|
(11) | EP 1 596 137 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Air device in combination with a suspended ceiling |
| (57) The invention relates to an air device in a room (1) with a ceiling structure of
the type where a suspended ceiling (2) is suspended at a distance from a system of
beams to form a space positioned between the suspended ceiling (2) and the system
of beams, the suspended ceiling (2) ending in the horizontal direction at a distance
from the walls of the room (1) adjacent to at least a portion along one of the walls,
said distance between the suspended ceiling (2) and the wall forming an airflow gap,
an airflow device (4) being arranged between the suspended ceiling (2) and the system
of beams, the airflow device (4) being arranged so that the air flowing out of the
device (4), in use of the device (4), flows initially between the suspended ceiling
(2) and the system of beams and then through said airflow gap. |
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to an air device in a room with a ceiling structure of the type where a suspended ceiling is suspended at a distance from a system of beams to form a space positioned between the suspended ceiling and the system of beams.
Background Art
[0002] Air devices in combination with suspended ceilings are today frequently used, in particular in office rooms. There are a number of solutions to minimise the risk of draft and noise related to air flows. Not only the risk of draught must be taken into consideration but also the overall height of the device, and in this context also the design thereof so that it aesthetically fits with the suspended ceiling. It is usually desirable for installations to be as little visible at possible.
Summary of the Invention
[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative and improved device of the type defined above.
[0004] This object is achieved by a device which has the features stated in claim 1, preferred embodiments being defined in claims 2-14.
[0005] The inventive air device in a room with a ceiling structure of the type where a suspended ceiling is suspended at a distance from a system of beams to form a space positioned between the suspended ceiling and the system of beams, is intended for a suspended ceiling that ends in the horizontal direction at a distance from the walls of the room adjacent to at least a portion along one of the walls, said distance between the suspended ceiling and the wall forming an airflow gap and an airflow device being arranged between the suspended ceiling and the system of beams, the airflow device being arranged so that the air flowing out of the device, in use of the device, flows initially between the suspended ceiling and the system of beams and then through said airflow gap. One of the advantages is that said airflow gap is used as air supply means and thus the air flows along the wall/walls and, consequently, outside the residence zone in a room, thereby reducing the risk of draught. Moreover the entire device can be concealed and the entire suspended ceiling be kept intact. As a rule, a suspended ceiling is made up of different panels, in most cases square or rectangular. According to the present invention, the size of these panels thus need not be taken into consideration but the device fits all types of suspended ceilings with a gap along the wall/walls. A further advantage is that the suspended ceiling also functions as a sound absorber.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the airflow device comprises an air supply means which preferably is an air supply baffle. The air supply baffle can be provided with a cooling-coil battery, or alternatively a heater battery. Preferably the air supply baffle comprises nozzles through which supply air flows in use, the nozzles being arranged in such a manner that indoor air is drawn to the air supply baffle and through the cooling-coil battery/heater battery by induction. The indoor air then flows up above the suspended ceiling through air flow gaps at the side of the portions where the air from the cooling-coil or heater battery flows down in the room.
[0007] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the airflow device comprises an air exhausting means. When the ventilation system is what is referred to as an air-exhausting system, the air exhausting means can thus be concealed and its size need not be adjusted.
[0008] In another embodiment, the airflow device comprises both an air supply baffle for heating of air and an air supply baffle for cooling of air. This can be usable in the cases where heat is requested, for instance adjacent to windows where there is no radiator for eliminating downdraught or where a radiator should be supplemented. Alternatively, this solution also comprises an air exhausting means. The use of an air exhausting means can alternatively be combined with merely an air supply baffle having a cooling-coil battery or merely an air supply baffle having a heater battery.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the suspended ceiling is arranged in such a manner that the suspended ceiling in the horizontal direction ends at a distance from the walls in the room at all walls along the entire suspended ceiling.
[0010] Moreover a suspended ceiling element is preferably arranged at the walls at least along a portion of a wall at a level which is between the suspended ceiling and the system of beams. This conceals the connections required by the device. Alternatively, connection occurs from above, i.e. through the system of beams, and in that case the above-mentioned suspended ceiling element can be excluded. In one embodiment, said suspended ceiling element is arranged at a distance of about 5 cm from the system of beams and then conceals electricity, air and water.
[0011] Preferably the gap or distance between suspended ceiling and wall is at least 6 cm but not greater than 10 cm. In order to handle high airflow rates, it is convenient for the gap to be at least 6 cm, and for aesthetical reasons the gap should not be greater than 10 cm. It has been found that a gap of about 8 cm functions properly both in terms of function and appearance.
[0012] To optimise the flow pattern, it has been found that a distance of about 30 cm from the device or, for instance, a cooling baffle functions well. The fact that the air flows initially between the suspended ceiling and the system of beams should, however, be interpreted as if the suspended ceiling, i.e. an imaginary extension over the airflow gap, extends all the way to the wall. In other words, it is possible within the scope of the invention to arrange, for instance, a cooling baffle at a distance from the wall that corresponds to the width of the airflow gap. However, said initial flow preferably occurs along a distance which is greater than the width of the airflow gap.
Brief Description of the Figures
[0013] The invention will in the following be described in more detail by way of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying Figures.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a room with a device according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view of a room with a device according to the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a room with a device according to the present invention.
Description of a Preferred Embodiment
[0014] Figs 1 and 2 show an office room 1 in cross-section, which has a suspended ceiling 2 at which a device according to the present invention is arranged. In operation, supply air flows in through air supply ducts 3 in cooling baffles 4. The supply air flows out of the air supply air ducts 3 through nozzles 5 so that the airflow after leaving the cooling baffles 4 is substantially horizontal. Since the static pressure downstream of the nozzles 5 is low, indoor air is drawn through cooling-coil batteries 6 by induction so as then to be mixed with the supply air which flows out through the nozzles 5.
[0015] The suspended ceiling 2 is arranged at a distance from all walls in the room 1. To the gaps between the suspended ceiling 2 and the walls where cooled air does not flow down in the room 1, indoor air instead flows up, between the suspended ceiling 2 and the system of beams.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the area of the room is between 5 and 15 square metres. When the primary air flow rate and the exhaust air flow rate are about 20 1/s at an excess pressure in the cooling baffle of between 60 and 100 Pa, a secondary airflow rate of about 100 1/s is obtained. The primary air then provides about 25% of the cooling effect and the remaining 75% comes from the water in the cooling baffle. In one example, a room has the size 4 m x 2.5 m = 10 m2 and cooling baffles with a total length of about 4 m. Moreover the airflow rate is 20 1/s and the pressure in the cooling baffle 60 Pa. If the temperature difference between indoor air and the water in the cooling-coil battery is about 8°C and the temperature difference between the supply air and the indoor air is about 6°C, the cooling effect of about 600 W is obtained. This cooling effect is usually sufficient to handle normal heat loads, such as solar radiation and heat generated by office machines.
[0017] Fig. 3 shows an example of how an air exhausting means 7 can be arranged between the system of beams and the suspended ceiling 2. The indoor air passing the suspended ceiling 2 upwards at the short sides 8 will thus on the one hand flow out as exhaust air and, on the other, pass through the cooling-coil batteries and be cooled once more. It has been found that this type of ventilation device has excellent ventilation performance. In a device according to the present invention, an excellent displacement effect with a high air-change rate and a clear air gradient is achieved.
[0018] It will be appreciated that a number of modifications of the above-described embodiment of the invention are conceivable within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. The design of the cooling baffles, for instance, can be varied as to the relative positioning of the cooling-coil batteries in relation to the nozzles. In a rectangular room with one side facing a corridor and the opposite side being a window side, it is possible within the scope of the invention to have airflow gaps only at the sides of the suspended ceiling which extend between the wall with windows and the corridor wall. In the example described above with a room of 4 m x 2.5 m = 10 m2 and cooling baffles with a total length of about 4 m, for instance a cooling baffle with a length of two metres can be arranged centrally on each side of the room which is 4 m, in which case air from the room can flow up through the airflow gap at the side of the cooling baffles when the short sides of the suspended ceiling extend all the way to the wall.
1. An air device in a room (1) with a ceiling structure of the type where a suspended
ceiling (2) is suspended at a distance from a system of beams to form a space positioned
between the suspended ceiling (2) and the system of beams, the suspended ceiling (2)
ending in the horizontal direction at a distance from the walls of the room (1) adjacent
to at least a portion along one of the walls, said distance between the suspended
ceiling (2) and the wall forming an airflow gap and an airflow device (4) being arranged
between the suspended ceiling (2) and the system of beams, the airflow device (4)
being arranged so that the air flowing out of the device (4), in use of the device
(4), flows initially between the suspended ceiling (2) and the system of beams and
then through said airflow gap, the airflow device (4) comprising an air supply means,
characterised in that the air supply means is an air supply baffle (4) arranged in such a manner that indoor
air, through airflow gaps at the side of the portions where the air from the airflow
device flows down in the room, in use is drawn to the air supply baffle (4) and through
a battery by induction.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the battery is a cooling-coil battery (6).
3. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the battery is a heater battery.
4. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which the air supply baffle comprises nozzles (5)
through which supply air flows in use, the nozzles (5) being arranged in such a manner
that indoor air is drawn to the air supply baffle (4) and through the cooling-coil
battery (6) by induction.
5. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the air supply baffle (4) comprises nozzles
(5) through which supply air flows in use, the nozzles (5) being arranged in such
a manner that indoor air is drawn to the air supply baffle (4) and through the heater
battery by induction.
6. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the air flow device (4) comprises an air
exhausting means (7).
7. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the air flow device comprises an air supply
baffle (4) for cooling of air and an air supply means (4) for heating of air.
8. A device as claimed in claim 7, which also comprises an air exhausting means (7).
9. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the suspended ceiling (2) in the horizontal
direction ends at a distance from the walls in the room (1) at all walls along the
entire suspended ceiling.
10. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the device is such that said initial flow
occurs along a distance which is greater than the width of the air flow gap.
11. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the distance between suspended ceiling (2)
and wall is 6-10 cm.