U.S. patent number 3,799,703 [Application Number 05/256,304] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-26 for ventilating unit for sound control room.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Wenger Corporation. Invention is credited to Daryl D. Douglas, David L. Paine, Harvey M. Urch.
United States Patent |
3,799,703 |
Paine , et al. |
March 26, 1974 |
VENTILATING UNIT FOR SOUND CONTROL ROOM
Abstract
An enclosed ventilating unit for circulating air through a
portable sound control room, including a casing adapted to be
mounted on the wall of the sound control room, a fan unit in the
casing, means resiliently mounting the fan unit in the casing to
absorb vibration, and sound insulating means lining the interior of
the casing to absorb sound, whereby the sound and the vibration of
the fan unit and the sound of air flow are substantially minimized
in the ventilating unit without transmission into the sound control
room or to the surrounding space.
Inventors: |
Paine; David L. (Ellendale,
MN), Urch; Harvey M. (Concord, MN), Douglas; Daryl D.
(Owatonna, MN) |
Assignee: |
Wenger Corporation (Owatonna,
MN)
|
Family
ID: |
22971743 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/256,304 |
Filed: |
May 24, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/312; 181/202;
454/346; 415/119; 454/354 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F
13/24 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F24F
13/00 (20060101); F24F 13/24 (20060101); F24f
013/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;98/39,43 ;181/33K,33A
;415/119 ;417/363,312,313 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wayner; William E.
Assistant Examiner: Tapolcai, Jr.; William E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman
& McCord
Claims
We claim:
1. An enclosed ventilating unit for circulating air through a
portable sound control room constructed of insulating materials
providing an acoustically isolated environment in a larger
surrounding space, said ventilating unit comprising,
a. a casing adapted to be mounted on a wall of the sound control
room, said casing including an inlet aperture adapted to register
with a ventilating aperture in the wall and an outlet aperture
leading from the casing to the surrounding space,
b. a fan unit in the casing including a motor driven fan and a fan
housing having an inlet adjacent the inlet aperture in the casing
and an outlet opening into the casing,
c. means resiliently mounting the fan unit in the casing to absorb
vibration, and
d. exposed sound insulating means lining the interior of the casing
to absorb sound therein,
e. resilient sealing means on the casing around the inlet aperture
and engageable with the wall of the sound control room, and
f. resilient sealing means around the inlet to the fan housing,
between the fan housing and the casing,
g. whereby the sound and vibration of the fan unit are
substantially absorbed in the ventilating unit without transmission
into the sound control room or the surrounding space.
2. A ventilating unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the fan
housing includes a diffuser of increasing cross section leading to
the outlet for reducing the velocity of the air discharged by the
fan.
3. A ventilating unit for a sound control room, comprising,
a. a support panel adapted to be attached to a wall of a sound
control room with an inlet aperture in the panel in register with a
ventilating aperture in the wall,
b. a fan unit including an electric drive motor with a shaft, a fan
wheel on the motor shaft and a fan housing around the fan wheel
having an axial laterally opening inlet and a tangential diffuser
of increasing cross section with an outlet directed away from the
fan,
c. means mounting the fan unit on the support panel with the inlet
in register with the inlet aperture in the panel, and
d. a cover on the support panel enclosing the fan unit and
including an exhaust opening at the opposite side of the fan unit
from the diffuser outlet.
4. A ventilating unit as defined in claim 3, wherein the tangential
diffuser is upwardly directed, and the cover has an exhaust opening
at the bottom thereof.
5. A ventilating unit for a sound control room, comprising,
a. a panel adapted to be secured to the outside of a wall of a
sound control room with an aperture in the panel in register with a
ventilating aperture in the wall,
b. a fan unit including a drive motor with a shaft, a fan wheel on
the motor shaft, and a fan housing around the fan wheel including a
laterally opening inlet and an outlet directed away from the
fan,
c. means resiliently mounting the fan unit on the panel adjacent
the aperture in the panel comprising resilient suspension means
permitting lateral movement of the fan unit toward the panel
responsive to pressure differential on operation of the fan
wheel,
d. resilient sealing means around the inlet to the fan unit housing
and the aperture in the panel, between the housing and the panel
and compressible on movement of the fan unit toward the panel,
and
e. a cover on the panel enclosing the fan unit and including an
exhaust opening.
6. A ventilating unit as defined in claim 5, including sound
insulating material lining the interior of the cover and the
surface of the panel cover. the cover
7. A ventilating unit for a sound control room, comprising,
a. a panel adapted to be secured to the outside of a wall of a
sound control room with an aperture in the panel in register with a
ventilating aperture in the wall,
b. a fan unit including a drive motor with a shaft, a fan wheel on
the motor shaft, and a fan housing around the fan wheel including a
laterally opening inlet and an outlet directed away from the
fan,
c. means resiliently mounting the fan unit on the panel adjacent
the aperture in the panel for movement of the fan unit inlet toward
the panel adjacent the ventilating aperture,
d. a cover on the panel enclosing the fan unit and including an
exhaust opening, and
e. resilient sealing means along the perimeter of the panel on the
surface thereof adapted to be disposed adjacent the sound control
room.
8. A ventilating unit for a sound control room, comprising,
a. a panel adapted to be secured on a wall of a sound control room
with an aperture in the lower portion fo the panel in register with
a ventilating aperture in the wall,
b. fan support means on the panel,
c. a fan unit including a drive motor with a shaft, a fan wheel on
the motor shaft and a fan housing around the fan wheel including a
laterally opening inlet and a tangential diffuser with an outlet
directed upwardly,
d. means resiliently mounting the fan unit on the fan support means
with the inlet in register with the aperture in the panel,
e. a cover enclosing the fan unit and including an outlet at the
bottom thereof,
f. means securing the cover to the panel,
g. resilient sealing means around the aperture in the panel adapted
to engage the wall of the sound control room around the ventilating
aperture in the wall,
h. resilient sealing means around the inlet to the fan unit housing
and the aperture in the panel, between the housing and the panel,
and
i. sound insulating means lining the interior of the cover and the
surface of the panel within the cover.
9. A ventilating unit for a sound control room, comprising,
a. a panel adapted to be secured on a wall of a sound control room
with an aperture in the lower portion of the panel in register with
a ventilating aperture in the wall,
b. fan support means on the panel comprising spaced outwardly
projecting support members rigidly secured to the panel adjacent
the aperture therein,
c. a fan unit including a drive motor with a shaft, a fan wheel on
the motor shaft and a fan housing around the fan wheel including a
laterally opening inlet and a tangential diffuser with an outlet
directed upwardly,
d. means resiliently mounting the fan unit on the fan support means
with the inlet in register with the aperture in the panel
comprising resilient suspension means hung respectively from said
support members and supporting the fan unit,
e. a cover enclosing the fan unit and including an outlet at the
bottom thereof,
f. means securing the cover to the panel,
g. resilient sealing means around the aperture in the panel adapted
to engage the wall of the sound control room around the ventilating
aperture in the wall,
h. resilient sealing means around the inlet to the fan unit housing
and the aperture in the panel, between the housing and the panel,
and
i. sound insulating means lining the interior of the cover and the
surface of the panel within the cover.
10. A ventilating unit for a sound control room, comprising,
a. a panel adapted to be secured on a wall of a sound control room
with an aperture in the lower portion of the panel in register with
a ventilating aperture in the wall,
b. fan support means on the panel,
c. a fan unit including a drive motor with a shaft, a fan wheel on
the motor shaft and a fan housing around the fan wheel including a
laterally opening inlet and a tangential diffuser with an outlet
directed upwardly,
d. means resiliently mounting the fan unit on the fan support means
with the inlet in register with the aperture in the panel,
e. a cover enclosing the fan unit and including an outlet at the
bottom thereof,
f. means securing the cover to the panel,
g. resilient sealing means around the aperture in the panel adapted
to engage the wall of the sound control room around the ventilating
aperture in the wall,
h. resilient means around the inlet to the fan unit housing and the
aperture in the panel, between the housing and the panel,
i. sound insulating means lining the interior of the cover and the
surface of the panel within the cover,
j. an inverted L-shaped bracket on the lower portion of the panel
adapted to be inserted in a ventilating aperture in a wall of the
sound control room upon removal of a louvered vent, and
k. a plurality of small apertures in the upper portion of the panel
adapted to receive screws for attaching the panel to the wall.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a ventilating unit adapted to be mounted
on the outside of a portable sound control room for circulating air
through the room.
In the past, it has been conventional to construct portable sound
control rooms of materials providing an acoustically isolated
environment in a larger surrounding space. Such sound control rooms
have many uses in buildings of various kinds, including schools,
factories and stores. In educational buildings, the rooms may be
used for music practice, study, private instruction, counseling,
rehearsal and the like. In industrial buildings, the rooms may be
utilized for isolation of noisy machines, for office space within a
noisy factory area, and for conference rooms or the like. In retail
business establishments, the rooms may be utilized for customers to
try musical instruments or records, and switchboard operators or
the like may be isolated.
In the past, it has been conventional to construct sound control
rooms of the type described from modular panels which may be
quickly and repeatedly dismantled and reassembled with common hand
tools so that the rooms are readily movable from one location to
another as desired. Modular panels are used not only for the four
side walls but also for the floor and ceiling. When assembled, the
rooms are substantially self-contained with lighting, wiring and
ventilation. In order to provide adequate flexibility, the modular
panels have conventionally been made in various ways, so that some
panels are opaque, some are glass, some provide access doors, and
some provide ventilation, for example. Though there may be
variations in the panels, they are all constructed of materials to
provide acoustical isolation, and various panels are
interchangeable to provide flexibility.
In the prior sound control rooms, circulation of air through the
room has usually been provided by one or more ventilation panels in
each of two or more walls of the room. In one form, a ventilation
panel has included a duct extending longitudinally from top to
bottom through the panel and terminating at one end in an outwardly
directed opening and terminating at the other end in an inwardly
directed opening. Typically, the lower terminus of the duct opens
outwardly and the upper end of the duct opens inwardly. With two
such panels disposed in opposite walls of the room, air may be
drawn into the lower end in one panel and discharged from the upper
end of the panel into the interior of the room. After circulation
through the room, the air is drawn into the upper end of the
opposed panel and exhausted from the lower end of the panel into
the surrounding space.
In order to force the circulation of air through the room, one
arrangement in the past has made use of a fan installed in one
panel at the lower end adjacent the exit from the duct for drawing
air through the room. However, there have been some disadvantages
in such construction in some installations. For example, the panel
is relatively thin and the space for installing a fan within the
interior of the panel is relatively confined, as a result of which
the capacity of the fan is unduly limited. Further, installation of
the fan directly into the panel sometimes results in transmission
of vibrations into the interior of the room when it is preferable
that the room be free from such distraction. Additionally, the
limited space available in the panel restricts the use of sound
insulating material which might reduce the transmission of noise to
the surrounding space outside the room.
It is desirable to provide a ventilating unit for sound control
rooms of the type described in which the sound and vibration of the
ventilating unit are substantially absorbed in the ventilating unit
without transmission into the sound control room or into the
surrounding space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an
enclosed ventilating unit for circulating air through a sound
control room wherein the sound and vibration of the ventilating
unit are substantially absorbed in the unit without transmission
into the sound control room or into the surrounding space.
As illustrated herein, a ventilating unit embodying the principles
of the present invention includes a casing adapted to be mounted on
the outside of a wall of a sound control room and including an
inlet aperture adapted to register with a ventilating aperture in
the wall, as well as an outlet aperture leading from the casing to
the surrounding space, together with a fan unit in the casing
including a motor driven fan and a fan housing having an inlet
adjacent the inlet aperture in the casing and an outlet opening
into the casing, in an arrangement utilizing means in the casing
for absorbing the sound and vibration of the fan unit.
Preferably, the ventilating unit includes means resiliently
mounting the fan unit in the casing to absorb vibration, and sound
insulating means lining the interior of the casing to absorb sound
therein.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, the fan housing
includes a diffuser of increasing cross section leading to an
outlet and reducing the velocity of the air discharged by the fan
into the casing, and the outlet from the casing is disposed in a
position remote from the diffuser outlet.
In order to reduce leakage at air ;t the various interfaces of the
parts, resilient sealing means is utilized on the casing around the
inlet aperture to engage the wall of the sound control room,
sealing resilient aling means is utilized around the inlet to the
fan housing, between the fan housing and casing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sound control room with
ventilating units according to the present invention mounted
thereon;
FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the sound control
room illustrated in FIG. 1, taken at about the line 2--2 of FIG.
3;
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the sound control room,
taken at about the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the outside of a support panel for
the ventilating unit, adapted to be mounted on the outside of the
sound control room;
FIG. 5 is an outside elevational view of a ventilating unit
according to the present invention, with the outer wall of the
casing partly broken away to show the interior of the ventilating
unit;
FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken at about the line 6--6 of
FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at about the line 7--7
of FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings in more detail, a sound control room
as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, includes a floor 10, a ceiling
11, and four vertical walls including a rear wall 12, side wall 13,
side wall 14, and front wall 15. As seen best on viewing FIG. 2,
each of the vertical walls 12, 13, 14 and 15 includes a plurality
of upright modular panels of substantially uniform height but which
may vary in width and in construction. For example, there is a
panel as at 18 of a pane of insulating glass. There are several
relatively wide panels as at 19 which include a perforate inner
lining. There is a relatively narrow panel as at 20 which includes
a perforate inner liner. There are several relatively narrow panels
at 21 which include an imperforate inner liner, and a panel at 22
with a swinging glass door. There is a relatively narrow panel at
23 which includes electrical power supply. There are ventilating
panels at 24 and 25. The various panels in the side walls and the
floor and ceiling are secured together to form a rigid sturdy
construction by appropriate fastening means which forms no part of
the present invention and need not be described in detail
herein.
As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, each ventilating panel 24 includes
at least one vertically extending duct as at 26 which terminates at
the lower end in an outwardly opening inlet 27 and which terminates
at the upper end in an inwardly directed outlet 28. Each panel 25
may be of similar construction, and it includes at least one
vertically extending duct as illustrated at 29, which terminates at
the upper end in an inwardly directed inlet 30 and which terminates
at the lower end in an outwardly directed outlet 31.
In order to circulate ventilating air through the sound control
room, a ventilating unit 35 according to the present invention is
installed on the outside of the ventilating panel 25 over the
outlet opening 31. The ventilating unit 35 includes a fan for
drawing air into the unit from the duct 29 and discharging the air
from the unit 35 into the surrounding space. The draft created
through the duct 29 draws air from the interior of the room, and as
such air is drawn from the room, fresh air is drawn into the room
through the duct 26 in the panel 24. The ventilating unit 35 draws
warm air from the top of the sound control room, whereas the air
drawn into the room from the surrounding space is drawn from the
floor so that it is cooler. As a result, the air circulates
throughout the interior of the room as indicated generally by the
arrows in FIG. 3, rather than passing directly from the duct 26 to
the duct 29.
Referring now to FIGS. 4-7, the ventilating unit 35 comprises a
casing including a support panel 37 adapted to be attached to the
wall of the sound control room and a cover 38 secured to the
support panel 37 and enclosing a fan unit 39 supported on the panel
37. The panel 37 is of rectangular configuration, and includes an
upper portion 40 and a lower portion 41. The upper and lower
portions are connected by a relatively short intermediate portion
42 disposed at an angular inclination such that the plane of the
lower portion 41 is offset from the plane of the upper portion 40
in a direction away from the wall of the sound control room to
which the unit is attached. The lower portion 41 includes an
aperture 44 adapted to register with the ventilating aperture 31 at
the bottom of the ventilating panel 25 of the sound control room,
when the ventilating unit is mounted as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2
and 3.
In order to mount the support panel 40 on the panel 25 of the sound
control room, the lower portion 41 of the panel includes a pair of
rigidly secured brackets 46 of inverted L-shaped configuration
adapted to be hung on the wall panel 25 at the bottom edge of the
ventilating aperture 31 in the wall panel. The upper portion of the
panel 37 includes relatively small apertures as at 47 adapted to
receive screws for holding the panel fixed on the wall of the sound
control room.
To eliminate any noise of vibration of the panel 37 on the wall of
the sound control room, the upper portion 40 of the panel is
provided at the side edges and top edges with a resilient gasket
material as indicated at 48 along the side edges and 49 along the
top edge. The gasket material is adhesively secured to the panel
37. In order to seal the lower portion 41 of the panel to the outer
surface of the wall of the sound control room around the perimeter
of the ventilating aperture 31 in the wall of the control room and
around the aperture 40 in the panel 37 of the ventilating unit, the
perimeter of the lower portion of the panel is provided with
relatively thick soft resilient foam sealing material along the
sides as indicated at 52, and along the top and bottom as indicated
at 54. The sealing material 52, 54 is secured to the panel 37 by
suitable adhesive means.
In order to provide for mounting of the cover 38 on the panel 37,
the panel is formed with an outwardly directed peripheral flange
including an upper horizontal portion 56, upper side portions as at
57, and lower side portions as at 58. THe upper flange 56 is formed
with apertures as at 59, and the lower side flange 58 is formed
with an aperture as at 60, for purposes which will appear
presently.
The cover 38 includes a top wall 62, side walls as at 64 and an
outer wall 65. The bottom of the cover 38 is open at 66 for
exhausting air to the surrounding space.
For securing the cover 38 in place on the support panel 37, the
upper wall 62 includes a pair of rigidly attached pins as at 68
adapted to be positioned in the apertures 59 in the flange 56 of
the panel 37. Additionally, each of the side walls 64 of the cover
includes an aperture adapted to receive a screw as at 70 threadable
in the aperture 60 in the flange 58 of the panel 37.
In order to support the fan unit 39, the support panel 37 is
provided with a pair of outwardly projecting support members 74
illustrated herein as angle irons having inner ends welded to the
panel 37. Each angle iron is formed adjacent the outer end with an
outwardly opening slot in the horizontal flange thereof for
receiving a bolt as at 76 for supporting the fan unit.
The fan unit 39 includes an electric motor 80 having a drive shaft
82 supporting a cylindrical squirrel cage fan wheel 84. The fan
rotates in a scroll-shaped housing 85 having a circular inlet 86
coaxial with the fan and adapted to register with the aperture 44
in the support panel 37. The fan housing includes a tangential
outlet communicating with an upwardly directed diffuser 88 of
increasing cross section leading to a terminus 89 where the air
from the fan is discharged into the upper end of the cover 38,
remote from the outlet 66 leading to the surrounding space. The
diffuser 88 is secured to the housing 85, and the increasing cross
section provides for reduction in the rate of air flow in order to
reduce the noise of high velocity flow.
To provide for support of the fan unit, a transversely extending
angle iron 92 is secured to the fan housing 85 by means such as
rivets or screws illustrated at 93. The angle iron 92 includes a
horizontally extending flange 94 carrying resilient suspension
means 95 at opposite ends attached to the bolts 76 releasably
mounted in the supports 74 on the panel 37. The resilient
suspension means at each end of the flange 94 comprises a thin
metal plate 96 secured to the flange 94 and carrying a flexible
rubber diaphragm or disc 97 secured thereon. The central portion of
the rubber diaphragm 97 is secured to the upper end of a hard
rubber tube 98. The tube 98 receives the shank of the bolt 76, and
a nut 99 on the lower end of the bolt retains the hard rubber tube
98 so that the fan unit is suspended by the resiliently flexible
soft rubber diaphragms 97. Thus, the fan unit is removably mounted
in a manner which permits limited movement vertically and which
also permits limited movement of the fan unit laterally toward and
away from the support panel 37.
In order to seal the inlet 86 to the fan housing against the lower
portion 41 of the panel 37, resilient foam sealing material is
utilized around the inlet as at 102 between the fan housing and the
panel 37. As illustrated herein, the material 102 covers the entire
lower portion of panel 37 and is secured thereto.
In operation, the resilient suspension means permits the fan unit
to move rather freely. As a result, when the fan is started, a
pressure differential is created on opposite sides of the support
panel 37, and the pressure differential has the effect of moving
the fan unit toward the panel 37 in a manner to compress the
relatively soft resilient foam sealing material 102. It will be
understood that the sealing material 54 around the aperture 44 in
the panel 37 provides an air-tight seal between the panel 37 and
the outer surface of the wall of the control room, while the
material 102 provides an air-tight seal between the panel 37 and
the fan housing 85. Thus, there will not be any significant air
leakage which contributes to undesirable noise. In addition to
providing an air seal, the material 102 also aids in absorbing
vibration of the fan unit during operation so that such vbration is
not transmitted to the wall of the sound control room.
Electric power is supplied to the fan motor 80 by means of an
appropriate electrical cable 104 leading to a terminal box 105
mounted on the lower corner of the support panel 37.
In order to reduce the sound of the fan and moving air in the
interior of the ventilating unit, it is lined with suitable sound
insulating material. To this end, the upper portion of the panel 37
is covered with an adhesively secured sheet of felt insulating
material as illustrated at 107. The material 102 on the lower
portion of the panel 37 functions as sound insulating material
around the outside of the fan housing 85. The entire inner surface
of the cover 38 is covered with felt insulating material, including
a sheet 110 on the upper wall 62, sheets 112 on the side walls 64
and a sheet 114 on the outer wall 65.
The noise of the flowing air is substantially absorbed by virtue of
the diffuser which reduces the speed of the air, by virtue of the
location of the diffuser outlet 89 remote from the relatively large
outlet 66 leading to the surrounding space, and by virtue of the
sound insulating material lining the interior of the casing
adjacent the flow of air from the outlet 89 to the outlet 66. Any
vibration of the fan unit is absorbed by the resilient suspension
means 95 and the resilient sealing material 102 so that
substantially none is transmitted out of the ventilating unit. As a
result of the absorbtion of sound and vibration, the ventilating
unit operates quietly without transfer of undesirable noise to the
sound control room or to the surrounding space.
* * * * *