GB2126333A - Ventilators - Google Patents

Abstract

A ventilator is adapted to be mounted on the interior of a wall of a building, the ventilator housing having one face 18 adapted to be mounted on the wall, said one face having an inlet 38 therein to permit the ingress of air into the housing from a duct extending through the wall. A wall 6 of the housing perpendicular to the wall of the building is provided with an outlet grill 7, the interior of the housing defining an air passage extending from said inlet to said grill. At least part of the air passage is defined by elements of a sound absorbing material. The location of the outlet grill 7 results in air being directed parallel to the wall and particularly a window in the wall, to remove moisture. Air entering the housing through inlet 38 passes through sub-chamber 37, into connecting passage 36 and is then forced by optional blower 30 into passages 25', 25'' and finally to outlet grill 7 via apertures 34', 34''. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to a ventilator This invention relates to a ventilator, and more particularly to a ventilator adapted to be mounted on a wall of buildings, such as houses, factories or offices, the ventilator having a sound-absorbing passage which extends parallel to the plane of the wall in an oblong casing and being formed in opposite walls with longitudinally offset air flow orifices, at least one of which communicates via an opening in the casing wall with the atmosphere.

Ventilators of this kind are known and are used where it is impossible or inconvenientforthe oblong casing or box of a ventilator to be completely integrated in a window construction or to be received in an aperture of appropriate size in the masonry.

Sound-absorbing ventilators are often used in cases where thorough ventilation of living rooms and offices is important but the entry of external noise is required to be obviated or at least minimised. The rooms in question usually have soundinsulating and thermally-insulating windows which provide a sealing-type closure.

Practical experience has shown that even with insulating windows of this kind - which usually have multiple or insulating glazing and a frame designed to obviate the formation of cold bridges - a deposit of moisture on the inside of the window cannot be completely obviated if room air movements near the window are unsatisfactory and/or irregular.

Consequently, in endeavours to obviate this disadvantage ventilators of the general kind to which this invention relates have been disposed on the inside ofthe walls of buildings adjacent the window openings with their air passage apertures on the room side so aligned and/or so controlled by deflecting surfaces that an air movement is prosduced which has a component operative along the building wall which is formed with the window opening. However, in the known ventilators the main axis of the airstream entering the room inclines away from the wall that carries the ventilator towards the inside of the room. Because of the fanning out of the airstream only a relatively small proportion of the air volume moves in the direction of the wall plane where the window opening is disposed.Consequently, only a very small amount of air eddying or air circulation, the phenomena which help to remove moisture from the window, can occur in the region of window, and so condensation on the inside surfaces of the window is only reduced but not completely obviated.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a ventilator housing adapted to be mounted on an interior of the wall of a building, said ventilator comprising a housing having one face adapted to be mounted on the wall, said one face having an inlet therein to permit the ingress of air into the housing from a duct extending through the wall, a wall of the housing perpendicular to the wall of the building being provided with an outlet grill, the interior of the housing defining an air passage extending from said inlet to said grill, at least part of the said passage being defined by elements of a sound absorbing material.

Preferably said inlet in the said one face of the housing communicates directly with a sub-chamber which is bounded by a sound absorbing material, the sub-chamber communicating with a communicating passage that extends substantially adjacent the side wall of the housing opposed to the wall defining the grill, said communicating passage having an opening communicating with a further sound absorbing passage to direct air flowing through the ventilator towards said grill.

Conveniently said further passage comprises a passage having two parts extending in opposite directions away from the opening interconnecting said communicating passage and the further passage, the outwardly directed passage parts being defined by substantially parallel members of sound absorbing material, the member or members of sound absorbing material closest to the grill being provided with apertures therein to permit the flow of air towards the grill.

Advantageously between the said member or members of sound absorbing material provided with the apertures and the grill a baffle member is provided.

Conveniently a slidable member is provided which can be moved to a position to blank off said sub-chamber from said communicating passage.

Preferably said slider is adapted so that, on actuation of the slider to blank off the sub-chamber from the communicating passage, the opening between the communicating passage and the further air passage is also closed.

A fan or air blower may be provided to blow air through the ventilator.

The fan or blower may be provided in the opening between the communicating passage and the further passage.

Preferably the communicating passage is bounded at least partially by a sound-reflecting material.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a ventilator adapted to be disposed on the wall of a building, the ventilator having a sound-absorbing passage which extends parallel to the plane of the wall in an oblong casing, said passage having, in opposed walls, longitudinally offset air flow orifices, at least one of which communicates via an opening in the casing wall with atmosphere, wherein a sub-chamber is disposed laterally of the sound-absorbing passage in the casing and has two walls which are perpendicularto one another and which are each formed with an air passage; the casing having a communicating passage which extends over the whole length of the casing and which communicates with an air passage of the sub-chamber and at least one air passage orifice of the sound-absorbing passage.

An advantageous feature of this construction is that the position of the air passage providing communication with the outside air has no effect on the arrangement and construction of the soundabsorbing passage, which can therefore be of optimal design for the particular purpose for which it is to be used.

Preferably the sub-chamber is bounded by soundabsorbing material, and the communicating passage is preferably bounded by a sound-reflecting substance, e.g. metal and/or plastics.

The communicating passage may have a shallow rectangular cross-section whose maximum width extends parallel to the casing wall formed with the air passage.

Preferably, at least the sub-chamber air passage which extends into the communicating passage can be opened and closed by a slider.

The subject matter of the improvement is intended for use more particularly in ventilators constructed in accordance with United States Patent Specification 1 236 157 - i.e., wherein an air passage opening disposed centrally in one wall of the casing is associated with a number of air passage apertures disposed in staggered relationship towards the casing ends in the opposite casing wall.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the zone where a window is located in a building wall associated with a ventilator according to the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line ll-ll of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section of the ventilator on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 of another embodiment of a ventilator in accordance with the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show a part of a building wall 1.

The wall 1 is formed with an opening 2 receiving a sound-insulating and/or thermally-insulating window 3. As is shown for the sake of simplicity, window 3 can have fixed glazing; preferably, the window has opening sashes or casements and is, for instance, a double glazed window.

A ventilator 4 has the interior end thereof mounted on the inside of the wall 1 beside the opening 2 or window 3 and has an oblong casing 5 which extends parallel to a vertical edge of the opening 2, as is readily apparent from Figure 1.

The wall 6 of the casing which is adjacent the vertical edge ofthe opening 2 and disposed at right-angles to the plane of the wall 1 is formed, preferably over its entire length, and an air outlet 7, preferably in the form of a uniformly perforated grill.

A chain-dotted line 8 in Figure 2 indicates the main flow direction of the air supplied by the air outlet, such direction extending parallel to the plane of the wall 1. Since the air supplied in a stream by the air outlet 7 tends to fan out, as indicated by way of example by chain lines 9, the casing 5 is most conveniently disposed with its wall 6 which has the air outlet 7 at a distance 10 from the reveal 11 of opening 2, to permit the airstream to fan out undisturbed into the niche or recess 12 2 present between the reveals 11 and the inside of the window 3.

If sufficient space is available between the entering stream 9 and the boundary surface formed by the first reveal (i.e. the right hand side reveal as shown) and the inside of the window 3, secondary eddies form in the regions of the niche or recess 12 that are shadowed from the main airstream which are long enough to ensure that all of the niche or recess 12 is ventilated. If, however, there is insufficient space in the stream shadow to permit the formation of secondary eddies 13, the Coanda effect arises, leading to deflection of the free air stream and its application to the adjacent surface, as indicated by solid lines 14 in Figure 2.

In any event, however, a continuous intensive conveyance of air is produced in the region of the niche or recess 12 and this opposes unwanted condensation of moisture on the window panes and thus prevents or minimisesfogging thereof.

The ventilator 4 of Figures 1 and 2 communicates with the outside air by way of an opening 15 in the wall 1; the opening 15 is indicated by chain lines in Figure 2 and has weather protection 16 on the outside.

The actual construction of the ventilator 4 of Figures 1 and 2 is shown in Figures 3 to 5. The casing 5 of the ventilator 4 has, in addition to the end wall 6 formed with the air outlets 7, two side walls 17, 18 disposed opposite one another, a back wall 19 and top and bottom walls 20,21. The back wall 19 has connected to it a substantially channel-section closure member 22 which, by way of its terminal edges, is in sealing-tight engagement with the top and bottom wails 20, 21. Mounted on the inside of the end wall 6 is a screening plate 23 which spacers 24 retain at a distance behind the air outlet 7 and which extends continuously over the whole length of the air outlet 7.

Two sound-absorbing passages 25', 25" are provided in the casing 5; as can be seen in Figure 3, these passages extend away from an air passage opening 26 on either side of the opening. The opening 26 is in the rear wall 19 of the casing 5 and is adjacent a neck or collar 27 of an air-guiding casing 28. The casing 28 is mounted in the casing 5 and has laterally directed passages 29', 29" which communicate with the sound-absorbing passages 25', 25".

A blower 30, such as an axial flow fan, can be so disposed in the neck 27 as to be in alignment with the longitudinal axis thereof. On the side opposite the neck 27 the casing 28 has a removable cover 31 acessible from the casing 5 after removal of the end wall 6.

The casing 28 can be a moulding made of a relatively soft rubber or plastics and the neck 27 can be made of a moulded-in harder material such as metal or rigid plastics. Preferably, the outer part of the cover 31 is made of a hard material, such as a metal or plastics panel, and the cover 31 preferably has a softer inner part made of sponge rubber or foam plastics.

The passages 25', 25" into which the passages 29', 29" merge are bounded by mouldings 32', 32" and 33', 33" introduced into the casing 5. The mouldings 32', 32" are of substantially channel section while the mouldings 33', 33" are of rectangular section. All the mouldings 32',32" and 33',33" are made of sponge rubber or a soft foam plastics. The mouldings 33', 33" are spaced from the end wall 6.

Each of the two sound-absorbing passages 25', 25" is defined by a number, for instance, two, of spaced-apart side-by-side air flow apertures 34', 34" in the longitudinal wall formed by the moulding 33' or 33". Each aperture 34', 34" is positioned with a lateral offset from fthe aperture 26 in the back wall 9 and from the neck 27 in the casing 28.

The apertures 34', 34" are disposed at a distance behind a screening plate 23 which is carried by the end wall 6. The plate 23 is at a distance in front of cover 31 of casing 38 and is spaced behind the back of the end wall 6. The air issuing from the apertures 34', 34" is deflected by the screening plate 23 along the length of the chamber 35 and also flow around the longitudinal edges of the plate 23 to the air exit grills 7 in the end wall 6.

The central aperture 26 extends into a connecting passage 36 which extends over the whole length of the casing 5 and which is included between the back wall 19 and the channel-section closure member 22.

A sub-chamber 37 is disposed in the casing 5 laterally of the passage 25" and has an air passage 38,39 respectively in two walls disposed at rightangles to one another - i.e., in the side wall 18 of the casing 5 and in the back wall 19thereof.

The chamber 37 can be connected by way of the passage 38 to the aperture 15 in the masonry (Figure 2) while the passage 39 extends into the connecting passage 36 of the casing 5.

Very advantageously, the chamber 37 is defined at least on a number of sides by sound-absorbing mouldings 40, for instance, of sponge rubber or soft foam plastics, the remainder of the wall surfaces of the chamber 37 being made of a sound-reflecting substance. The boundary surfaces of the passage 36 - i.e. the wall 9 and the member 22 - can be made of a sound-reflecting material such as metal or rigid plastics.

Conveniently, the passage 36 has a flat rectangular cross-section whose major dimension extends parallel to the casing back wall 19 having the air passage 39 and opening 26.

At least the air passage 39 of the sub-chamber 37 can be opened or closed at choice by a slider 42.

Often, however, it may be convenient for the slider 42 to be so designed that its operation leads to the opening or closing of the aperture 26 at the same time as the opening or closing of the passage 39. To ensure satisfactory sealing tightness between the slider 42 and the wall 19, the latter has on its inside a bearing surface made of a soft foam plastics which engages resiliently with the adjacent side surface of the slider 42.

Figure 6 shows how a ventilator 4 can be greatly simplified constructionally if it operates without a blower - i.e., not as a forced-flow device but just as a differential pressure device. The point is that in this case the sponge rubber or soft foam plastics mouldings 32,33 bounding the passages 25', 25" can extend continuously over the whole length of the latter passages. The channel-section member 32 needs to be formed with an appropriate aperture 26' only at a position in registration with the air passage 26 - i.e., along its half length - while the rectangular section moulding 33 can be formed at least near its two ends with a number, for instance two, of apertures 34 which serve as air passage.

In other respects the construction of the ventilator 4 of Figure 6 is identical to the construction of the ventilator shown in Figures 3 to 5.

Claims (17)

1. A ventilator housing adapted to be mounted on the interior of a wall of a building, said ventilator comprising a housing having one face adapted to be mounted on the wall, said one face having an inlet therein to permit the ingress of air into the housing from a duct extending through the wall, a wall of the housing perpendicular to the wall of the building being provided with an outlet grill, the interior of the housing defining an air passage extending from said inlet to said grill, at least part of the said passage being defined by elements of a sound absorbing material.

2. Aventilator according to claim 1 wherein said inlet in the said one face of the housing communicates directly with a sub-chamber which is bounded by a sound absorbing material, the sub-chamber communicating with a communicating passage that extends substantially adjacent the side wall of the housing opposed to the wall defining the grill, said communicating passage having an opening communicating with a further sound absorbing passage to direct air flowing through the ventilator towards said grill.

3. Aventilator according to claim 2 wherein said further passage comprises a passage having two parts extending in opposite directions away from the opening interconnecting said communicating passage and the further passage, the outwardly directed passage parts being defined by substantially parallel members of sound absorbing material, the member or members of sound absorbing material closest to the grill being provided with apertures therein to permit the flow of air towards the grill.

4. A ventilator according to claim 3 wherein between the said member or members of sound absorbing material provided with the apertures and the grill a baffle member is provided.

5. A ventilator according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein a slidable member is provided which can be moved to a position to blank off said sub-chamber from said communicating passage.

6. A ventilator according to claim 5 wherein said slider is adapted so that, on actuation of the slider to blank off the sub-chamber from the communicating passage, the opening between the communicating passage and the further air passage is also closed.

7. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein a fan or air blower is provided to blow air through the ventilator.

8. A ventilator according to claim 7 as dependent upon claim 3 wherein said fan or blower is provided in the opening between the communicating passage and the further passage.

9. Aventilator according to claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon wherein the communicating passage is bounded at least partially by a soundreflecting material.

10. Aventilator adapted to be disposed on the wall of a building, the ventilator having a soundabsorbing passage which extends parallel to the plane of the wall in an oblong casing, said passage having, in opposed walls1 longitudinally offset air flow orifices, at least one of which communicates via an opening in the casing wall with atmosphere, wherein a sub-chamber is disposed laterally of the sound-absorbing passage in the casing and has two walls which are perpendicularto one another and which are each formed with an air passage; the casing having a communicating passage which extends over the whole length of the casing and which communicates with an air passage of the sub-chamber and at least one air passage orifice of the sound-absorbing passage.

11. Aventilator according to claim 10 wherein the sub-chamber is bounded by sound-absorbing material.

12. Aventilator according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the communicating passage is bounded by a sound-reflecting substance.

13. A ventilator according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the communicating passage has a shallow rectangular cross-section whose maximum width extends parallel to the casing wall formed with the air passage.

14. Aventilator according to any of claims 10 to 13 wherein at least sub-chamber air passage which communicates with the communicating passage can be opened and closed by a slider.

15. Aventilator substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A ventilator substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

17. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.