Air distribution device

Abstract

Air distribution device (10) for distributing an air-conditioned airflow (36) from a roof air conditioner (12) to the interior of a vehicle (14), wherein the device (10) comprises: an inlet opening (34) adapted to receive the conditioned airflow (36) from the roof air conditioning unit (12); at least one outlet opening (40) arranged adjacent to each longitudinal end (42) of the device (10) to supply the vehicle (14) with the conditioned airflow (36); and an internal supply channel (48) adapted to distribute the conditioned airflow (36) evenly to each of the outlet openings (40), wherein the internal supply channel (48) includes an elevated distributor arrangement (50) and two legs (52) each leading to a longitudinal end (42), wherein each leg (52) includes a lower concave surface (56) to essentially redirect the conditioned airflow (36), characterized by the fact that Each leg (52) includes a lower convex surface (60) downstream of the lower concave surface (56), such that, from the perspective of the outlet openings (40) of the leg (52), the height of each leg (52) is narrower at the midpoint of each leg (52).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an air distribution device and in particular to an air distribution device for a vehicle air conditioning system.

[0002] The invention was developed as an air distribution device for a roof-mounted air conditioning system for a recreational vehicle and is described below with reference to this application. However, it should be noted that the invention is not limited to this specific application.

[0003] The following description of the prior art is intended to place the invention in an appropriate technical context and to enable a complete understanding of its associated advantages. However, a discussion of the prior art throughout this description should not be interpreted as an admission that this prior art is generally known or part of the general knowledge in this field.

[0004] Air conditioning systems are frequently used to create a comfortable environment for occupants. This is particularly relevant when occupants are in a confined space, such as a caravan, motorhome, or other recreational vehicle.

[0005] As used herein, the term "recreational vehicle" refers to motorhomes, campervans, and other similar vehicles. Each of these has relatively confined living spaces for its occupants and, due to the nature of their use, is often used by several people, such as couples or families.

[0006] Conventional recreational vehicles have air conditioning systems that are integrated into the vehicle in some way. For example, the air conditioning unit can be installed in the floor or roof and circulate the air within and around the interior of the vehicle, thus providing the occupants with conditioned air.

[0007] From DE 10 2007 019 078 A1, for example, a roof air conditioning system is known which is mounted in an emergency exit opening in the roof of a bus and in which an air distribution plate is connected to a main part of the air conditioning system via an arrangement of rods and nuts, wherein bulges are provided in the corners of the air distribution plate for the nuts.

[0008] From US patent 2016 / 0 121 695 A1, a vehicle air conditioning system is known which includes a fan part as part of an air guide in a fan hood, which provides a convex surface in a third flow path at the top of a duct.

[0009] Roof-mounted air conditioning systems for vehicles are also known from DE 10 2018 203 428 B3, US 2016 / 0 311 288 A1 and DE 91 16 338 U1 as being of the state of the art.

[0010] One problem with roof-mounted air conditioners is the operating noise they generate. This noise results from airflow being directed into the vehicle's interior via ceiling-mounted air distribution units or boxes with outlet openings. Additional noise can also be caused by the operating noise of the roof-mounted air conditioner itself.

[0011] One solution to this problem is to reduce the speed of the fans that supply airflow to the vehicle. This reduces the velocity and noise of the airflow at the exhaust vents. Reducing the fan speed also reduces the operating noise of the air conditioning system. However, the main problem with this solution is that less airflow is delivered into the vehicle, which in turn reduces the area the airflow can reach. Therefore, simply reducing the fan speed does not achieve the same effect from the air conditioning system in the areas of the vehicle furthest from the exhaust vents.

[0012] It is an object of the present invention to reduce the operating noise of an air conditioner without having to reduce its fan speed.

[0013] The problem is solved with an air distribution device according to claim 1. Advantageous further developments are described in the dependent claims.

[0014] According to the invention, an air distribution device is provided to distribute the conditioned airflow from a roof air conditioner inside the vehicle, wherein the device includes: an inlet opening adapted to receive the conditioned airflow from the roof air conditioner; at least one outlet opening located adjacent to each longitudinal end of the device to supply an conditioned airflow to the vehicle; and an internal supply duct adapted to distribute the conditioned airflow evenly to each of the outlet openings.

[0015] According to the invention, the internal supply channel includes an elevated distributor arrangement and two legs, each leading to a longitudinal end.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, each leg includes an upper convex surface to substantially redirect the conditioned airflow.

[0017] According to the invention, each leg includes a lower concave surface to essentially redirect the conditioned airflow.

[0018] According to the invention, each leg includes a lower convex surface downstream of the lower concave surface, such that, from the perspective of the outlet openings of the legs, the height of each leg is narrower in the middle of each leg.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment, each leg includes a pair of opposing side walls, wherein the side walls substantially diverge as each leg approaches each longitudinal end.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment, each side wall is essentially curved.

[0021] In another preferred embodiment, the device includes a pair of outlet openings arranged at each longitudinal end.

[0022] In another preferred embodiment, the supply duct includes a distributor arrangement extending along a section of each leg to divide the conditioned airflow evenly between the individual outlet openings.

[0023] In another preferred embodiment, the distributor arrangement extends between the lower convex surface and an upper surface of each leg.

[0024] In another preferred embodiment, the raised distributor arrangement is essentially aligned with the central axis of the inlet opening.

[0025] In another preferred embodiment, the air distribution device includes a flexible inlet supply channel for fluid connection of the inlet opening with the vehicle air conditioning system mounted on the roof.

[0026] In another preferred embodiment, each leg includes a cross-sectional area that increases as it approaches the longitudinal end of each leg, so that the speed of the conditioned airflow decreases and thus the airflow noise generated at each longitudinal end is reduced.

[0027] In another preferred embodiment, the flexible inlet supply channel includes large rounded corners to minimize disturbance of the flow of the conditioned airflow into the inlet opening.

[0028] In a further preferred embodiment, each outlet opening includes at least one movable ventilation louver for guiding the conditioned airflow leaving each outlet opening.

[0029] In another preferred embodiment, the air distribution device includes a pair of laterally arranged exhaust air inlet openings which are adapted to return the exhaust air from the vehicle to the roof vehicle air conditioning system.

[0030] The reference in this description to "a single embodiment," "some embodiments," or "one embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or property described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the expressions "in a single embodiment," "in some embodiments," or "in one embodiment" at various points in this description do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, although they may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or properties may be combined in any suitable way as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art from this disclosure in one or more embodiments.

[0031] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the associated drawings, wherein: Fig. 1a is a perspective view of an air conditioning system installed in a recreational vehicle; Fig. 1b is a partially cropped perspective view of an air distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is located on the inside of a recreational vehicle of Fig. 1 installed; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the air conditioning system of Fig. 1a is shown without its top cover; Fig. 3a a lateral cross-sectional view of the air distribution device of Fig. 1b is; Fig. 3b another cross-sectional view of the air distribution device of Fig. 1b is the one from the recreational vehicle of Fig. 1a was removed; Fig. 4 a bottom perspective view of the air distribution device of Fig. 1b is located on the inside of the recreational vehicle of Fig. 1a is installed; Fig. 5 a perspective view of the air distribution device of Fig. 1b is, which is removed from the recreational vehicle; and Fig. 6. A top cross-sectional view of the air distribution device of Fig. 1b is the one that was removed from the recreational vehicle.

[0032] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same elements are consistently identified by the same reference numbers. For the sake of clarity and conciseness, detailed descriptions of the generally known functions and configurations contained herein have been omitted from the following description.

[0033] With reference to the attached drawings and initially to the Fig. 1a and Fig. Figure 1b provides an air distribution device 10 for a vehicle roof air conditioner 12. The air distribution device 10 is mounted on the interior ceiling 11 of the vehicle 14. The device 10 is fluidically connected to the air conditioner 12, which is mounted directly above it on the roof surface of the vehicle 14. The air distribution device 10 is used to distribute the conditioned air from the air conditioner 12 into the interior of the vehicle 14. In some applications, the air distribution device 10 is generally referred to as an air distribution box. Furthermore, the term "vehicle," as used herein, is intended to include all motorized and non-motorized vehicles. In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle is a recreational vehicle such as a caravan or a motorhome.

[0034] A typical application of the present invention is the roof-mounted air conditioner 12 of the enclosed type, wherein the evaporator components are housed on the same base and in the same casing as the condenser components. This differs from a split air conditioner, in which the condenser components are located separately from the evaporator components. For this reason, the air conditioner 12 has an outer cover 16 with openings 20 and 18 to allow outside air to enter and exit the heat exchange area of ​​the condenser of the air conditioner 12.

[0035] More precisely, it shows Fig. 2. A view of the air conditioner 12 with the outer casing 16 removed, and thus of the condenser fan 22, which draws outside air through the openings 20 into a heat exchange area. A compressor 24 is provided, which can be any commercially available type suitable for a portable air conditioner. A condenser coil 28 is connected to the compressor.

[0036] As is typical in the prior art, air drawn in from the outside is forced over the condenser coil 28 to cool the refrigerant it contains. The cooled refrigerant then flows through an expansion valve and into the evaporator coil 30 to absorb heat from the ambient air flowing over it. This conditioned the air exiting the evaporator coil. The conditioned air is then delivered to the air distribution device 10 via an evaporator fan 32, which also draws in exhaust air from the vehicle interior via the evaporator coil 30. The refrigerant is then compressed and returns to the condenser coil 28 to be cooled again. As should be apparent to a person skilled in the art, this process can be reversed so that the conditioned air is heated instead of cooled.

[0037] With reference to Fig. Figure 3a shows a side sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the air distribution device 10, as shown in Fig. 1b would be installed. As shown, the air distribution device 10 includes a main body 33 which houses an inlet opening 34 adapted to receive the conditioned airflow 36 from the roof-mounted vehicle air conditioning unit 12. At least one outlet opening 40 is arranged adjacent to each longitudinal end 42 of the device to supply a conditioned airflow 36 to the vehicle 14.

[0038] As in Fig. As best illustrated in Figure 4, the device 10 includes a pair of outlet openings 40 at each longitudinal end 42. Each outlet opening 40 includes a pair of vertically spaced, pivotable louvers 44 for directing the conditioned airflow exiting each outlet opening. In the illustrated embodiment, these louvers 44 are movable during operation of the air conditioning system 12 to distribute the conditioned airflow evenly to different areas of the vehicle 14. Additionally, the louvers 44 can be movable between a fully open and a fully closed position.

[0039] Fig. Figure 5 shows the device 10 removed from the ceiling of the vehicle 14 to illustrate the features on the top. As can be seen, the inlet opening 34 is connected to a flexible inlet supply duct 38, which, when installed, is then connected to the evaporator blower 32 of the roof air conditioning unit 12 (see Figure 5). Fig. 3a) A flexible inlet supply channel 38 advantageously compensates for minor positional shifts between the inlet opening and the evaporator fan 32 during installation, thus simplifying the installation of the device of the present invention and reducing costs. The extendable length of the flexible inlet supply channel 38 also allows for different roof-to-ceiling distances, making the device 10 suitable for various vehicle installations. The flexible inlet supply channel 38 incorporates large rounded corners 46 to minimize flow disturbances and pressure drops in the conditioned airflow entering the inlet opening 34. Similarly, the inlet opening 34 and the evaporator fan 32 have corresponding rounded corners to ensure a tight seal with the flexible inlet supply channel 38 and to minimize pressure loss in the supplied airflow.

[0040] With reference to Fig. Figure 3b, which shows the device 10 removed from the installation and partially subdivided, shows that the device 10 still includes an internal supply channel 48 for the uniform distribution of the conditioned airflow 36 from the inlet opening 34 to each longitudinal end 42. The internal supply channel 48 includes a raised distributor assembly 50, which, in the installed state, is substantially aligned with the lateral central axis of the inlet opening 34. The raised distributor assembly 50 divides the conditioned airflow 36 evenly onto a pair of legs 52, which extend to each longitudinal end 42 and the outlet openings 40.

[0041] Upon closer inspection of the inside of the internal supply duct 48, each leg 52 is defined by an upper convex surface 54 and a lower concave surface 56, relative to the inside of the internal supply duct 48. An upper flat surface 58 and a lower convex surface 60 are provided downstream of the upper convex and lower concave surfaces, respectively. The presence of the upper convex surface 54, the lower concave surface 56, and the lower convex surface 60 creates a gentle deflection of the conditioned airflow 36 from the air conditioner 12, resulting in a minimal pressure drop of the conditioned airflow 36 between the inlet opening 34 and each outlet opening 40.

[0042] With reference to Fig. Figure 6 shows another sectional view through the device 10 removed from the installation, but from the perspective of the downward-facing top side. Each leg 52 also includes a pair of opposing curved side walls 62, which generally diverge as each leg transitions to each longitudinal end 42. Again, the gradual divergence of the side walls minimizes the pressure loss as the airflow passes over each leg 52.

[0043] As mentioned previously, each leg includes a lower convex surface 60 that transitions from the lower concave surface 56. As can be seen, the lower convex surface 60 extends between the opposing side walls 62 and rises at its center, where it is separated by a distributor assembly 64. As explained in more detail below, a distributor assembly 64 is provided at each longitudinal end 42 to ensure uniform separation of the conditioned airflow 36 between the individual outlet openings 40. Although not immediately apparent from this view, each distributor assembly 64 extends between the upper flat surface 58 and the lower convex surface 60 to completely separate the conditioned airflow 36 between the outlet openings. The distributor assembly 64 also serves to support one end of each pivotally movable louver 44.

[0044] From the perspective of each end of the device, the lower convex surface 60 has a convex profile. This contrasts with the upper convex surface, which also has a convex profile when viewed from the side of the device 10. Due to the lower convex surface 60, the height of each leg 52 is relatively narrower at its center and relatively higher at the sides of each leg. More precisely, the lower convex surface 60 provides a reduced cross-sectional area in the central section of each leg 52, near the distributor assembly 64, and an increased cross-sectional area at the sides of each leg. As should be evident, the airflow is directed towards the sides of each leg near the side walls 62, where a larger cross-sectional area offers less resistance. This separation of the airflow results in a more uniform velocity distribution across the outlet openings with minimal pressure loss.This in turn minimizes the possibility that one outlet opening 40 has a larger share of the airflow than all the others. The lower convex surface 60 terminates in a step 61 that leads to each outlet opening 40.

[0045] Back to Fig. 4. The exhaust air is supplied to the air conditioning unit 12 via a pair of laterally arranged exhaust air inlet openings 66. This exhaust air flows to the roof air conditioning unit 12 via paths (not shown) on each side of the internal supply duct 48.

[0046] The device of the present invention is primarily formed from molded plastics, such as those generally known in the prior art. However, other materials can be used without deviating from the scope of the invention.

[0047] With renewed reference to the Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b During operation, the conditioned airflow 36 from the roof air conditioning unit 12 flows into the flexible inlet supply duct 38, where it enters the inlet opening 32. From there, the airflow 36 enters the internal supply duct 48. The airflow then passes through the raised distributor assembly 50 to be evenly distributed onto the respective legs 52. The conditioned airflow then reaches each longitudinal end 42, where it again passes through the lower convex surface 60 and the distributor assembly 64 ( Fig. 6) is divided to be distributed evenly to each outlet opening 40 and into the interior of the vehicle 14. Movable louvers 44 can oscillate during operation to distribute the conditioned airflow between adjacent and more distant areas of the vehicle interior.

[0048] It should be noted that, due to the configuration of the internal supply channel 48, a uniform airflow distribution between the two legs 52 is provided. Furthermore, the shape of the side walls 62, the lower convex surface 60, and the arrangement of the distributor 64 result in a uniform flow to each outlet opening 40 at each longitudinal end 42. In practice, this means that each outlet opening 40 bears the load of the airflow distribution evenly, resulting in the same exit velocity at each outlet opening 40 and, consequently, the same noise emissions at each outlet opening. This, in turn, leads to a lower overall noise level of the air distribution compared to prior art devices, where an uneven airflow distribution across the outlet openings generates higher noise at the outlet opening with the highest airflow velocity.

[0049] Furthermore, in another aspect of the invention, the cross-sectional area of ​​each leg 52 increases towards each longitudinal end and each lateral side of each leg, due to the diverging side walls 62 and the lower convex surfaces 60 of the internal supply channel 48. In this way, the velocity of the conditioned airflow 36, which is still evenly distributed between each outlet opening 40, decreases as it approaches each longitudinal end 42. This reduction in velocity, in turn, reduces the noise generated by the airflow exiting each outlet opening 40.

[0050] Furthermore, due to the smooth surfaces and the gradual deflection achieved by the design of the internal supply channel 48 and the large-radius rounded corners of the flexible inlet supply channel and the inlet opening 34, the device of the present invention provides a smooth, unrestricted path for the conditioned airflow with minimal interruptions for pressure loss. This allows the rotational speed of the fan generating the conditioned airflow to be reduced compared to conventional devices. In other words, using the air distribution device of the present invention, an increased airflow is provided at a given rotational speed of the supply fan.The use of the device of the present invention, compared to prior art devices, leads to a reduction in the operating noise of the air conditioning system and to reduced energy consumption.

[0051] Advantageously, the device of the present invention reduces the overall noise level in a recreational vehicle during the operation of a roof-mounted air conditioner. This is due to the fact that a uniform airflow distribution to each of the outlet openings is ensured, thereby minimizing the possibility of a high-velocity and noisy airflow exiting any one of the outlet openings. Secondly, an airflow path defined by the internal supply duct provides only a minimal pressure drop between the outlet of the evaporator fan 32 and each outlet opening, resulting in low airflow distribution noise from the device and a relatively lower rotational speed of the evaporator fan.And thirdly, by reducing the speed of the airflow moving on its way to each outlet opening, the noise of the airflow exiting each outlet opening is generally reduced.

[0052] It should be noted that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes summarized in a single embodiment, figure, or its description to simplify the disclosure or to facilitate understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, this type of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly mentioned in each claim. Rather, as the following claims demonstrate, inventive aspects are contained in fewer than all the features of any single one of the embodiments disclosed above. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into the detailed description, each claim standing alone as a separate embodiment of this invention.

[0053] Numerous specific details are listed in this description. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention can be implemented without these specific details. Furthermore, generally known methods, structures, and techniques have not been described in detail in order to avoid complicating the understanding of this description.

[0054] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications can be made to it without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all such changes and modifications be claimed to fall within the scope of the invention. For example, any of the formulas mentioned above are merely representative of the methods that may be used. Functionality can be added to or deleted from the block diagrams, and the sequences can be exchanged between the functional blocks. Steps can be added to or deleted from the methods described within the scope of the present invention. REFERENCE MARK 10 Air distribution device 11 Interior ceiling 12 Vehicle roof air conditioning 14 vehicles 16 Cover 18, 20 openings 22 Condenser fan 24 Compressor 28 capacitor coil 30 evaporator coils 32 evaporator fans 33 Main body 34 Inlet opening 36 air-conditioned airflow 38 flexible inlet feed channel 40 Outlet opening 42 Longitudinal end 44 movable slats 46 large rounded corners 48 internal supply channels 50 increased distributor arrangement 52 thighs 54 upper convex surface 56 lower concave surface 58 upper straight surface 60 lower convex surface Step 61 62 opposing curved side walls 64 Distributor arrangement 66 exhaust air inlets

Claims

[1] Air distribution device (10) for distributing an air-conditioned airflow (36) from a roof air conditioning unit (12) to the interior of a vehicle (14), wherein the device (10) comprises: an inlet opening (34) adapted to receive the conditioned airflow (36) from the roof air conditioning unit (12); at least one outlet opening (40) arranged adjacent to each longitudinal end (42) of the device (10) to supply the vehicle (14) with the conditioned airflow (36); and an internal supply channel (48) adapted to distribute the conditioned airflow (36) evenly to each of the outlet openings (40), wherein the internal supply channel (48) includes an elevated distributor arrangement (50) and two legs (52) each leading to a longitudinal end (42), wherein each leg (52) includes a lower concave surface (56) to essentially redirect the conditioned airflow (36), characterized by , that Each leg (52) includes a lower convex surface (60) downstream of the lower concave surface (56), such that, from the perspective of the outlet openings (40) of the leg (52), the height of each leg (52) is narrower at the midpoint of each leg (52). [2] Air distribution device (10) according to claim 1, wherein each leg (52) includes an upper convex surface (54) to substantially redirect the conditioned airflow (36). [3] Air distribution device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each leg (52) includes a pair of opposing side walls (62), wherein the side walls (62) substantially diverge as each leg (52) approaches each longitudinal end (42). [4] Air distribution device (10) according to claim 3, wherein each side wall (62) is substantially curved. [5] Air distribution device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the device (10) includes a pair of outlet openings (40) arranged at each longitudinal end (42). [6] Air distribution device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the supply duct (48) includes a distributor arrangement (64) extending along a section of each leg (52) to divide the conditioned airflow (36) evenly between the individual outlet openings (40). [7] Air distribution device (10) according to claim 6, wherein the distributor arrangement (64) extends between the lower convex surface (60) and an upper surface (58) of each leg (52). [8] Air distribution device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the raised distributor arrangement (50) is substantially aligned with the central axis of the inlet opening (34). [9] Air distribution device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the air distribution device (10) includes a flexible inlet supply channel (38) for fluid connection of the inlet opening (34) with the vehicle air conditioning unit (12) mounted on the roof. [10] Air distribution device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each leg (52) includes a cross-sectional area which increases as it approaches the longitudinal end (42) of each leg (52), so that the velocity of the conditioned airflow (36) decreases and thus the airflow noise generated at each longitudinal end (42) is reduced. [11] Air distribution device (10) according to claim 9, wherein the flexible inlet supply channel (38) includes large rounded corners (46) to minimize disturbance of the flow of the conditioned airflow (36) into the inlet opening (34). [12] Air distribution device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each outlet opening (40) includes at least one movable ventilation louver (44) for directing the conditioned airflow (36) exiting each outlet opening (40). [13] Air distribution device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the air distribution device (10) includes a pair of laterally arranged exhaust air inlet openings (66) which are adapted to return the exhaust air from the vehicle (14) to the roof vehicle air conditioning unit (12).

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