Low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit

Abstract

A low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit for a workspace provides an air flow to a person working at the workspace. At least one ambient air fan is mounted to a wall of the comfort unit enclosure and electrically coupled to a fan speed control module, the fan speed control module operatively coupled to the controller. At least one heated air fan is mounted to the wall or another wall of the comfort unit enclosure at a different place than the at least one ambient air fan. A heat reflector reflects heat radiation away from a rear portion of the low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit and directs an air flow from the at least one heated air fan to the at least one air outlet. A method for minimizing fan noise of a low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit is also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit for a workspace comprising:
 a comfort unit enclosure having a mounting flange to mount said comfort unit enclosure to a surface of a workspace;   at least one louver mechanically coupled to said comfort unit enclosure provides an ambient air flow to a person working at said workspace;   a controller to accept a set point from a person working at said workspace, said set point representing a desired rate of ambient air flow;   at least one ambient air fan mounted to a wall of said comfort unit enclosure and electrically coupled to a fan speed control module, said fan speed control module operatively coupled to said controller;   at least one heated air fan mounted to said wall or another wall of said comfort unit enclosure at a different place than said at least one ambient air fan, said at least one heated air fan comprising a heating element mechanically coupled to said heated air fan, an operation of said heating element controlled by said controller;   at least one air outlet to flow air heated by said heated air fan provides an air flow to a person working at said workspace; and   a heat reflector having a curved surface disposed with a center of said curved surface disposed at about a midpoint between said at least one heated air fan and said at least one air outlet such that said heat reflector reflects heat radiation away from a rear portion of said low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit and directs an air flow from said at least one heated air fan to said at least one air outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 1 , wherein said curved surface comprises about a circular shaped curve. 
     
     
         3 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 1 , wherein said controller comprises a moveable human machine interface (HMI) controller having a serrated cable clamp. 
     
     
         4 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 3 , wherein said serrated cable clamp comprises at least one or more rounded peaks on one side of a cable receiving slot corresponding to at least one or more rounded troughs on another side of said cable receiving slot and a cable receiving slot rounded end. 
     
     
         5 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one air cooling coil disposed behind said heated air fan, said at least one air cooling coil to flow a cooling fluid or a refrigerant there through said at least one air cooling coil so that as controlled by said controller, said heated air fan provides a cooled air flow and/or a heated airflow to a person working at said workspace. 
     
     
         6 . A low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit for a workspace comprising:
 a comfort unit enclosure having a mounting flange to mount said comfort unit enclosure to a surface of a workspace;   at least one louver mechanically coupled to said comfort unit enclosure provides an ambient air flow to a person working at said workspace;   a controller to accept a set point from a person working at said workspace, said set point representing a desired rate of ambient air flow;   at least one ambient air fan mounted to a wall of said comfort unit enclosure and electrically coupled to a fan speed control module, said fan speed control module operatively coupled to said controller;   at least one heated air fan mounted to said wall or another wall of said comfort unit enclosure at a different place than said at least one ambient air fan, said at least one heated air fan comprising a heating element mechanically coupled to said heated air fan; and   at least one heated air outlet to direct air heated by said heated air fan to a person working at said workspace.   
     
     
         7 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 6 , wherein said fan speed control module comprises a solid state relay (SSR), said SSR operatively coupled to an output terminal of said controller. 
     
     
         8 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 7 , wherein said SSR is controlled by a pulse width modulation (PWM) provided by said controller. 
     
     
         9 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 7 , wherein said ambient air fan is controlled by a phase angle controlled SSR. 
     
     
         10 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 7 , wherein said controller is programmed to operate said SSR at a plurality of pre-determined set points that have an optimized combination of low fan noise and high air flow. 
     
     
         11 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 6 , wherein said controller is programmed to prevent a user from selecting an ambient air fan speed below a predetermined lowest fan speed associated with fan stall. 
     
     
         12 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 6 , wherein said controller provides a person working at said workspace a plurality of ambient air fan speed settings predetermined to have a low fan noise and high air flow. 
     
     
         13 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 6 , further comprising a desk surface electric lift mechanism to set a height of a desk surface. 
     
     
         14 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 6 , wherein said ambient air fan comprises a static pressure of about 0.1 inches or greater. 
     
     
         15 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one louver is coupled to said comfort unit enclosure by an air duct mechanically coupled to at least one hose flange disposed on said comfort unit enclosure. 
     
     
         16 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 6 , wherein said low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit further comprises a proximity sensor communicatively coupled to said controller and wherein said controller places said low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit in a low power mode when said proximity sensor does not sense a person at said workspace. 
     
     
         17 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 7 , wherein said heating element comprises a heated coil. 
     
     
         18 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 17 , wherein a power level of said heated coil is controlled by a controller PWM control terminal which is electrically coupled to a SSR that powers said heated coil wherein said power level is set by a slider control displayed on a touch screen of said controller. 
     
     
         19 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 6 , wherein said low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit further comprises at least one accessory outlet protected by a circuit breaker. 
     
     
         20 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 7 , wherein said low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit further comprises at least one AC powered task light dimmable by a PWM controlled SSR or a phase controlled SSR. 
     
     
         21 . The low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit of  claim 7 , wherein said SSR comprises a DC voltage control input terminal. 
     
     
         22 . A method for minimizing fan noise of a low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit comprising:
 providing a low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit comprising a solid state relay (SSR) fan speed circuit operatively coupled to a comfort unit controller having a comfort unit controller PWM output terminal, said comfort unit controller to set a PWM waveform at a comfort unit controller output terminal;   generating a PWM frequency between about 12 Hz and 250 Hz at said comfort unit controller PWM output terminal;   measuring a fan noise sound level and a fan air speed at said PWM frequency;   repeating said step of generating to said step of measuring between a fan speed above about a fan stall speed and about a maximum fan air flow;   determining a set of PWM frequencies having a minimal fan noise and maximum fan air flow for each of a predetermined number of discrete fan speed settings; and   configuring a firmware or software stored on a non-volatile memory and that runs on said comfort unit controller, so that said comfort unit controller provides a person working at said low noise micro environmental workspace comfort unit, a selection of a fan speed from a set of discrete fan speed settings.