Jamb frame member for wind driven rain louvers

Abstract

A jamb frame member for a louver assembly includes a frame body having a series of main panels that extend in a direction of an airflow through the louver assembly, wherein the series of main panels are coupled together by one or more connector panels that extend transversely to the direction of the airflow, and a plurality of slanted walls extending at an angle from one of the main panels in an upstream direction relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly. Each of the plurality of slanted walls and the one of the main panels at least partially define a channel configured to receive and direct fluid out of the jamb frame member.

1 . A jamb frame member for a louver assembly, comprising:
 a frame body comprising a series of main panels that extend in a direction of an airflow through the louver assembly, wherein the series of main panels are coupled together by one or more connector panels that extend transversely to the direction of the airflow; and   a plurality of slanted walls extending at an angle from one of the main panels in an upstream direction relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly, wherein each of the plurality of slanted walls and the one of the main panels at least partially define a channel configured to receive and direct fluid out of the jamb frame member.   
     
     
         2 . The jamb frame member of  claim 1 , wherein the series of main panels are coupled together by the connector panels such that at least one of the main panels is offset from at least another of the main panels in a direction transverse to the direction of the airflow. 
     
     
         3 . The jamb frame member of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a plurality of additional walls extending from an additional one of the main panels, wherein each of the plurality additional walls at least partially defines an intermediate channel configured to receive and direct the fluid out of the jamb frame member.   
     
     
         4 . The jamb frame member of  claim 3 , comprising:
 a first pocket positioned upstream of the plurality slanted walls and upstream of the plurality additional walls relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly; and   a second pocket positioned downstream of the plurality slanted walls and downstream of the plurality of additional walls relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly.   
     
     
         5 . The jamb frame member of  claim 4 , wherein the second pocket comprises an additional slanted wall extending therein, wherein the additional slanted wall extends at an additional angle in the upstream direction relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The jamb frame member of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of slanted walls comprises a shoe structure having a first branching portion and a second branching portion. 
     
     
         7 . The jamb frame member of  claim 6 , wherein the first branching portion extends in the upstream direction relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly, and the second branching portion extends in a downstream direction relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The jamb frame member of  claim 7 , wherein each of the first branching portion and the second branching portion collectively define an additional channel configured to receive and direct the fluid out of the jamb frame member. 
     
     
         9 . A louver assembly for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the louver assembly comprising:
 a plurality of louver blades configured to collect liquid and/or solid particles, wherein each louver blade of the plurality of louver blades includes one or more cavities and one or more slanted portions; and   a frame assembly comprising:
 a first jamb frame member and a second jamb frame member each configured to direct the liquid and/or solid particles collected by the plurality of louver blades out of the louver assembly, wherein each of the first jamb frame member and the second jamb frame member comprises:
 a first plurality of channels defined at least partially by one or more slanted walls; and 
 a second plurality of channels defined at least partially by one or more intermediate walls. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The louver assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of channels is aligned with a cavity of the one or more cavities of each of the plurality of louver blades along a lateral axis of the louver assembly, and wherein the second plurality of channels is aligned with a slanted portion of the one or more slanted portions of each of the plurality of louver blades along the lateral axis of the louver assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The louver assembly of  claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more slanted walls extends in an upstream direction relative to a direction of an airflow directed through the louver assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The louver assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first jamb frame member and the second jamb frame member each comprises a body having one or more main panels and one or more connecting panels, and wherein the one or more slanted walls extend from the one of the one or more main panels at an angle relative to a lateral axis extending through the louver assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The louver assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first jamb frame member and the second jamb frame member each comprises:
 a first pocket configured to direct the liquid and/or solid particles collected by the plurality of louver blades out of the louver assembly, wherein the first pocket is positioned upstream of the first plurality of channels and upstream of the second plurality of channels relative to a direction of an airflow through the louver assembly; and.   a second pocket configured to direct the liquid and/or solid particles collected by the plurality of louver blades out of the louver assembly, wherein the second pocket is positioned downstream of the first plurality of channels and downstream of the second plurality of channels relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly.   
     
     
         14 . The louver assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the second pocket is aligned with a cavity of the one or more cavities of each of the plurality of louver blades along a lateral axis of the louver assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The louver assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first pocket comprises:
 an opening configured to receive the liquid and/or solid particles collected by the plurality of louver blades;   a first protrusion extending into the opening in a downstream direction relative to the direction of the airflow; and   a second protrusion extending into the opening in an upstream direction relative to the direction of the airflow, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are configured to retain the liquid and/or solid particles received by the opening.   
     
     
         16 . The louver assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first pocket comprises an extension extending beyond the opening in a crosswise direction relative to the direction of the airflow through the louver assembly. 
     
     
         17 . A jamb frame member of a louver assembly, comprising:
 a frame body comprising a series of main panels that extend in a direction of an airflow through the louver assembly and one or more connecting panels that extend crosswise to the direction of the airflow;   a plurality of pocket sections at least partially defined by the frame body, wherein each of the plurality of pocket sections comprises a first plurality of channels;   a plurality of intermediate channel sections at least partially defined by the frame body, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate channel sections comprises a second plurality of channels; and   a plurality of slanted channel sections at least partially defined by the frame body, wherein each of the plurality of slanted channel sections comprises a third plurality of channels, wherein the first plurality of channels, the second plurality of channels, and the third plurality of channels are configured to receive and direct liquid and/or solid particles out of the louver assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The jamb frame member of  claim 17 , wherein a first intermediate channel section of the plurality of intermediate channel sections is configured to align with a first slanted portion of a louver blade extending through the louver assembly, and a second intermediate channel section of the plurality of intermediate channel sections is configured to align with a second slanted portion of the louver blade extending through the louver assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The jamb frame member of  claim 17 , wherein a first slanted channel section of the plurality of slanted channel sections is configured to align with a first cavity of a louver blade extending through the louver assembly and a second slanted channel section of the plurality of slanted channel sections is configured to align with a second cavity of the louver blade extending through the louver assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The jamb frame member of  claim 17 , wherein each channel of the second plurality of channels defines a first volume, each channel of the third plurality of channels defines a second volume, and wherein the second volume greater than the first volume.