Island device for regulating air
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- HK · HK
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- J M 谢乐
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies struggle to balance significant cooling capacity with good thermal comfort (no airflow, temperature uniformity), and lack building flexibility, especially in heating and cooling modes where traditional installations require the entire ceiling surface.
Employing a modular island-shaped device system that combines radiation and thermal convection technologies, the system uses a thermostatic actuator to adjust the angle and cross-section of the hinged baffle channel, automatically adapting to changes in air temperature to achieve directional air blowing. It is suitable for installation on a portion of the ceiling surface.
It achieves uniform temperature distribution and excellent thermal comfort in both heating and cooling modes, while maintaining the building's flexibility and efficient heat dissipation, avoiding airflow effects and stratification.
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a modular island-shaped device system for heating, cooling, and ventilating buildings through radiation and thermal convection, as well as for acoustic treatment of rooms. Background Technology
[0002] Ceiling diffusers in the form of grilles are known, which direct treated air (heated or cooled air and ventilation air) into the room at a defined angle.
[0003] Some of these grilles blow air horizontally relative to the ceiling, which is good for cooling the room (cold air is denser than ambient air and naturally descends towards the room), but is very inefficient for heating (hot air is less dense than ambient air and stagnates in the upper part of the room, creating stratification).
[0004] Some of these grilles blow air at right angles to the ceiling, which is suitable for heating a room (hot air is less dense than ambient air and needs to be blown downwards to prevent it from stagnating at the top of the room and creating stratification), but is very unsuitable for cooling (cold air is denser than ambient air and will descend towards the room at high speed, creating airflow).
[0005] Some of these grilles direct air into the room at a defined angle (e.g., 45°) relative to the ceiling for both heating and cooling purposes, but in neither of these modes, the diffusion efficiency is optimal, resulting in very similar overall comfort levels.
[0006] It is also known to use perforated ceilings or modules to blow treated air into a room at very low speeds. This technique works well in cooling modes, but is very inefficient in heating modes. In fact, hot air is less dense than ambient air and needs to be blown at a certain speed to utilize sufficient kinetic energy to reach the floor of the room, thus avoiding stratification.
[0007] Also known are ceiling-mounted diffuser boxes (typically installed in office spaces or businesses) with motorized diffuser fins on their perimeter, allowing for adjustment of the airflow angle directed into the room. The drawback of these is that users must adjust the diffuser angle daily based on the temperature of the air being blown, which is difficult to do in practice.
[0008] It should also be noted that all the methods mentioned above use air blowing and therefore rely on convection to transfer 100% of the heat energy. Therefore, they require significant airflow (and thus air velocity) and blowing air temperatures that differ considerably from the room's ambient temperature, which often results in thermal discomfort within the room.
[0009] Other known methods (such as radiant panels) use thermal radiation to diffuse 100% of the useful heat energy. Radiant panels can be in modular form, and for some modules, room sound can be addressed through a perforated panel at the bottom of the module that is permeable to thermal radiation and sound-absorbing material placed inside the module. This method, which uses only thermal radiation as a diffusion medium, has very limited cooling capacity because there is a risk of dew point being reached on the panel surface, thus posing a risk of condensation.
[0010] Also known is the cold beam method, which uses a heat exchanger to induce and thus generate convective airflow upon contact with ambient air. The resulting low airflow velocity allows this method to achieve satisfactory performance, but it is limited to cooling mode.
[0011] Finally, Barrisol is also known as described in the literature WO 2018 / 037184 A1 (Jean-Marc Scherrer [FR]; Damien Lang [FR]). Device.
[0012] Unlike the previously mentioned methods, this device uses convection and radiation to diffuse heat. It is very comfortable in both heating and cooling modes by means of wall-mounted air diffusion (along the walls of the room), avoiding airflow effects and achieving very good temperature uniformity within the room's volume. However, it does require installation on the entire surface of the ceiling of the room it serves, thus reducing flexibility in buildings where rooms may frequently need to be redefined by changing zoning (e.g., office spaces).
[0013] Furthermore, US 2020 / 003450(A1) (Surminski David Mark [CA] et al.) describes a laminar flow diffuser with integrated lighting, having a frame for supporting an air chamber and a lower housing. The air chamber receives regulated air from a regulated air source. The lower housing is fixed to the bottom of the air chamber. An orifice plate damper mounted below the upper air chamber regulates the airflow from the air chamber through the laminar flow diffuser. A transparent or translucent perforated diffuser surface forms the output end of the lower housing facing the lower chamber. An LED strip is located around the inner perimeter of the lower housing. A perforated reflector panel is located below the orifice plate damper and above the LED strip to diffuse light from the LED strip through the perforated diffuser surface.
[0014] In itself, JP H02 68445(A) (Diesel Kiki Co) aims to eliminate the drive power source, reduce the number of parts, and prevent motor drive noise. This is achieved through a method in which a heat-sensitive component is formed of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy, and an actuator is actuated by pressurizing hydrogen. When the temperature of the blown air in the air-blowing duct is high, hydrogen is released from the hydrogen-absorbing alloy, increasing the hydrogen pressure in the duct and actuator. The actuator, constructed of a bellows, extends due to the increased hydrogen pressure, the rod moves upward, and each louver is set to point downward. Conversely, when the temperature of the blown air in the duct is low, hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen-absorbing alloy, reducing the hydraulic pressure in the duct or actuator, and thus the actuator retracts and the rod moves downward. Each louver is set upward. At intermediate temperatures between high and low temperatures, the angle of each louver is linearly controlled in response to the hydrogen absorption and emission characteristics of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy.
[0015] US 3,937,133 A (Bertin Mannie et al.) describes an output device for regulated air having multiple interconnected modules that form its lateral walls to support a closed bottom, through which the output device is connected to a mounting frame. Each module has a support frame consisting of upper and lower lateral elements having extruded lengths, and end elements, providing an outer wall and an inner wall. Means are provided for interconnecting the frames vertically or laterally in the same plane or at right angles to provide an airtight connection.
[0016] Typically, in order to achieve both significant cooling capacity and good thermal comfort (no airflow and uniform temperature in the room), it is necessary to utilize devices that allow heat diffusion through radiation and convection (blowing air into the room).
[0017] Regarding the power diffused through thermal convection, it is important to keep the cooling air parallel to the ceiling and diffuse it at a low speed to avoid airflow effects.
[0018] The heated air itself must diffuse toward the floor of the room at a greater speed to ensure it reaches a sufficient area to avoid stratification.
[0019] Finally, in addition to the previously mentioned Barrisol Apart from the fixture (but it does have the disadvantage of having to be installed on the entire ceiling surface of the room), diffusion systems use thermal convection or thermal radiation as the diffusion medium for the heat energy needed to heat and cool the room, which does not allow them to have both significant cooling capacity and satisfactory thermal comfort. Summary of the Invention
[0020] This invention proposes to mitigate these drawbacks by providing a modular system for heating, cooling, and ventilating buildings (homes, apartments, buildings, factories, sports stadiums, schools, hospitals, etc.) while ensuring excellent thermal comfort (no airflow and uniform temperature throughout the space) during heating and cooling. The modular system of the island device does not require positioning against a vertical wall, thus allowing it to be fixed to only a portion of the ceiling surface.
[0021] One object of the present invention is to provide a radiation and convection system that can heat and / or cool a room with high efficiency, strong allowable thermal energy and excellent thermal comfort, thereby creating temperature uniformity and airflow-free conditions.
[0022] In particular, the present invention relates to an automatic ceiling diffuser system for a room, the system being adapted to heat, cool, and ventilate the room by radiation and thermal convection, the system comprising at least one modular island device designed to be attached to the ceiling of the room, the modular island device comprising:
[0023] The outer frame is provided with at least one thread for attaching a diffusion element, such as a taut fabric, located at its lower part opposite the ceiling; the outer frame includes slits on one or more of its surfaces for blowing air into the room.
[0024] A diffusion element, such as a stretched fabric, is attached to the attachment line of the outer frame, is visible from the room, and forms the horizontal bottom surface of the modular island device;
[0025] A cover that forms the top surface of the modular surface facing the ceiling;
[0026] An air blowing connection outlet is fixed to the cover of the modular island device and allows treated air to be injected into the internal volume of the modular island device;
[0027] A hinged baffle channel formed by an upper hinged baffle and a lower hinged baffle, the channel being fixed to the outer frame at the air blowing slit and capable of directing the blown air at a defined angle relative to the ceiling, the angle varying from 0° when cold air is blown into the island device, i.e. parallel to the ceiling, to a maximum of 70° when hot air is blown into the modular island device.
[0028] A thermostatic actuator that can actuate the articulated baffle channel via an actuator of these baffles, such as an actuating rod, and provide a blowing angle to the channel that varies with the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device. The thermostatic actuator includes a piston whose output stroke varies with the temperature of the air in which the thermostatic actuator is immersed.
[0029] A return spring, which applies a force opposite to the stroke of the piston of the thermostatic actuator, and thus returns the piston to its minimum stroke when cold air is blown into the modular island device, is characterized in that the hinge baffle channel includes hinge devices located in the channel for maintaining parallelism and linking the upper and lower hinge baffles to hinge points B and C, respectively, the upper and lower hinge baffles being fixed to the periphery at hinge points A and D, these hinge points and the hinge points B and C of the hinge devices for maintaining parallelism delineate a parallelogram ABCD, the parallelogram providing parallelism on opposite sides.
[0030] The present invention also proposes a modular island device designed for heating, cooling, and ventilating a room through radiation and thermal convection, the modular island device being suspendable from the ceiling of the room, the modular island device comprising:
[0031] The outer frame is provided with at least one thread for attaching a diffusion element, such as a taut fabric, located at its lower part opposite the ceiling; the outer frame includes slits on one or more of its surfaces for blowing air into the room.
[0032] A diffusion element, such as a stretched fabric, is attached to the attachment line of the outer frame, is visible from the room, and forms the horizontal bottom surface of the modular island device;
[0033] A cover that forms the top surface of the modular island assembly facing the ceiling;
[0034] An air blowing connection outlet is fixed to the cover of the modular island device and allows treated air to be injected into the internal volume of the modular island device;
[0035] A hinged baffle channel formed by an upper hinged baffle and a lower hinged baffle, the channel being fixed to the outer frame at the air blowing slit and capable of directing the blown air at a defined angle relative to the ceiling, the angle varying from 0° when the blown air is blown into the island device, i.e. parallel to the ceiling, to a maximum of 70° when hot air is blown into the modular island device.
[0036] A thermostatic actuator that can actuate the articulated baffle channel via an actuator of these baffles, such as an actuating rod, and provide a blowing angle to the channel that varies with the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device. The thermostatic actuator includes a piston whose output stroke varies with the temperature of the air in which the thermostatic actuator is immersed.
[0037] A return spring, which applies a force opposite to the stroke of the piston of the thermostatic actuator, and thus returns the piston to its minimum stroke when cold air is blown into the modular island device, is characterized in that the hinge baffle channel includes hinge devices located in the channel for maintaining parallelism and linking the upper and lower hinge baffles to hinge points B and C, respectively, the upper and lower hinge baffles being fixed to the outer frame at hinge points A and D, these hinge points and the hinge points B and C of the hinge devices for maintaining parallelism delineate a parallelogram ABCD, the parallelogram providing parallelism on its opposite sides.
[0038] Other unexpected advantages of the composition according to the invention will become clear upon reading the detailed description and exemplary embodiments of the invention. Attached Figure Description
[0039] Examples of embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0040] · Figure 1 An example of a modular island device according to the present invention is shown.
[0041] · Figure 2 The detailed transverse cross-section of the modular island unit is shown when it is operating under nominal cooling conditions.
[0042] · Figure 3 The detailed transverse cross-section of the modular island unit is shown when it is operating under nominal heating conditions.
[0043] · Figure 4 The detailed transverse cross-section of the modular island device is shown when it operates under intermediate heating or cooling conditions.
[0044] · Figure 5 The longitudinal section of the modular island-shaped device is shown;
[0045] · Figure 6 A three-dimensional view of two modular island-shaped devices attached to each other is shown;
[0046] · Figure 7 A top view of two modular island-shaped devices attached to each other is shown. Detailed Implementation
[0047] As previously explained, the room’s thermal comfort is highest when the heat energy needed to heat and cool the room can be diffused through a combination of radiation and convection.
[0048] Furthermore, if the blown air is not oriented according to its temperature, the diffused convective energy may lead to discomfort (airflow) or inefficiency (stratification). Additionally, hot air needs to be blown at high speeds to fully utilize its kinetic energy to reach the room floor, unlike cold air, which is denser than ambient air and naturally descends towards the floor and must be blown at low speeds to avoid airflow effects.
[0049] Finally, many buildings or structures (such as office spaces) require flexibility to allow for modularization of spaces that would typically require reorganization through partitioning modifications.
[0050] The present invention described herein proposes to overcome all these limitations by means of a modular island device that operates by radiation and thermal convection and is able to automatically adapt (and therefore without user intervention) to the orientation and speed of airflow blowing into the room. The modular island device or modular island device set occupies only a portion of the ceiling surface without being attached to a vertical wall.
[0051] While similar or equivalent methods and materials may be used in practice, suitable methods and materials are described below. The entire contents of all disclosures, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, the materials, methods, and embodiments described are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting.
[0052] In the event of a conflict, this specification, including the definitions, shall prevail.
[0053] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this document have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this subject pertains. As used herein, the following definitions are provided to aid in understanding the invention.
[0054] The term "comprises" is usually used in the sense of inclusion, meaning that one or more features or components / components are allowed to exist.
[0055] As used in the description of the claims, the singular forms "a / an" and "the" include plural indicators unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
[0056] The term "treated air" refers to air that has been cooled or heated (to meet the cooling or heating needs of a room) and is supplied with fresh outside air to ensure hygienic air ventilation in the room.
[0057] As a general rule, "cold air" should be understood as a temperature with a maximum of 20°C, while "hot air" should be understood as any temperature above 20°C.
[0058] This invention proposes an automatic ceiling diffuser system for a room, the system being suitable for heating, cooling, and ventilating the room through radiation and thermal convection, the system comprising at least one modular island device designed to be attached to the ceiling of the room, the modular island device comprising:
[0059] The outer frame (1) is provided with at least one line for attaching a diffuser element, such as a taut fabric (8), located at its lower part opposite the ceiling; the outer frame (1) includes a slit (2) on one side for blowing air into the room.
[0060] A diffusion element, such as a stretched fabric (8), is attached to the attachment line of the outer frame, is visible from the room, and forms the horizontal bottom surface of the modular island device;
[0061] Cover (19) forms the top surface of the modular island assembly facing the ceiling;
[0062] An air blowing connection outlet (4) is fixed to the cover (18) of the modular island device and allows treated air to be injected into the internal volume of the modular island device;
[0063] The hinged baffle (10, 11) channel formed by the upper hinged baffle (11) and the lower hinged baffle (10) is fixed to the outer frame (1) at the air blowing slit (2) and can direct the blown air to a defined angle relative to the ceiling, which varies from 0° when cold air is blown into the island device, i.e. parallel to the ceiling, to a maximum of 70° when hot air is blown into the modular island device;
[0064] A thermostatic actuator (13) is provided, which can actuate the channels of the hinged baffles (10, 11) via actuators of these baffles, such as actuator rods (14), and provide a blowing angle to the channels, which varies with the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device. The thermostatic actuator (13) includes a piston whose output stroke varies with the temperature of the air in which the thermostatic actuator (13) is immersed.
[0065] A return spring (15) can apply a force opposite to the stroke of the piston of the thermostatic actuator (13), and thus return the piston to its minimum stroke when cold air is blown into the modular island device, wherein,
[0066] The hinged baffle (10, 11) channel includes a hinge device (12) located in the channel for maintaining parallelism and linking the upper and lower hinged baffles (11 and 10) to hinge points B and C, respectively. The upper and lower hinged baffles (11 and 10) are fixed to the outer frame (1) at hinge points A and D. These hinge points, together with the hinge points B and C of the hinge device (12) for maintaining parallelism, form a parallelogram ABCD, which provides parallelism on its opposite sides.
[0067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic system is configured such that:
[0068] When hot air is blown into the modular island device, the cross section of the hinged baffle (10, 11) channel formed between the lower hinged baffle (10) and the upper hinged baffle (11) decreases as the inclination angle of the two baffles relative to the horizontal plane increases, thereby generating a greater blowing air velocity that is beneficial to the heating mode.
[0069] When cold air is blown into the modular island device, the cross-section of the channel formed between the lower hinge baffle (10, 11) and the upper hinge baffle (11) increases to the maximum cross-section of the channel when the two hinge baffles (10, 11) are in a horizontal position, thereby generating a low air velocity that is conducive to the cooling mode.
[0070] Preferably, the modular island device is further provided with a sound insulation element (16) and the diffusion element, such as a stretched fabric (8), to allow acoustic treatment of the room, the diffusion element being optionally micro-perforated.
[0071] Preferably, the automatic ceiling diffuser and acoustic treatment system further includes an air suction connection outlet (3) fixed to the top cover (19) of the modular island device and in communication with a suction box (18) equipped with a filter (6) to draw ambient air from the room away from the top cover (19) of the modular island device.
[0072] Preferably, the air suction connection outlet (3) is connected to an air suction duct to guide ambient air from the room to an external air conditioning unit, such as a fan coil unit or an air handling unit, for air injection.
[0073] Advantageously, the treated air injected into the internal volume of the modular island unit via the air blowing connection outlet (4) corresponds to ambient air that is heated or cooled and optionally mixed with fresh ventilation air.
[0074] According to one embodiment of the invention, the thermostatic actuator (13) extends the stroke of its piston in a stroke proportional to the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device.
[0075] According to another embodiment, the actuator (14) of the baffle, which links the thermostatic actuator (13) to the channel of the hinged baffle (10, 11), is fixed to the upper hinged baffle (11), so that the angle of the channel of the hinged baffle (10, 11) varies with the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device.
[0076] Advantageously, the modular island unit is further provided with at least one light source (17), which is fixed inside the modular island unit and allows the room to be illuminated. The light generated by the light source (17) is distributed on a diffuser visible from the room, such as a stretched fabric (8).
[0077] According to a preferred embodiment, the modular island device is further provided with a light diffusion element, such as a stretched fabric (9), and a top attachment line for the outer frame (1) to be able to attach the light diffusion element (9) located below the light source (17).
[0078] Advantageously, the lower hinged baffle (10) serves as a light barrier to make the light source (17) invisible and / or prevent light from passing through the blowing slit (2).
[0079] According to another embodiment, the modular island device includes an attachment hanger (7) or another fixing device that allows it to be fixed to the room ceiling.
[0080] According to a preferred embodiment, the thermostatic actuator (13) is a cylinder.
[0081] According to one embodiment of the invention, the modular island devices are configured such that several modular island devices are attached to each other, thereby allowing treated air to circulate between the modular island devices via inter-module connecting slits (5) provided on the short sides (23 and 24) of the outer frame (1) of each modular island device.
[0082] Another object of the present invention is to provide a modular island device designed for heating, cooling, and ventilating a room by means of radiation and thermal convection, the modular island device being suspendable from the ceiling of the room, the modular island device comprising:
[0083] The outer frame (1) is provided with at least one line for attaching a diffuser element, such as a stretched fabric (8), located at its lower part opposite the ceiling; the outer frame (1) includes slits (2) on one or more of its surfaces for blowing air into the room.
[0084] A diffusion element, such as a stretched fabric (8), is attached to the attachment line of the outer frame, is visible from the room, and forms the horizontal bottom surface of the modular island device;
[0085] Cover (19) forms the top surface of the modular island assembly facing the ceiling;
[0086] An air blowing connection outlet (4) is fixed to the cover (18) of the modular island device and allows treated air to be injected into the internal volume of the modular island device;
[0087] The hinged baffle (10, 11) channel formed by the upper hinged baffle (11) and the lower hinged baffle (10) is fixed to the outer frame (1) at the air blowing slit (2) and can direct the blown air to a defined angle relative to the ceiling, which varies from 0° when cold air is blown into the island device, i.e. parallel to the ceiling, to a maximum of 70° when hot air is blown into the modular island device;
[0088] A thermostatic actuator (13) is provided, which can actuate the channels of the hinged baffles (10, 11) via actuators of these baffles, such as actuator rods (14), and provide a blowing angle to the channels, which varies with the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device. The thermostatic actuator (13) includes a piston whose output stroke varies with the temperature of the air in which the thermostatic actuator (13) is immersed.
[0089] A return spring (15) can apply a force opposite to the stroke of the piston of the thermostatic actuator (13), and thus return the piston to its minimum stroke when cold air is blown into the modular island device, wherein,
[0090] The hinged baffle (10, 11) channel includes a hinge device (12) located in the channel for maintaining parallelism and linking the upper and lower hinged baffles (11 and 10) to hinge points B and C, respectively. The upper and lower hinged baffles (11 and 10) are fixed to the outer frame (1) at hinge points A and D. These hinge points, together with the hinge points B and C of the hinge device (12) for maintaining parallelism, depict a parallelogram ABCD, which provides parallelism at its opposite edges.
[0091] As described, the present invention particularly includes the advantage of allowing heat to diffuse toward the room being served via radiation and convection. Indeed, under the influence of the treated airflow (hot or cold) injected into the modular island device, the diffusion surface (8) (ideally a taut fabric) will be heated or cooled, thereby generating thermal radiation toward the room. Furthermore, the treated air injected into the modular island device, after releasing some of its thermal energy into the diffusion service device, appears through one or more blowing slits (2), thereby achieving diffusion via thermal convection toward the room (the room to be treated).
[0092] Furthermore, by means of a thermostatic actuator (13) (e.g., a thermostatic cylinder) on the channel of the hinged baffle (10, 11), this solution allows the airflow blown through the slit (2) to be oriented according to the temperature of the treated airflow (convective energy). Thus, when cold air is injected into the modular island unit (in cooling mode), the cold air will be blown parallel to the ceiling, ideally at 0° (minimum stroke of the thermostatic actuator (13)); conversely, when hot air is injected into the modular island unit (in heating mode), the hot air will be blown into the room (ideally at 45°) to eliminate the stratification effect.
[0093] Finally, the geometry used for the hinge (ideally generating a parallelogram at the deflector) allows for a change in the cross-section of the airflow slit (2). Therefore, in cooling mode, the horizontally positioned baffle (or fins) produces the maximum cross-section of the slit (2), resulting in a low air velocity; conversely, in heating mode, the cross-section of the slit (2) is minimized to increase the velocity of the blown air, thereby increasing the reach of the airflow. The system according to the invention can act on the airflow slit (2) and thus on the channels of the hinged baffles (10, 11) to guide its flow and change its cross-section.
[0094] Detailed description of the attached figures
[0095] In particular, Figure 1 A modular island device element is proposed for heating and / or cooling and ventilation of rooms in a building after being suspended from the ceiling via a hanger (7), the modular island device element comprising:
[0096] Connection outlet (3) allows connection to an air extraction duct to direct ambient air from the room to an air conditioning unit, such as a fan coil unit or an air handling unit, for air injection.
[0097] Air drawn from the room ideally passes through a suction box (18) of a tightly supported filter, for example, fixed to a top cover (19) of a modular island unit, and then through the filter (6) (see Figure 5 );
[0098] Once heated or cooled and optionally mixed with fresh ventilated air (if the modular island unit is also connected to the room’s ventilation system), the treated air is injected into the volume of the island unit via a blow-through duct connected to outlet (4);
[0099] Depending on the temperature of the treated air injected into the island device, the thermostatic cylinder (13) (or any other device that can achieve the same purpose) undertakes its piston stroke, which is proportional to the temperature of the injected air (see...). Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 ).
[0100] The hotter the air, the longer the stroke, and vice versa. The return spring (15) can apply a force opposite to the stroke of the thermostatic cylinder (13), so that the thermostatic cylinder returns to its minimum stroke when cold air is blown into the island device.
[0101] The thermostatic cylinder (13) actuates the actuating device (14) of the air blowing baffle, such as an actuating rod (or linkage) connected to the channel of the hinged baffle (10, 11), so that the angle of the baffle (10, 11) changes with the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device.
[0102] Regardless of their angles, the hinged baffles (ideally two baffles, i.e., an upper hinged baffle and a lower hinged baffle (10 and 11)) fixed to the outer frame (1) are kept parallel by means of a hinged device (e.g., a hinged rod (12) that links the baffles together) for maintaining the parallelism of the baffles, and in fact the hinge point between the baffles (ideally two baffles 10 and 11), the outer frame (1), and the hinged device (12) for maintaining the parallelism of the baffles ideally describes parallelogram ABCD (see Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 );
[0103] Therefore, the treated air injected into the modular island device is blown into the room through the blowing slit (2) at an angle equal to that of the baffle (which is itself actuated by a thermostatic cylinder (13)) and thus automatically adapted to observe the angle at which the best thermal comfort can be achieved.
[0104] Due to the characteristics of the geometry adopted by the baffle (ideally a parallelogram ABCD), the cross-section of the air passage between the baffles (ideal lower baffle (10) and upper baffle (11)) decreases as the angle of inclination of the baffles relative to the horizontal plane increases. Therefore, when very cold air is injected ( Figure 2 The slit has the largest cross-section (ideally with the baffle in a horizontal position), resulting in a low air velocity that is conducive to comfort in cooling mode. Conversely, when very hot air is blown into the island unit ( Figure 3 The slit has the smallest cross-section, thus producing a larger blowing air velocity that is favorable for the heating mode.
[0105] The present invention, as described herein, can change the angle and speed at which treated air is blown into a room, and does so automatically based on the temperature of the air injected into the modular island device.
[0106] Advantageously, the modular island unit is equipped with sound insulation (16) and micro-perforated diffusion elements (8) (e.g., stretched fabric), thereby allowing for acoustic treatment of the room.
[0107] Preferably, the island device is further provided with a light diffusion element (ideally a stretched fabric) (9) and a light source (17), which are fixed to, for example, the periphery of the island device or to the bottom surface of a cover (19) or a sound insulation element (16), thereby allowing the room to be illuminated by light distributed on the diffusion element (8) (ideally a stretched fabric) visible from the room.
[0108] Advantageously, the lower hinged baffle (11) serves as a light barrier to prevent light from escaping through the blow-out slit (2).
[0109] According to a specific embodiment, the previously described modular island device does not include an air extraction outlet, a housing, and a filter, so as to generate only an airflow toward the room. In this case, air extraction is performed via a device independent of the present invention.
[0110] According to a specific embodiment of the invention, several modular island units can be associated to create a larger emission surface. In this case, for example, a connecting slit (5) disposed on the short side of each modular island unit allows the treated air blown into the island unit to circulate between the modular island units. Of course, these connecting slits (5) can also be located on the long side of the modular island unit, and in this case, the blowing slit (2) facing the room would be located on the short side.
[0111] For this purpose, the connecting slits of each modular island device are connected to each other, ideally by attaching the island devices to each other on one side of the side that includes the inter-module connecting slit (5).
[0112] When several modular island units, such as two modular island units (20 and 21), are attached (see...), Figure 6 and Figure 7 The common small sides (23 and 24) are provided with connecting slits (5) to allow treated air to flow between the modular island units.
[0113] Thus, the short sides located at the ends (22 and 25) of the obtained structure are not connected by slits (5), or their connecting slits (5) are blocked by any means suitable for this purpose.
[0114] Obviously, according to another embodiment of the invention, it is also arranged such that more than two modular island devices can be attached to each other, for example, three or four or more. In this case, the short sides located at the ends (22 and 25) of the obtained structure also do not have connecting slits (5).
[0115] In contrast, modular island devices used alone (and therefore not attached to other modular island devices) do not have connecting slits (5) on these short sides, or the connecting slits on their short sides are blocked by any means that can achieve this purpose.
[0116] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:
[0117] 1: The outer frame of the modular island device
[0118] 2: The air slit blowing into the room
[0119] 3: Air suction pipe connected to outlet
[0120] 4: Air blowing pipe connection outlet
[0121] 5: Inter-module connection gaps
[0122] 6: Filter
[0123] 7: Hangers for attaching modular island units
[0124] 8: Diffuse elements, such as taut finishing fabrics visible from the room.
[0125] 9: Light diffusion elements, such as taut fabrics that allow for uniform light diffusion when LEDs are used.
[0126] 10: Air-blown lower hinged baffle
[0127] 11: Air blowing upper hinged baffle
[0128] 12: Hinged devices used to maintain the parallelism of the baffle, such as hinge rods.
[0129] 13: Thermostatic actuators, such as thermostatic cylinders
[0130] 14: Actuating devices for air blowing baffles, such as actuator rods
[0131] 15: Return spring
[0132] 16: Soundproofing components
[0133] 17: LED light source
[0134] 18: Suction box with filter retaining slide
[0135] 19: Top cover of the modular island unit
[0136] 20: Modular island device 1 constituting the attached modular island device
[0137] 21: Modular island device 2 constituting the attached modular island device
[0138] 22: Right short side, modular island device 1
[0139] 23: Left short side, modular island device 1
[0140] 24: Right short side, modular island device 2
[0141] 25: Left short side, modular island device 2
Claims
1. An automatic ceiling diffuser system for a room, said system being suitable for heating, cooling and ventilating said room by radiation and thermal convection, said system comprising at least one modular island device intended to be attached to the ceiling of the room, said modular island device comprising: - a peripheral frame (1) provided with at least one wire for attaching a diffuser element (8) located under its lower part opposite the ceiling; said peripheral frame (1) comprising on one or more of its faces a slit (2) for blowing air towards the room; - a diffuser element (8) attached to the attachment wire of the peripheral frame, visible from the room and forming the horizontal bottom face of said modular island device; - a top cover (19) forming the top face of the modular island device facing the ceiling; - an air blowing connection outlet (4) fixed to the suction box (18) of the modular island device and allowing the injection of treated air into the internal volume of the modular island device; - a hinged shutter (10, 11) passage formed by an upper hinged shutter (11) and a lower hinged shutter (10) fixed to the peripheral frame (1) at the air blowing slit (2) and making it possible to direct the blown air at a defined angle with respect to the ceiling varying from 0°, i.e. parallel to the ceiling when cold air is blown into the island device, to a maximum of 70° when hot air is blown into the modular island device; - a thermostatic actuation means (13) capable of actuating said hinged shutter (10, 11) passage via a shutter actuation means (14) and providing it with a blowing angle that varies with the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device, said thermostatic actuation means (13) comprising a piston whose output stroke varies with the temperature of the air in which it is immersed. - a return spring (15) able to exert a force opposite to the stroke of the piston of said thermostatic actuator (13) and thus to restore the piston to its minimum stroke when cold air is blown into the modular island device, and wherein said hinged shutter (10, 11) channel comprises, in said channel, hinging means (12) for maintaining parallelism and linking the upper and lower hinged shutters (11 and 10) to the hinge points B and C, respectively, said upper and lower hinged shutters (11 and 10) being fixed to the peripheral frame (1) at hinge points A and D which, with the hinge points B and C of said hinging means (12) for maintaining parallelism, describe a parallelogram A-B-C-D which, on its opposite faces, provides parallelism, characterized in that said modular island device further comprises an air suction connection outlet (3) fixed to the top cover (19) of the modular island device and communicating with a suction box (18) provided with a filter (6) to suck the ambient air of the room from the top cover (19) of said modular island device.
2. The automated system of claim 1, wherein, Said automatic system is configured so that: - when hot air is blown into the modular island device, the section of the hinged shutter (10, 11) channel formed between the lower hinged shutter (10) and the upper hinged shutter (11) decreases as the angle of inclination of said two shutters with respect to the horizontal increases, thus generating a greater blowing air speed in favor of the heating mode; - when cold air is blown into the modular island device, the section of the hinged shutter (10, 11) channel formed between the lower hinged shutter (10) and the upper hinged shutter (11) increases to the maximum section of the channel when said two hinged shutters (10, 11) are in a horizontal position, thus generating a low air speed in favor of the cooling mode.
3. The automated system according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The modular island device is further provided with soundproofing (16) and said diffusion element (8), optionally micro-perforated, to allow acoustic treatment of the room.
4. The automated system according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The air suction connection outlet (3) is connected to an air suction duct to direct the ambient air of the room to an external air conditioning or air handling unit to treat the air to be injected.
5. The automated system of claim 4, wherein, The treated air injected into the internal volume of the modular island device via the air blowing connection outlet (4) corresponds to air that is heated or cooled and optionally mixed with fresh ventilation air input by said external air conditioning or air handling unit for treating the air to be injected.
6. The automated system of any one of claims 1-2, wherein, Said thermostatic actuator (13) develops the stroke of its piston proportional to the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device.
7. The automated system of any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The actuator means (14) of the hinged shutter (10, 11) channel linking the thermostatic actuator (13) to said shutter are fixed to the upper hinged shutter (11), thus varying the angle of said hinged shutter (10, 11) channel as a function of the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device.
8. The automated system of any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The modular island device is further provided with at least one light source (17) fixed inside the modular island device and allowing to illuminate the room, the light produced by the light source (17) being distributed on the diffusion element (8) visible from the room.
9. The automated system of claim 8, wherein, The modular island device is further provided with a light diffusion element (8) and with an upper attachment wire for the peripheral frame (1) to be able to attach the light diffusion element (8) below the height of the light source (17).
10. The automated system of claim 8, wherein, The lower hinged shutter (10) acts as a barrier to the light to make the light source (17) invisible and / or to prevent the light from exiting through the blowing slit (2).
11. The automated system of any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The modular island device comprises an attachment hanger (7) or another fixing means allowing it to be fixed to the ceiling of the room.
12. The automated system of any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The thermostatic actuation means (13) is a pneumatic cylinder.
13. The automated system of any one of claims 1-2, wherein, Several modular island devices are attached to each other, allowing the treated air to circulate between the modular island devices through the inter-module connection slit (5) provided on the short sides (23 and 24) of the peripheral frame (1) of each modular island device.
14. The automated system of claim 1, wherein, Said diffusion element (8) is a taut fabric, said shutter actuation means (14) is an actuation rod.
15. The automated system of claim 4, wherein, Said external air conditioning unit is a fan-coil.
16. A modular island device intended for heating, cooling and ventilating a room by radiation and thermal convection, said modular island device being able to be suspended on the ceiling of a room, said modular island device comprising: a peripheral frame (1) provided with at least one wire for attaching a diffusion element (8) located at its lower part opposite the ceiling; and said peripheral frame (1) comprising on one or more of its faces a slit (2) for blowing air towards the room; a diffusion element (8) attached to the wire for attaching the peripheral frame, visible from the room and forming the horizontal bottom face of said modular island device; a top cover (19) forming the top face of the modular island device facing the ceiling; an air blowing connection outlet (4) fixed to the suction box (18) of the modular island device and allowing to inject treated air into the internal volume of the modular island device; a hinged shutter (10, 11) passage formed by an upper hinged shutter (11) and a lower hinged shutter (10) fixed to the peripheral frame (1) at the air blowing slit (2) and able to direct the blown air at a defined angle with respect to the ceiling varying from 0°, i.e. parallel to the ceiling when cold air is blown into the island device, to a maximum of 70° when hot air is blown into the modular island device; thermostatic actuation means (13) able to actuate said hinged shutter (10, 11) passage via the shutter actuation means (14) and to provide the passage with a blowing angle that varies with the temperature of the treated air injected into the modular island device, said thermostatic actuation means (13) comprising a piston whose output stroke varies with the temperature of the air in which said thermostatic actuation means (13) is immersed; - a return spring (15) able to exert a force opposite to the stroke of the piston of said thermostatic actuation means (13) and thus to restore the piston to its minimum stroke when cold air is blown into the modular island device, and wherein said hinged shutter (10, 11) passage comprises, in said passage, hinging means (12) for maintaining parallelism and linking the upper and lower hinged shutters (11 and 10) to the hinge points B and C respectively, said upper and lower hinged shutters (11 and 10) being fixed to the peripheral frame (1) at hinge points A and D which, with the hinge points B and C of said hinging means (12) for maintaining parallelism, describe a parallelogram A-B-C-D which provides parallelism on its opposite sides, characterized in that said modular island device further comprises an air suction connection outlet (3) fixed to the top cover (19) of the modular island device and communicating with a suction box (18) provided with a filter (6) to suck away the ambient air of the room from the top cover (19) of said modular island device.