Managing air flow

Abstract

Enclosure assemblies for managing air flow. Such assemblies include an enclosure and at least one inclined pathway in contact with the enclosure, each pathway including a pair of side wall portions and a top wall portion that collectively extend between spaced apart openings to define an air mass. One opening having a lower boundary and the other opening having an upper boundary, with the lower boundary being at an elevation higher than that of the upper boundary, such that when a temperature differential exists within a given pathway, warmer air will be trapped in an upper portion of the air mass and above the upper boundary, thereby impeding air flow from the enclosure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An external entranceway to an enclosure, the enclosure having an interior space with a heat source to provide warm air thereto, the entranceway comprising a frame including a pair of laterally-spaced side wall portions and a top wall portion, said frame being adapted to be in contact with an exterior wall of the enclosure and in surrounding relation to a first opening therein, said side wall portions extending outwardly from the exterior wall on opposite side of an inclined pathway, the inclined pathway and said side and top wall portions cooperating to define a second opening distally located to the exterior wall, the first opening having a lower boundary and the second opening having an upper boundary, the lower boundary being at an elevation higher than that of the upper boundary, wherein, in the presence of a temperature differential within the entranceway, warmer air is trapped in an upper portion of the entranceway and above the upper boundary.