor
terminal 10 with the exception that it contains a hole 136 in a
left sidewall 140 with a duct 142 attached thereto. The duct 142
allows the floor terminal 134 to be attached to a heating system,
not shown, so that either conditioned air or heat may be emitted
from the terminal 134. The remainder of the components of the
terminal 134 are the same as the terminal 10.
[0030] The assembly and operation of the floor terminal 10 will now
be discussed. As stated above, to assemble the air delivery
assembly, the right and left sides 58, 60 are attached to the back
56 and bottom 54 by rivets 84. Further, the upwardly depending wall
110 of the front flange 88 is coupled to the flange 32 of the top
wall 24 of the frame 16 by rivets 112. The rear flange 106 of the
bracket 62 is then placed under the outwardly depending flange 70
of the back 56. The flanges 102, 104 of the side members 90, 92 of
the bracket 62 rest on the upper member 80 of the right and left
sides 58, 60. The side members 90, 92 of the bracket 62 are
positioned outwardly of the upwardly depending flanges 82 of the
right and left sides 58, 60. The air delivery assembly 14 is now
assembled and is ready to be combined with the damper 12. The
damper 12 and air delivery assembly 14 are then separately placed
within the hole in the floor 15. To attach the damper 12 to the air
delivery assembly 14, the downwardly depending flange 36 of the
bottom wall 28 of the damper 12 is placed on the inner surface of
the upwardly depending lip 66 of the bottom 54. Screws 134 are then
placed in the first set of apertures 114 and apertures on the
flange 102, 104 to affix the damper 12 to the air delivery assembly
14.
[0031] Once the damper 12 is affixed to the air delivery assembly
14, the floor terminal 10 is ready for mounting within the hole in
the floor 15. The grate assembly 118 is used to mount the floor
damper 12 within the hole in the floor 15. Specifically, the second
set of apertures 116 located on the front flange 88 and the
apertures 71 on the outwardly depending flange 70 on the back 56
are aligned with the apertures 130 located in the corners of the
mounting portion 120. It should be understood that the sidewalls
124 of the mounting portion 120 are oriented and sized to fit
within the opening in the assembled bracket 62. The screws 132 are
then placed in the apertures 130 and are tightened to raise the air
delivery system 14 within the hole in the floor. The upper flange
128 serves to maintain the air delivery system 14 in place within
the hole in the floor.
[0032] The present invention has been described in relation to
particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be
illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will
become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present
invention pertains without departing from its scope. It will be
seen from the foregoing that this invention is one well adapted to
attain the ends and objects set forth above and to attain other
advantages, which are obvious and inherent in the device. It will
be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of
utility and may be employed without reference to other features and
subcombinations. This is contemplated by and within the scope of
the claims. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art
that the present invention is not limited to what has been
particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, all matter
herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be
interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.
* * * * *