Airflow and Heating Control Supply Air Terminal

Abstract

There is disclosed an airflow control terminal for use in controlling the supply of air into a building. The airflow control terminal includes a housing having a bottom, a top, two opposite sides and an interior, said top comprising a grill for allowing air to flow from the interior of the housing to the interior of the building. A heating unit is positioned in the housing between the bottom and top. One of said bottom and opposite sides has a plurality of first apertures to. A damper is mounted to the bottom and opposite sides, the damper configured to control an airflow from outside of the rectangular housing to the interior of the rectangular housing. The heating unit is positioned above the first apertures.

1 . An airflow control terminal for use in controlling the supply of air into a building interior, the airflow control terminal comprising:
 a. a housing having a bottom, a top, two opposite sides and an interior, said top comprising a grill for allowing air to flow from the interior of the housing to the interior of the building;   b. a heating unit positioned in the interior of the rectangular housing above the bottom and below the top;   c. one of said bottom and opposite sides having a plurality of first apertures dimensioned to permit air to flow from outside the housing into the interior of the housing;   d. a damper slidingly mounted to the said bottom and opposite sides having the first apertures, the damper having a plurality of second apertures dimensioned and positioned on the damper such that the damper can slide between a first position wherein the first and second apertures are aligned to permit an airflow from outside of the rectangular housing to the interior of the rectangular housing and a second position wherein the first and second apertures are misaligned and the airflow is obstructed, and   e. the heating unit being positioned above the first and second apertures.   
     
     
         2 . The airflow control terminal of  claim 1  further comprising means to slide the plate damper between the damper's first and second positions. 
     
     
         3 . The airflow control terminal of  claim 2  wherein the airflow control terminal is coupled to a lightly pressurized conditioned air passage such that the airflow is from the lightly pressurized conditioned air passage into the interior of the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The airflow control terminal of  claim 3  wherein the airflow through the control terminal has a volume rate which is a function of a degree of alignment between the first and second apertures. 
     
     
         5 . The airflow control terminal of  claim 4  wherein the first and second apertures are dimensioned and configured such that there is a linear relationship between the volume rate of airflow and the movement of the damper between its first and second positions. 
     
     
         6 . The airflow control terminal of  claim 1  wherein the airflow control terminal is able to function in a cooling mode by shutting off the heating means, the amount of cooling in the building interior being controlled by the amount of airflow through the airflow control terminal. 
     
     
         7 . The airflow control terminal of  claim 3  wherein the airflow control terminal is able to operate in two heating modes, a first heating mode wherein the damper is positioned close to its second position to minimize the airflow into the interior of the housing to enhance convection through the heating means and a second heating mode wherein the damper is positioned close to its first position to maximize the airflow into the interior of the housing when the lightly pressurized conditioned air passage has an ambient air pressure.