an air vent device and a method for installing such an air vent device

Abstract

Title: Air vent device and a method for installing such an air vent device. The air vent device comprises a casing (2) adapted on the one hand to be embedded in an opening made in a partition of a room, and on the other hand to transfer an airflow between at least one air circuit and a usable volume of the room, the casing (2) comprising means for fixing (16) to the partition, consisting of movable elements between a retracted position to allow the casing (2) to slide through the opening and a deployed position behind said partition after sliding, to immobilize the casing (2) by wedging said partition (C) between said movable elements (16) and a shoulder created by a peripheral skirt (15).The box (2) consists of the assembly of several identical modules (1), each equipped with fixing means (16), and fixedly joined together in pairs, by means of connection means (4, 5). Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 8.

Description

Title of the invention: an air vent device and a method for installing such an air vent device

[0001] The present invention relates to an air vent device and a method for installing such an air vent device.

[0002] The present invention falls within the field of applied aerodynamics, particularly in the building sector. More specifically, the invention relates to the field of building ventilation systems, and in particular to ventilation, air treatment, air conditioning, dust collection, smoke extraction, etc.

[0003] In this respect, the present invention relates to an air outlet device such as a plenum adapted to diffuse and / or draw air into a room of a building.

[0004] Typically, an air outlet device consists of an air distribution plenum, and constitutes an air connection between an air circuit and the room in which the plenum is installed.

[0005] Generally, the air distribution circuit consists of an air conditioning duct connected, for example, to an air conditioning system, which may be reversible. Thus, depending on the outside temperature, the air distribution plenum can distribute hot or cold air. The duct is then generally connected to the plenum using a connecting element called a branch fitting. Typically, an air distribution plenum comprises a housing designed to be recessed into an opening in a wall of the room in which the plenum is installed, and closed on the room side by a grille. Generally, the plenum is installed at ceiling level.

[0006] In practice, the installation of an air distribution plenum begins with the installation by a technician of air conditioning and / or ventilation ducts connected to the building's air conditioning and / or ventilation system. Subsequently, a drywall installer erects wall and ceiling panels to create a false ceiling that defines a space for concealing, among other things, the aforementioned ducts.

[0007] It is recommended to place the units near windows to balance temperatures, and also because the space around them generally does not contain furniture that could obstruct air circulation. Thus, the units are recessed into the false ceiling wall directly above a window or bay window.

[0008] However, the width of a window or bay window frame varies considerably, and preferably, from both an efficiency and aesthetic point of view, it is desirable that the box, and therefore the grille that hides it, is of a length adapted to the width of the door frame.

[0009] It is for this purpose that boxes of different lengths are offered. However, this poses stock management problems, and it is not possible to have a set of boxes that meet all the dimensions of the door frames.

[0010] The present invention aims to provide an air vent device to overcome this drawback.

[0011] The air vent device according to the invention comprises a casing adapted on the one hand to be embedded in an opening made in a partition of a room, and on the other hand to transfer an airflow between at least one air circuit and a usable volume of said room, said casing comprising means for fixing to said partition, consisting of movable elements between a retracted position to allow the sliding of said casing through said opening and a deployed position behind said partition after said sliding, to immobilize said casing by wedging said partition between said movable elements and a shoulder created by a peripheral skirt, and it is characterized in that said casing is made up of the assembly of several identical modules, each equipped with said fixing means, and fixedly joined together in pairs, through connection means.

[0012] Advantageously, with a single module size, it is possible to recreate enclosure devices of different sizes. This, on the one hand, requires less manufacturing tooling, and above all, facilitates stock management and transport.

[0013] According to an additional feature of the air vent device according to the invention, each of the modules is associated with a grid, which is configured to be secured to a module by snap-fit ​​means.

[0014] According to another additional feature of the air outlet device according to the invention, the means for connecting two-to-two of two modules together include an alignment bar for the peripheral skirts of said two modules, and a clip for holding said two modules together.

[0015] According to another additional feature of the air outlet device according to the invention, the bar is in the form of a piece having on each of two opposite sides a groove intended to house a part of the peripheral skirt.

[0016] According to another additional feature of the air outlet device according to the invention, the bar includes means for blocking the sliding in the longitudinal direction of a skirt in a groove.

[0017] According to another additional feature of the air outlet device according to the invention, the clip is in the form of a part comprising, on each of two opposite faces, a retaining profile adapted to cooperate with at least one rail comprising each of the modules, by sliding in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the peripheral skirts, and in association with means of locking said sliding.

[0018] According to another additional feature of the air outlet device according to the invention, the grilles include means of cooperation with the bars, so as to retain the skirts in the grooves after implementation of the snap-on means.

[0019] The present invention also relates to a method for installing an air vent device, which is characterized in that it consists of carrying out the following steps: - create an opening in a partition wall of the room to be fitted out, - Choose the number of modules required to create the air vent system based on the size of the opening. - to bring the said modules closer together and secure them in pairs, - insert the assembled modules into said opening and secure them to said partition through the means of attachment, - to attach a grid to each of the modules.

[0020] The advantages and characteristics of the air vent device according to the invention will become clearer from the following description, which relates to the attached drawing, which represents a non-limiting embodiment thereof.

[0021] In the attached drawing:

[0022] [Fig-1] represents a perspective view of a portion of the air outlet device according to the invention,

[0023] [Fig.2] represents a partial perspective view of the air vent device according to the invention, during assembly and in a particular configuration,

[0024] [Fig.3] represents an enlarged and perspective view of an element of the air outlet device according to the invention shown in [Fig.2],

[0025] [Fig.4] represents an enlarged perspective view of a detail of [Fig.2],

[0026] [Fig.5] represents a partial perspective view of the air vent device according to the invention, in the same particular configuration of [Fig.2], and during another assembly step,

[0027] [Fig.6] represents an enlarged and perspective view of another element of the air outlet device according to the invention, shown in [Fig.5],

[0028] [Fig.7] represents an enlarged perspective view of a detail of the device air vent according to the invention, after assembly of the element shown in [Fig.6],

[0029] [Fig.8] represents a perspective view of the air outlet device according to the invention, at the end of assembly,

[0030] [Fig.9] represents a perspective and cross-sectional view of part of the device air vent according to the invention after assembly.

[0031] With reference to Figures 1 and 8, a module 1 can be seen intended to be assembled to at least one other identical module 1 to construct the box 2 of an air outlet device according to the invention, as shown in [Fig.8].

[0032] This module 1 has a general parallelepiped shape, and comprises four walls, two called lateral 10 and two called end 11, which delimit on one side an opening 12 intended to be closed by an element 3, visible on the [Fig.8], and comprising one or more connection points to an air circuit, and on the other side an opening 13 which leads to the useful volume of the room to be equipped.

[0033] It should be noted that in the embodiment shown, one of the side walls 10 has an opening that can be closed by a cover 14 also visible in [Fig.8],

[0034] Module 1 also includes, on the side of the opening 13, a peripheral skirt 15 which extends beyond the walls 10 and 11 perpendicularly, or substantially perpendicularly because in this case the walls 10 and are not parallel.

[0035] As can be seen in [Fig.8], the air outlet device according to the invention is intended to be introduced into an opening O made in a partition C, represented by a frame in [Fig.8], this opening O being of dimensions allowing the passage of the module 1 with the exception of the skirt 15 which comes to rest against the partition C to achieve its pinching with fixing means 16, visible in [Fig.1], arranged at each of the angles formed by two walls 10 and 11, and which consist, in a manner known per se, of movable elements capable of being maneuvered from the room to come and clamp the partition C from the inside.

[0036] With reference to [Fig.2], an air outlet box 2 device according to the invention can be seen under construction, and consisting of the assembly of, not limited to, three modules 1.

[0037] The first step of this construction consists of joining and keeping aligned two by two the modules 1 by their peripheral skirts 15, by means of a bar 4, represented on the [Fig.3], and visible on figures 4 and 9.

[0038] This bar 4 comprises a plate 40 having transverse stiffening ribs 41 at the top, and two parallel longitudinal slides 42 at the bottom defining with the plate 40 two grooves 43 open outwards.

[0039] The bar 4 is intended to unite two modules 1 by their peripheral skirts 15, and more particularly the parts of the skirts 15 which extend on the side of the end walls 11, not intended to come to clamp the partition C, these parts of the skirts 15 each taking place in a groove 43.

[0040] It will be noted that the bar 4 has at the end of each of the slides 42 an outgrowth 44, also visible on the [Fig.4], intended to be indexed in a notch 17 created at each of the corners of the skirt 15, which allows the bar 4 to be centered and thus the two assembled modules 1 to be aligned.

[0041] Once the alignment of the modules 1 has been achieved, it is then necessary to join them together, which is achieved by means of clips 5 shown in figures 5 and 6.

[0042] More particularly on [Fig. 1], it can be seen that each of the end walls 11 has, perpendicular to the plane of the skirt 15 and externally, two grooves 18, made in a wall 19 of non-constant thickness, that is to say that its thickness increases the closer it is to the side of the skirt 15.

[0043] Furthermore, the clip 5 has on each of two opposite faces 50, a pair 51 of pads 52, each intended to be inserted into a groove 18, and which have a wedge shape so that the face 53, coming into contact with the wall 19, is oblique.

[0044] It will be understood that the placement of a clip 5 between two modules 1, by the introduction of the pads 52 of a pair 51 into the grooves 18 of an end wall 11 of a module 1, simultaneously with the introduction of the pads 52 of the other pair 51 into the grooves 18 of an end wall 11 of the second module 1 joined to the first by a bar 4, leads to tightening the two modules 1 and, in association with the bar 4, to fixing the two modules 1 together.

[0045] Advantageously, the ideal positioning of the clip 5 between the two modules 1 is fixed by means of a rack and pinion anchoring system 54.

[0046] As seen in [Fig.8], after assembly, the set 2 of modules 1 is inserted into the partition C, through the opening O which has been made in it, and then the set is immobilized by means of the fixing means 17. It should be noted that having a multiplicity of fixing means 17 makes it possible to achieve good stability, and to compensate for any difference in thickness of the partition C.

[0047] After immobilizing all the modules 1, it remains to place at each of the openings 13, a grid 6 after interposition of a filtering element 60.

[0048] With particular reference to [Fig.9], it can be seen that the grids 6 are secured to each module 1 by means of snap-fit ​​means 61.

[0049] It should be noted that the grids 6 also participate in the assembly of two modules 1 adjacent, and to the stiffening of the whole. Indeed, the two slides 42 of a bar 4 are separated by a groove 45, in which ribs 62 which protrude from the outer edges of the frames 63 of the grids 6 are jointly engaged. These ribs 62 contribute to holding the skirts 15 in the grooves 43.

[0050] The present invention makes it possible to manufacture on site, on demand, by assembling a few elements, an air vent device 2 regardless of its size.

Claims

Demands

1. An air vent device comprising a casing (2) adapted on the one hand to be embedded in an opening (0) made in a partition (C) of a room, and on the other hand to transfer an air flow between at least one air circuit and a usable volume of said room, said casing (2) comprising means for fixing (16) to said partition (C), consisting of movable elements between a retracted position to allow the sliding of said casing (2) through said opening (0) and a deployed position behind said partition (C) after said sliding, to immobilize said casing (2) by wedging said partition (C) between said movable elements (16) and a shoulder created by a peripheral skirt (15), characterized in that said casing (2) is made up of the assembly of several identical modules (1), each equipped with said means for fixing (16), and fixedly joined together in pairs, through connection means (4, 5).

2. Air vent device according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the modules (1) is associated with a grid (6), which is configured to be secured to said modules (1) by snap-fit ​​means (61).

3. Air vent device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the means for connecting two-to-two of two modules (1) together comprise a bar (4) for aligning the peripheral skirts (16) of said two modules, (1) and a clip (5) for holding said two modules (1) together.

4. Air vent device according to claim 3, characterized in that the bar (4) is in the form of a part having on each of two opposite sides, a groove (43) intended to house a part of the peripheral skirt (16).

5. Air outlet device according to claim 4, characterized in that the bar (4) includes means (44) for blocking the sliding in the longitudinal direction of a skirt (16) in a groove (43).

6. An air outlet device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the clip (5) is in the form of a part comprising on each of two opposite faces (50), a retaining profile adapted to cooperate with at least one rail (18, 19) that each of the modules (1) comprises, by sliding in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the peripheral skirts (16), and in association with means (54) for blocking said sliding.

7. Air vent device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, the grilles (6) include means (62) for cooperation with the bars (4), so as to retain the skirts (16) in the grooves (43) after implementation of the snap-on means (61).

8. A method for installing an air vent device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it consists of carrying out the following steps: - to create an opening (O) in a partition (C) of the room to be fitted, - choose the number of modules (1) required to construct a box (2) of an air vent device according to the size of said opening (O), - to bring together and secure together in pairs the said modules (1), - insert the assembled modules (1) into said opening (O) and secure them to said partition (C) through the fixing means (16), - attach a grid (6) to each of the modules (1).