Enclosure with adjustable louver panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11054172-B2
Application number	US-201816126927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A housing system for heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment includes a housing configured to shroud the HVAC equipment and also includes a plurality of louver panels disposed on the housing. Each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to translate between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to permit airflow between an interior of the housing and an ambient environment. In the open position, each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to permit increased airflow between the interior of the housing and the ambient environment when the louver panel is in the open position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A housing system for heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, comprising:
a housing configured to shroud the HVAC equipment;
a plurality of louver panels disposed on the housing, wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to translate between a closed position and an open position, wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to permit airflow between an interior of the housing and an ambient environment enabling operation of the HVAC equipment when the louver panel is in the closed position, wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels comprises a frame portion and a plurality of louver blades coupled to the frame portion at fixed positions relative to the frame portion, and wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to permit increased airflow between the interior of the housing and the ambient environment when the louver panel is in the open position; and
a rotational joint disposed between adjacent louver panels of the plurality of louver panels, wherein the adjacent louver panels are configured to rotationally translate about the rotational joint to translate between the closed position and the open position.

2. The housing system of claim 1 , wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is coupled to a connector, and wherein actuation of the connector enables joint rotational translation of the plurality of louver panels between the open position and the closed position.

3. The housing system of claim 2 , wherein the connector comprises a locking mechanism configured to set a position of the plurality of louver panels.

4. The housing system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to actuate translation of each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels.

5. The housing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an actuator configured to actuate translation of the plurality of louver panels between the closed position and the open position; and
a controller configured to regulate operation of the actuator,
wherein the controller is configured to regulate operation of the actuator based on a weather condition, a time of day, an atmospheric pressure, an ambient temperature, or any combination thereof.

6. A housing for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, comprising:
a frame defining an internal volume configured to receive the HVAC equipment;
a plurality of louver panels coupled to the frame, wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to translate between a closed position and an open position, wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to shroud the internal volume in the closed position and expose the internal volume in the open position, wherein a louver panel of the plurality of louver panels comprises a frame portion and a plurality of louver blades coupled to the frame portion at fixed positions relative to the frame portion, and wherein openings between the plurality of blades enable airflow between the internal volume and an ambient environment that enables operation of the HVAC equipment when the louver panel is in the closed position; and
a connector coupled to each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels to enable joint translation of the plurality of louver panels between the closed position and the open position.

7. The housing of claim 6 , wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is pivotably coupled to the frame to enable rotation of the plurality of louver panels between the closed position and the open position.

8. The housing of claim 6 , wherein each louver panel of the plurality of louver panels is configured to linearly translate along the frame between the closed position and the open position.

9. The housing of claim 6 , further comprising:
an actuator configured to actuate translation of the plurality of louver panels between the closed position and the open position; and
a controller configured to regulate operation of the actuator.

10. The housing of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to regulate operation of the actuator based on a weather condition, a time of day, an atmospheric pressure, an ambient temperature, or any combination thereof.

11. The housing of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of louver panels is configured to form spaces between the plurality of louver panels in the open position to permit increased airflow between the internal volume and the ambient environment via the spaces.

12. An enclosure for heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, comprising:
a housing configured to contain the HVAC equipment within an interior of the housing; and
a louvered panel system coupled to the housing, wherein the louvered panel system comprises a plurality of louvered panels, wherein each louvered panel comprises a frame portion and a plurality of louvers coupled to the frame portion at fixed positions relative to the frame portion to form a plurality of openings between the plurality of louvers,
wherein each louvered panel of the plurality of louvered panels is configured to linearly translate between an open position and a closed position, wherein each louvered panel is configured to permit airflow enabling operation of the HVAC equipment between the interior of the housing and an ambient environment via the plurality of openings when the louvered panel is in the closed position, wherein each louvered panel of the plurality of louvered panels is configured to permit increased airflow between the interior of the housing and the ambient environment via a space formed when the louvered panel is in the open position.

13. The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of sides, wherein the louvered panel system is coupled to a side of the plurality of sides.

14. The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the louvered panel system further comprises:
an actuator configured to translate the plurality of louvered panels between the open and closed positions; and
a controller configured to regulate operation of the actuator based on received feedback.

15. The enclosure of claim 14 , wherein the louvered panel system further comprises sensors, wherein the sensors are configured to monitor parameters associated with operating conditions of the HVAC equipment, and wherein the received feedback is based on the parameters.

16. The enclosure of claim 15 , wherein the parameters comprise an amount of precipitation, an ambient temperature, an atmospheric pressure, a position of the plurality of louvered panels, a wind condition, a time of day, a time of year, or any combination thereof.

17. The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of louvered panels is configured to occupy the spaces when each louvered panel of the plurality of louvered panels is in the closed position.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Suriya Prakash Appiya B
• Vanare Dnyandev G
• Devkhile Ganesh S
• Bhosale Anil V

Classifications

• F24F2130/10

  Weather information or forecasts · CPC title

• F24F2110/40

  Pressure, e.g. wind pressure · CPC title

• F24F13/15 Primary

  with parallel simultaneously tiltable lamellae · CPC title

• F24F13/1426

  characterised by actuating means · CPC title

• F24F13/20 Primary

  Casings or covers · CPC title