초록 ▼

A blower apparatus is provided especially suitable for an air curtain, screen or barrier. The apparatus includes a blower in the form of a plurality of blades arranged to describe a cylinder. A guide encircles the blower, but is open-ended thereupon and extends axially beyond the blower to generate

A blower apparatus is provided especially suitable for an air curtain, screen or barrier. The apparatus includes a blower in the form of a plurality of blades arranged to describe a cylinder. A guide encircles the blower, but is open-ended thereupon and extends axially beyond the blower to generate an air stream, the width of which is greater than that of the blower. A deflector or interceptor plate is arranged, which is coextensive with that portion of the guide, which extends beyond the blower and which is coextensive with a portion of the blower in a range of about 45°-90° thereof. The deflector or interceptor plate prevents air from circulating in an axial direction back into the blower and therefore improves the effectiveness of generation of the air stream, which flows tangentially out of the blower arrangement.

대표청구항 ▼

1. Apparatus comprising first means for receiving an input of air in generally axial directions and generating a rotary flow of said air from said input and discharge the air in generally tangential direction, but with an axial spread in at least one direction, and second means to intercept the axia

1. Apparatus comprising first means for receiving an input of air in generally axial directions and generating a rotary flow of said air from said input and discharge the air in generally tangential direction, but with an axial spread in at least one direction, and second means to intercept the axial spread, in part, to prevent return of the air therein to the rotary flow whereby to minimize pressure dissipation in the discharged air, said first means including a blower of generally cylindrical configuration and said second means including an interception plate axially displaced relative to said blower and located in a plane at least substantially tangent to said blower, said first means including an open ended scroll at least partly encircling the blower and extending axially beyond the blower, said open ended scroll having a first portion forming an air-cutoff zone with the blower, a second portion encircling the blower and a third portion extending from said second portion substantially parallel to a tangent of the blower to form a discharge outlet for the rotary flow of air conveyed through the scroll by the blower, said interception plate being radially spaced from the periphery of the blower and from the scroll so as to be radially positioned in entirety therebetween in spaced relation from both, said plate being positioned between the periphery of the blower and the third portion of the scroll, substantially parallel to and in juxtaposition with said third portion at said discharge outlet to form and guide the axial spread of air in a tangential path, and wherein the spacing of the interception plate with respect to the third portion of the scroll is relatively small radially to peel off the rotary air flow and convey the same as a curtain of air for tangential discharge. 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate is curved, said blower and plate having respective radii with the radius of the blower being smaller than the radius of the plate. 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plane is of generatrices which are substantially parallel to the axis of the blower. 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plate coincides to no more than about 90° of the cylindrical extent of the blower. 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a cover partly enclosing the blower and plate and provided with intake and discharge openings for the flow of air, said cover including an end axially spaced from said blower, said plate occupying about 50-100% of the spacing between said end and said blower. 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blower includes a plurality of curved blades arranged in parallel on an imaginary cylinder. 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a motor connected to and rotating the blower. 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spacing is at least as large as the radius of the blower. 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first means includes a second blower and interception plate in mirror relationship to the first said blower and interceptor plate, comprising a motor between and coupled to said blowers for driving the same. 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the intake and discharge openings are perpendicularly related. 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising a further interception plate in positional correspondence with said motor. 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said scroll includes a first part extending substantially the entire width of said cover and tongues thereon curling partly around said blowers. 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first part is at least substantially parallel to a tangent to said cylindrical configuration. 14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said tongues respectively include said first portions which are curved towards said blowers to define the air cutoff zones as peripheral cutoff zones on the blowers, said interceptor plates extending from said cutoff zones by an amount corresponding to about 45°-90° of the associated blowers. 15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said interceptor plates are axially spaced from the associated blowers by at least about one-half of an inch. 16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said portion of the scroll extending axially of the blower is constituted solely by said third portion, said first and second portions of the scroll being limited to the axial extent of the blower and terminating thereat. 17. A method comprising rotationally impelling air by a blower along a determinable, generally circular path while taking said air into said path from at least one axial direction and discharging the air tangentially of said path with an axial spread to form at least part of an air curtain having a width exceeding the breadth of said circular path, and blocking the air, which is being tangentially discharged and which is in the axial spread, from returning into said circular path while guiding the air along a tangential path, thereby to optimize the pressure of air in the curtain, the rotation of the air along said path by the blower being controlled by an open ended scroll having a first portion forming a cutoff zone with the blower, a second portion encircling the blower and a third portion extending from said second portion in a direction substantially parallel to a tangent to the blower, and also extending axially beyond the blower, to form a discharge outlet for the rotary flow of air, including said axial spread, conveyed through the scroll by the blower, the blocking of the air in the axial spread being effected by an interception plate which is radially spaced from the periphery of the blower and from the scroll so as to be radially positioned in entirety therebetween, in spaced relation from both, said interception plate formin and guiding the axial spread of air in a passage between the plate and the part of the scroll extending axially beyond the blower, whereat the plate is substantially parallel to and in juxtaposition with said third portion of the scroll at a relatively small spacing for peeling off the rotary air flow and conveying the same in said curtain for tangential discharge. 18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the circular path is substantially enclosed between the blower and the scroll and air input is arranged in an at least substantially perpendicular relationship to the tangential discharge of the air. 19. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said interception plate is formed with an inner end the projection of which is substantially tangent to the blower for promoting the peeling of the rotary air flow. 20. Apparatus comprising a blower including a plurality of parallel blades arranged to describe a cylinder, an open ended scroll including a first part encircling the blower and at least in major position spaced therefrom and a second part extending from the first part and substantially parallel to a tangent to said cylinder, said first part being generally axially coextensive with said cylinder and said second part being axially coextensive with said cylinder, but including at least a portion extending in axial direction beyond the cylinder, and a deflector plate coextensive with and in juxtaposition to said portion and including an edge portion which is in projection in at least substantially touching relationship with said cylinder, said deflector plate being offset axially relative to said cylinder, said first part of the scroll having an end portion froming an air-cutoff zone with the blower and a further portion encircling the blower, said second part extending from said further portion to form a discharge outlet for rotary flow of air conveyed through the scroll by the blower, said deflector plate being radially spaced from the periphery of the cylinder and from said portion of said second part of the scroll extending axially beyond the cylinder so as to be radially positioned in entirety between the scroll and the cylinder and in spaced relation from both to form and guide an axial spread of air in a tangential discharge path, the radial spacing of the deflector plate with respect to the scroll in combination with the arrangement of the edge portion of the deflector plate, in projection, being in substantially touching relation with the cylinder causing the deflector plate to peel off the rotary air flow and convey the same as a curtain of air for tangential discharge. 21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said cylinder defines an axis and said deflector plate has the configuration of a plane having generatrices parallel to the axis of the cylinder. 22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said end portion of first part curls in towards the cylinder. 23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said plane is curved.