[0001] The present invention relates to a ceiling mounted device for ventilating rooms and,
at the same time, cooling and/or heating the room air, said device including a cooling/heating
baffle which has a longitudinal channel for the supply of primary air, a room air
cooling/heating coil, a mixing chamber for mixing cooled/heated room air and primary
air, means for supplying primary air to the mixing chamber through the medium of an
induction effect which serves to suck room air into the device and also to pass said
air through the cooling/heating coil, and one or more outlets for a mixture of cooled/heated
room air and primary air flowing out from the device essentially horizontally the
ceiling of the room.
[0002] Devices of the aforesaid kind are also referred to as cooling baffles or false ceiling
panels. Such devices are known for treating room air and are available in different
designs, including designs in which natural ventilation generated by a chimney effect
is used instead of primary air, although a common feature of those cooling baffles
that use primary air of the aforesaid kind is that they include one or more primary
air channels to which primary air can be delivered through a central air-conditioning
plant installed either in the building concerned or in the proximity of said building,
or which is sucked-in from outside by fans provided to this end, so that the pressure
in the primary air channel will always be higher than atmospheric pressure. The primary
air is blown into the baffle interior through such devices as nozzles for instance,
and the influence of said pressure. There is thus generated an induction effect which
serves to draw room air from said room and through the cooling battery and into the
mixing chamber in the baffle interior, where the primary air and the room air sucked
into the device as a result of said induction effect are mixed together. The resultant
air mixture then flows through one or more outlet channels into the room with the
aid of the primary air as a transporting medium. Such devices that operate with an
inductor effect are described in GB-A-1011742, GB-A-1274540, GB-A-1468754, GB-A-2271175
and DE-A-3321612, for instance. All of these known devices are referred to as air-conditioners,
since they concern both the cooling and heating of room air and it would be obvious
for those skilled in this art to equip the cooling baffles with means for delivering
hot water to the cooling elements (the heat exchanger) if so desired, so as to enable
the devices to be used for both cooling and heating purposes. One advantage with cooling
baffles in comparison with ventilating and air-conditioning apparatus is that cooling
baffles are lean in energy and do not generate draughts. The level of noise generated
is also relatively low.
[0003] However, all manufacturers of cooling/heating baffles and similar devices intended
for conditioning room air in public premises endeavour to provide the best possible
flexible and cost-effective solutions. Among other things, there should be sought
from the aspect of installation solutions that are so simple as to prevent the need
for ventilation being neglected for reasons of cost in favour of the need to cool
or heat the air in such rooms. A high air requirement in public rooms can force the
installation of larger, and therewith less cost-effective, baffles than are actually
justified from a cooling/heating aspect.
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a device for cooling and/or heating
air in larger rooms or in densely populated rooms, so that ventilation and cooling/heating
requirements can both be achieved in the individual case in a simple and effective
manner with respect to both installation and apparatus, and also in a manner which
is competitive and also attractive from a cost aspect. The invention is characterised
to this end by the features set forth in the accompanying Claims.
[0005] Thus, the inventive device includes a baffle in which supply air nozzles are provided
for supplying primary air from the primary air channel to the room concerned. These
nozzles are disposed in one or more of the baffle walls delimiting the primary air
channel. The nozzles can be conveniently turned to enable the air to flow in different
directions, essentially transversely to the axis about which the nozzle is turned.
To enable cooperation with respect to control possibilities between the cooled room
air/primary air mixture with the primary air delivered through nozzles, supply air
nozzles are arranged immediately outside one or both of said outlet openings in the
flow direction of the cooled room air/primary air mixture.
[0006] The device may have different configurations and constructions within the scope of
the invention, and may include baffle constructions of an earlier known type combined
with supply air nozzles according to the invention, although the device will be described
hereinafter with reference to a preferred baffle embodiment.
[0007] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying
drawing, the single Figure of which is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment
of a ventilation and cooling/heating device that includes a baffle 10. The baffle
10 has a primary air channel 11 to which primary air 12 is delivered from an external
source (not shown). The baffle 10 includes an outer casing 13 which delimits the primary
air channel 11 outwards, and inner walls 14 which delimit the primary air channel
11 against other parts of the baffle, which include a lower part 15 having a lower
plate 16 which forms an outer, lower delimiting wall 17 of the lower part 15 and two
outlet channel walls 18 and which together with an upper plate 19 also forms an upper
delimiting wall of the lower part 15, said plates preferably being removable. The
lower part 15 also accommodates one or more cooling/heating coils 20 mounted in coil
holders 21 for cooling/heating room air that flows in through openings (not shown)
in the lower wall 17, as shown by arrows. Formed between the outlet channel walls
18 of the lower part 15 and the inner walls 14 bordering on the first space 11 of
the primary air channel are outlet channels 22 from a mixing chamber 23, said outlet
channels opening out at a level with the lower part of the outer casing 13, which
is normally placed on a level with the false ceiling of the room concerned. The mixing
chamber 23 is arranged above the lower part 15 and is downwardly delimited by the
upper plate 19 of the lower part 15 and laterally by parts of the inner walls 14 bordering
on the primary air channel 11. Provided in the upper part of respective inner walls
14 are nozzles 29 for blowing primary air from the primary air channel 11 into the
mixing chamber 23, as shown by arrows, said nozzles being mutually spaced in the longitudinal
direction of the baffle 10. Located immediately outside the exit orifice of the outflow
channel 22 are supply air nozzles 30, said supply air constituting in practice the
primary air that flows in the primary air channel 11, said nozzles being mutually
spaced in the casing 13 in the longitudinal direction of the baffle. The nozzles 30
are mounted so that they can be turned around a vertical axis and therewith enable
supply air through the nozzles 30 to be delivered in different directions, according
to local requirements and wishes.
[0008] If it is wished to deliver primary air to the room from the primary air channel 11
of the baffle 10 for ventilation purposes, nozzles 30a of the same kind as the nozzles
30 may be provided at appropriate positions on the baffle 10 adjacent the primary
air channel 11. Further nozzles 30b similar to nozzles 30 may be provided in one or
in both of the outlet channels 22 with the intention of being mixed with and coacting
with the cooled air mixture that flows down from the mixing chamber 23. It lies within
the scope of the invention to adapt the number of nozzles 30, 30a and 30b and their
positions so as to achieve the best possible comfort in the room, both with respect
to ventilation and cooling/heating requirements. In this regard, it may be unsuitable
to place nozzles 30 in the lower part of the baffle 10 because of draughts for instance,
whereas in other cases a combination of nozzles 30 and 30a or 30b may be preferred.
[0009] When the baffle 10 is used, primary air 12 will be blow in through the nozzles 29
as a result of the overpressure in the primary air channel 11, therewith forming a
subpressure in the mixing chamber 23, this subpressure contributing towards the suction
of room air (as a result of an induction effect) as shown by the upwardly pointing
arrows in the centre of the Figure, and up through the cooling coil 20 and into the
mixing chamber 23. The primary air blown through the nozzles 29 is transported by
the room air sucked-in by induction, down through the outlet channels 22 and along
the ceiling of the room, as shown by arrows. When the outflowing cooled/heated air
meets the supply air (primary air) delivered through the nozzles 30 in the nozzle
rows on either side of the outlet orifices of the outflow channels 22, the air will
mix with the supply air and flow essentially in the direction of said air, as indicated
by the arrows. This enables the air distribution pattern in the room to be readily
controlled and/or changed in a particularly flexible manner, therewith contributing
towards a better climate and greater comfort.
[0010] As inferred above, supply air from the primary air channel 11 can also be delivered
to the room through nozzles 30a on the upper side or one or both of the vertical side
walls of the baffle 11, therewith providing necessary ventilation of the room and
also generating a multiple of flow patterns around the baffle 10 without requiring
the use of separate supply air devices. The baffle 10 may also be provided with nozzles
30b in one or both outlet channels 22, so that supply air will be mixed with the cooled
air mixture prior to said mixture reaching the outlet opening, and therewith enable
the outgoing air stream to be controlled to some extent already in the outlet channels
22.
[0011] It will be seen that the invention enables the cooling/heating requirement of a room
to be achieved by dimensioning the length of the baffle/?/, whereas the air requirement
can be satisfied with the aid of rotatable nozzles provided in the baffle for supply
air from the primary air channel. In many instances, this can result in a shorter
length and therewith in smaller dimensions of the cooling/heating baffles and may
also replace separate supply air devices, therewith resulting in a more cost-effective
solution to the air-conditioning problem for many localities.
1. A ceiling mounted device for ventilating rooms and, at the same time, cooling and/or
heating room air, said device including a cooling/heating baffle (10) which has a
longitudinal primary air supply channel (11), a room air cooling/heating coil (20),
a mixing chamber (23) for mixing cooled/heated room air and primary air, means (29)
for supplying primary air to the mixing chamber (23) through the medium of an induction
effect which serves to suck room air into the device and to pass said air through
the cooling/heating coil (20), and one or more outlet opening channels (22) for a
mixture of cooled/heated room air and primary air that flows out generally horizontally
along the ceiling of the room, characterised in that said means (29) consist of nozzles provided in an inner wall (14) delimiting
the primary air supply (11) from remaining parts of the baffle in that part of the
wall which delimits the primary air supply (11) from the mixing chamber (23) and in
that supply air nozzles (30,30a) which supply primary air from the primary air channel
(11) directly to the room are disposed in one or more of the walls belonging to a
casing (13) of the baffle that delimit the primary air channel (11).
2. A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that supply air nozzles (30a) are provided immediately outside one or both of
said outlet channels (22) in the flow direction of the air mixture, for coaction with
the air mixture and for controlling the total outgoing airflow.
3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that air supply nozzles (30b) for the supply of primary air from the primary air
supply channel (11) also are provided in that part of the wall (14) which adjoins
an outlet channel.
4. A device according to any of Claims 1-3, characterised in that the supply air nozzles (30,30a,30b) are rotatable so as to enable air to
flow in different directions, essentially transversely to the axis about which the
nozzles are turned.
