Device for distributing air

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for distributing air. The device (1) has a housing (2) which includes an air inlet opening (20) and a plurality of air outlet openings (21). Arranged in the housing (2) is a displacement element (3) which has at least one cutting plane that is configured as a cutting plane of a hollow cylinder widening along a longitudinal axis (26) of the housing (2).

Claims

1. A device for distributing air, comprising: at least one housing, wherein: the at least one housing has an air inlet opening and a plurality of air outlet openings, the plurality of air outlet openings is located on different sides of the at least one housing, at least two fixed displacement elements are arranged in an interior of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements each having at least one cutting plane that is configured as a cutting plane of a trumpet-shaped hollow cylinder widening along a longitudinal axis of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements are rotationally symmetrical and configured as trumpet-shaped hollow cylinders conically widening along the longitudinal axis of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements are spaced apart from an inner wall of the at least one housing such that air flows around the at least two displacement elements, and the device is configured such that air flows through the at least two displacement elements along the longitudinal axis and the air exits an innermost displacement element in a central area of the innermost displacement element.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two displacement elements each include a first section having a substantially constant diameter and a second section having a diameter that increases along the longitudinal axis.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two displacement elements partly overlap along the longitudinal axis, wherein the at least two displacement elements have different end radii and/or different inlet radii, wherein the at least two displacement elements have different axial extents, and wherein the at least two displacement elements start from a shared plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet opening is opposite one of the plurality of air outlet openings.

5. A device for distributing air, comprising: at least one housing, wherein: the at least one housing having an air inlet opening and a plurality of air outlet openings, the plurality of air outlet openings is located on different sides of the at least one housing, at least two fixed displacement elements are arranged in an interior of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements each having at least one cutting plane that is configured as a cutting plane of a trumpet-shaped hollow cylinder widening along a longitudinal axis of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements are rotationally symmetrical and configured as trumpet-shaped hollow cylinders conically widening along the longitudinal axis of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements are spaced apart from an inner wall of the at least one housing such that air flows around the at least two displacement elements, the at least two displacement elements are fastened to an inner wall of an interior of the at least one housing by holding webs, wherein the at least two displacement elements are all statically fixed in the at least one housing, and the device is configured such that air flows through the at least two displacement elements along the longitudinal axis and the air exits an innermost displacement element in a central area of the innermost displacement element.

6. A device for distributing air, comprising: at least one housing, wherein: the at least one housing has an air inlet opening and a plurality of air outlet openings, the plurality of air outlet openings is located on different sides of the at least one housing, at least two fixed displacement elements are arranged in an interior of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements each having at least one cutting plane that is configured as a cutting plane of a trumpet-shaped hollow cylinder widening along a longitudinal axis of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements being rotationally symmetrical and configured as trumpet-shaped hollow cylinders conically widening along the longitudinal axis of the at least one housing, the at least two displacement elements are spaced apart from an inner wall of the at least one housing such that air flows around the at least two displacement elements, a shape and a relative arrangement of the at least two displacement elements cause the inflowing air to be directed to the plurality of air outlet openings in essentially equal parts, and the device is configured such that air flows through the at least two displacement elements along the longitudinal axis and the air exits an innermost displacement element in a central area of the innermost displacement element.

Description

(1) In detail, there is a multitude of options to configure and further develop the device according to the invention. In this regard, reference is made, on the one hand, to the claims dependent on claim 1 and, on the other hand, to the description below of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional representation of the device in connection with a heater;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exploded illustration of the device;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a section taken through the device for distributing air as shown in FIG. 2; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a top view of the side with the air inlet opening of the air distribution device of FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a configuration of the device 1 for distributing air, which is connected to an air-expelling unit 5, which in the exemplary embodiment shown is a heater.

(7) The connection is effected here via associated interfaces for the transmission of air, so that in particular an air outlet—not visible here—of the unit 5 is in contact with the air inlet opening—also not visible here—of the device 1.

(8) In an alternative configuration (not illustrated), a pipe is located between the unit 5 and the device 1. In one design, a pluggable connection is preferably provided between the device 1 and the unit 5 or a pipe.

(9) In the variant shown, the housing 2 of the device 1 is designed to be substantially cube-shaped with planar side faces of substantially the same size. Located on the side faces are the openings, of which only the air outlet openings 21 are visible here. A total of six openings are provided; these are one air inlet opening and five air outlet openings 21.

(10) Owing to the characteristics of the device 1, which are to be discussed in the following, approximately the same amount of air exits on each side of the housing 2, that is, approximately one fifth of the amount of air entering through the air inlet opening. The air outlet openings 21 here each have respective pipes connected thereto, which serve to further guide the air. Alternatively, the air outlet openings 21 can also be closed, or the air flows out of them directly.

(11) FIG. 2 shows that the housing 2 consists of two housing halves 2.1, 2.2, which in this case more particularly are of identical design. The housing halves 2.1, 2.2 are preferably manufactured from a plastic material, e.g. injection molded.

(12) Three displacement elements 3 are provided, which are connected to three holding webs 4. In the installed condition, the holding webs 4 serve to fasten the displacement elements 3 in the housing 2. The holding web 4, which is directed downward in the drawing here, is connected to a circular closure plate 4.1. The closure plate 4.1 allows, for one thing, the arrangement of the displacement elements 3 to be fixed in place in the housing 2 and, for another thing, closes one of the air outlet openings 21. In this configuration, a plurality of displacement elements 3 are thus connected, which together with the holding webs 4 constitute a unit, inserted into the housing 2. In particular, the unit made up of the displacement elements 3 and the holding webs 4 further includes a closure plate 4.1.

(13) The three displacement elements 3 each have different inlet radii, which allows them to be fitted or nested into each other. The inlet radius here is the respective radius of that section of the displacement element 3 which faces the air inlet opening. The axially opposite radius is the end radius, each end radius being larger than the associated inlet radius.

(14) The displacement element 3 with the smallest inlet radius, which is also located in the middle here, has the largest axial extent.

(15) Furthermore, the three displacement elements 3 start from a shared plane. In an alternative configuration (not illustrated), the displacement elements 3 are arranged offset one behind the other.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a section taken through the housing 2 of the device 1 of FIG. 2.

(17) The air inlet opening 20, the opposite air outlet opening 21 and three further air outlet openings 21 are visible, which are arranged laterally to the longitudinal axis 26 and opposite each other. The lower air outlet opening 21 is closed by the closure plate 4.1 so that no air exits at this point. Notwithstanding this, about one fifth of the air entering via the air inlet opening 20 would exit through this air outlet opening 21 as well.

(18) To obtain this effect, i.e. that essentially the same amount of air exits from the air outlet openings 21 or would exit in the open condition, three displacement elements 3 are located in the interior 25 of the housing 2 by way of example. Alternatively, further or fewer displacement elements 3 may also be provided.

(19) The three displacement elements 3 are each rotationally symmetrical hollow cylinders having circular cross-sections. Therefore, only the cutting planes of the displacement elements 3 are visible here, which correspond to the cutting planes of hollow cylinders, in this case provided with different dimensions.

(20) The hollow cylinders, which may also be referred to as being trumpet-shaped, are arranged along the longitudinal axis 26 such that they partly overlap axially. The displacement elements 3 are fastened to the inner wall of the interior 25 of the housing 2 by means of the holding webs 4.

(21) The displacement elements 3 each have a first tubular section 3.1 having a constant diameter, which is adjoined by a respective second section 3.2, the diameter of which increases in the direction of the longitudinal axis 26. In the case shown, each of the three displacement elements 3 have different inlet radii and also different end radii. Moreover, the different axial extents, that is, the different lengths of the three displacement elements 3 can be seen.

(22) The air that reaches the interior 25 of housing 2 through the air inlet opening 20 flows around the displacement elements 3 and through them. The shape and relative arrangement of the displacement elements 3 causes the inflowing air to be directed to the air outlet openings 21 in essentially equal parts. In the configuration shown, the displacement elements 3 are spaced apart from the housing 2 all around. To this end, the holding webs 4 are also designed accordingly, so that a flow around them is possible or is only slightly affected.

(23) The top view of FIG. 4 shows the three displacement elements 3 and the three holding webs 4 as viewed through the air inlet opening 20 of the housing 2.

(24) The three displacement elements 3 each have different inlet radii so that they can be arranged inside each other. Each pair of holding webs 4 includes an angle of 120 degrees, so that altogether a symmetrical arrangement is obtained.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(25) 1 device 2 housing 2.1 housing half 2.2 housing half 3 displacement element 3.1 first section 3.2 second section 4 holding web 4.1 closure plate 5 air-expelling unit 20 air inlet opening 21 air outlet opening 25 interior 26 longitudinal axis