Air movement apparatus with improved air blending
View Patent ↗A portable air movement apparatus with improved air blending is provided, having a housing, an air generator, an air outlet, and an ambient air passageway through the housing of the device. The impeller and other components, such as the heating element, are disassociated from the location of the air outlet, allowing for the ability to use more than one air outlet, which serves to spread the air stream over a greater area. The disassociation of the impeller and other components from the air outlet also minimizes the housing size required near the air outlet, thereby allowing ambient air to be entrained in the air flow produced by the apparatus. As such, the apparatus moves more room air through the apparatus and more rapidly blends the air into the entire area or room.
1. A portable air moving apparatus comprising:
a housing comprising at least one housing wall, said at least one housing wall defining a first interior space;
an air flow generator located within said first interior space;
a plenum located within said first interior space comprising plenum walls located within said first interior space, said plenum walls defining a second interior space and comprising multiple air channels;
at least one plenum outlet associated with said multiple air channels, wherein the at least one plenum outlet is located in a front half of said second interior space;
an ambient air passageway comprising an opening passing between a rear portion of said housing and a front portion of said housing wall of said housing and located between said multiple air channels of said plenum;
an air inlet in said housing allowing air to enter said first interior space;
an air outlet in said housing located in a front half of said housing wall and adjacent to a perimeter of said ambient air passageway and in fluid communication with said second interior space via said at least one plenum outlet;
wherein said air flow generator draws an intake air flow into said housing through said air inlet, into said second interior space and subsequently expels an exhaust air flow from said housing through said air outlet; and
wherein said exhaust air flow entrains a flow of ambient air which passes through said ambient air passageway from said rear portion of said housing toward said front portion of said housing.
2. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one plenum outlet comprises multiple plenum outlets located on opposite sides of said ambient air passageway.
3. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising multiple planar air directing structures spaced apart relative to one another along a length of said at least one plenum outlet.
4. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a base portion contacting a mounting surface, wherein said plenum is located above said base portion, and wherein said air flow generator is located between said base portion and said plenum and is fluidly connected to said plenum.
5. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first flow path of said intake air flow entering said first interior space;
a second flow path of air exiting said air flow generator and entering said second interior space;
a third flow path of said exhaust air flow exiting said housing; and
wherein said second flow path is orthogonal to said first flow path and said third flow path.
6. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said air flow generator comprises:
a motor;
an impeller;
a scroll housing;
an intake port; and
an exit port.
7. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a heating element located between said exit port and said plenum, wherein said second flow path passes through said heating element prior to entering said plenum.
8. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element located within said first interior space between said air inlet and said air outlet.
9. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of said air channels further comprises a bottom front to back dimension, and wherein said bottom front to back dimension is substantially equal to a front to back dimension of said heating element.
10. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of said air channels further comprises a bottom front to back dimension and a top front to back dimension, and wherein said bottom front to back dimension is greater than said top front to back dimension of each respective air channel.
11. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of said air channels further comprises a bottom side to side dimension and a top side to side dimension, and wherein said bottom side to side dimension is greater than said top side to side dimension of each respective air channel.
12. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plenum walls include a rear wall that inclines toward the at least one plenum outlet.
13. The portable air moving apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the impeller is a centrifugal impeller and includes an axis of rotation which is parallel to the flow of ambient air through said ambient air passageway.