Air diffuser and an air circulation system

Abstract

An air diffuser comprises a plurality of discharge elements ( 4 a to 4 d ). The discharge elements are configured such that they are able to be arranged in the diffuser so as to abut to form a tessellation of discharge elements in a plane. At least one of the discharge elements may be displaceable out of the plane for adjustment of its orientation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air diffuser comprising a plurality of discharge elements, the discharge elements being configured such that they are able to be arranged to form a tessellation of discharge elements in a plane, and wherein at least one of the discharge elements is able to be adjusted into a new orientation in the tessellation plane. 
     
     
         2 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a perimeter shape of at least one discharge element in the tessellation plane takes the form of a polygon, and wherein the discharge elements are arranged in the diffuser so as to abut. 
     
     
         3 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein a perimeter shape of at least one discharge element in the tessellation plane takes the form of a regular polygon. 
     
     
         4 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claims 3 , wherein the at least one discharge element is able to be independently displaced out of the tessellation plane, generally along an axis that is perpendicular to the tessellation plane, and independently rotated about that axis into the new orientation, before being displaced back along the axis and engaged back into the tessellation plane. 
     
     
         5 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein, when the at least one discharge element has a mathematically regular polygon perimeter shape in the tessellation plane, its number of sides is equal to the number of unique orientations in which the discharge element may be engaged into the tessellation of discharge elements. 
     
     
         6 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the discharge elements is configured and is able to be arranged in the diffuser so as to discharge a primary air stream in a direction that is generally inclined to an axis that is perpendicular to the tessellation plane. 
     
     
         7 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein changing the orientation of the at least one primary air stream discharge element varies the airflow direction of the primary air stream. 
     
     
         8 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the at least one primary air stream discharge element comprises at least one discharge canal integrated therein, with the primary air stream being discharged by the at least one discharge canal. 
     
     
         9 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the at least one discharge canal is inclined to the perpendicular axis of the tessellation plane of discharge elements, whereby the primary air stream is generally discharged in a direction that is similarly inclined to the axis. 
     
     
         10 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 9 , further comprising a perforated discharge plate, wherein the primary air stream is discharged through at least one of a plurality of the perforations in the discharge plate. 
     
     
         11 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein in use the discharge plate is arranged in a plane that is parallel to the tessellation plane of discharge elements, and an inside face of the discharge plate closely faces or abuts a discharge face of the discharge elements. 
     
     
         12 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claims 11 , wherein the centre points of some of the discharge plate perforations generally coincide with vertices of a regular tessellation pattern, and wherein a centre point of at least two discharge canals coincides with the centre point of at least one discharge plate perforations for the number of unique orientations. 
     
     
         13 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is configured to discharge at least one secondary air stream in close proximity to a primary air stream, and wherein the secondary air stream is of substantially lower momentum than the primary air stream to which it is in close proximity. 
     
     
         14 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the secondary air stream is induced by the primary air stream to which it is in close proximity to form one combined air stream. 
     
     
         15 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the discharge direction and/or throw of the combined air stream is largely determined by the discharge direction or throw respectively of the primary air stream to which the secondary air stream is in close proximity, and wherein the secondary air stream is discharged by at least one opening integrated into at least one of the discharge elements. 
     
     
         16 . An air diffuser comprising a plurality of discharge elements, the discharge elements being configured such that they are able to be arranged in a plane, wherein at least one discharge element is able to be displaced from the plane, rotated about an axis that is generally perpendicular to the plane and, once a given rotational position has been reached, re-displaced back into the plane and wherein at least one of the discharge elements is able to be adjusted into a new orientation in the plane. 
     
     
         17 . An air diffuser comprising:
 a frame; and   a plurality of discharge elements positioned within or adjacent to the frame, each discharge element abutting against or closely facing at least one other discharge element, the discharge elements having a plan shape of a polygon, and wherein at least one of the discharge elements is able to be adjusted into a new orientation in the frame.   
     
     
         18 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the discharge elements is configured to discharge an air stream in a direction that is inclined with respect to an axis that extends generally perpendicularly from a downstream face of the discharge element. 
     
     
         19 . An air diffuser in accordance with  18 , wherein each discharge element comprises discharge passages, the discharge passages being arranged to discharge a high or low velocity air stream through perforations in a discharge plate. 
     
     
         20 . An air diffuser in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein the at least one high velocity discharge passage is generally arranged in the centre of the discharge element and the at least low velocity discharge passage is generally arranged adjacent to the at least one high velocity discharge passage but away from the centre of the discharge element.