Abstract:
The invention consists of a metal box frame into which a series of hinged louvers are fitted. These louvers consist of a metal wing section with a leading edge with an up stand or slot and a formed tab on the trailing edge that has the effect of an aileron. They are hinged on a pivot point that is offset from a point drawn from the leading edge to the trailing edge. This offset has the effect of using the weight of the louvers as a bias about the pivot point effectively holding the louvers closed and the overlap or interlinked portion together until a minimum air pressure is reached. The effective aileron on the trailing edge of each blade serves two purposes, one is to fit into a slot or up stand on the leading edge of the next blade for the purposes of protection from fire penetration and the other is to provide a mechanically advantageous position, that being the furthest point from the pivot, to best use the force of the passing air being relieved to efficiently open the vent at low pressures. One major application for this invention is to relieve the excess pressure created during the discharge of a gas suppression system. As an addition to this invention is the ability through the use of an electric or pneumatic motor to be able to control the opening of the louvers via a switching method attached to the motors. The linkage to do this has the ability to allow the louvers to open under air pressure independently of the mechanical drive fitted to the motor but also allow the opening of the louvers mechanically at choice when there is either no air pressure acting on them or there is a backwards air pressure that is acting on the louvers to hold them shut. One of the main applications for this configuration is for use in a chemical fire suppression system discharge where there is first a negative pressure created in the enclosure caused by the cooling effects of the gas discharge. It is assumed that in this additional application the vents are fitted to allow a positive pressure in the enclosure to be relieved by the free opening ability of the louvers due to the direction of the air flow acting on them and orientated accordingly. On the deployment of the gas this addition to this invention allows for the louvers to be temporarily opened mechanically so as to relieve the negative pressure in the enclosure and once that negative pressure has been released the motors disengage their drive to the louvers allowing them to shut under gravity and free to open again under air or gas pressure which can then occur in the enclosure due to the warming and therefore expansion of the gas and air inside. Note that in this invention the louvers will only open freely under air pressure from one direction and there fore the ability to add this mechanism as an add on allows for the pressure relief when the air flow would be in the opposite direction. In Diagram 6.
Abstract:
The invention consists of a metal box frame into which a series of hinged louvers are fitted. These louvers consist of a metal wing section with a- leading edge with an up stand or slot and a formed tab on the trailing edge that has the effect of an aileron. They are hinged on a pivot point that is offset from a point drawn from the leading edge to the trailing edge. This offset has the effect of using the weight of the louvers as a bias about the pivot point effectively holding the louvers closed and the overlap or interlinked portion together until a minimum air pressure is reached. The effective aileron on the trailing edge of each blade serves two purposes, one is to fit into a slot or up stand on the leading edge of the next blade for the purposes of protection from fire penetration and the other is to provide a mechanically advantageous position, that being the furthest point from the pivot, to best use the force of the passing air being relieved to efficiently open the vent at low pressures.