Device for generating air cutrains, in particular for a railway vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016229277-A1
Application number	US-201615016188-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 4, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device includes an air curtain generator including air curtain diffusor able to diffuse at least one air curtain along a plane, in at least first and second different diffusion directions. The air curtain generating device includes a control unit able to control the diffusion of the at least one air curtain in one and/or the other of the first and second diffusion directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An air curtain generating device for generating air curtains along a plane defining an inside zone and an outside zone, comprising an air curtain generator, wherein the air curtain generator includes air curtain diffusor able to diffuse at least one air curtain along said plane, in at least first and second separate diffusion directions, the air curtain generating device including a control unit able to control the diffusion of at least one air curtain in one and/or the other of the first and second diffusion directions.

2 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the first diffusion direction is oriented toward the inside zone, and the second diffusion direction is oriented toward the outside zone.

3 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the air curtain generator include diffusor diffusing the air curtain along said plane, and the air curtain generating device includes an orientation switch configured to modify the orientation of the air curtain diffusor, between a first position, in which the air curtain is diffused in the first diffusion direction, and a second position, in which the air curtain is diffused in the second diffusion direction.

4 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 1 , including:
first air curtain generator for generating a first air curtain, comprising first air curtain diffusor diffusing the first air curtain along said plane, in the first diffusion direction, and a second air curtain generator for generating a second air curtain, comprising a second air curtain diffusor diffusing the second air curtain, along said plane, in the second diffusion direction,
the control unit being able to control the diffusion of the first air curtain and the second air curtain.

5 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit is able to enter a first operating mode, in which the flow of the first air curtain is increased and/or the flow of the second air curtain is reduced to favor the movement of people from the outside zone toward the inside zone, or in a second operating mode, wherein the flow of the first air curtain is reduced and/or the flow of the second air curtain is increased to favor the movement of people from the inside zone toward the outside zone.

6 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second air curtains together generate, by venturi effect, a resulting air flow diffusing in a resulting direction, the control unit being able to modify said resulting direction by modifying the flows of the first and second air curtains.

7 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is able to regulate a flow and/or a temperature of each air curtain.

8 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 7 , including a weather detector configured to detect weather conditions in the outside zone, the control unit being configured to adjust the flow and/or temperature of each air curtain based on the detected weather conditions.

9 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 7 , including air conditioner for air conditioning in the inside zone, able to enter different air conditioning states of said inside zone, the control unit being configured to adjust the flow and/or temperature of the at least one air curtain as a function of the status of the air conditioner.

10 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 7 , including a detector configured to detect people near said plane, the control unit being configured to adjust the flow of the at least one air curtain based on the presence and/or movements of people near said plane.

11 . The air curtain generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the air curtain diffusor include nozzles for emitting an air curtain, at least one of the nozzles being arranged to emit the corresponding air curtain vertically, and at least one of the nozzles being arranged to emit the corresponding air curtain horizontally.

12 . A cabin, defining an inside zone and an outside zone, and including a passage opening between the inside zone and the outside zone, including an air curtain generating device for generating air curtains along a plane defined between the inside zone and the outside zone, the air curtain generating device comprising air curtain generator, wherein the air curtain generator include air curtain diffusor, able to diffuse at least one air curtain along said plane, in at least first and second separate diffusion directions, the air curtain generating device including a control unit able to control the diffusion of at least one air curtain in one and/or the other of the first and second diffusion directions,
and wherein the air curtain generating device is arranged to generate the at least one air curtain covering the passage opening, said passage opening being defined in said plane.

13 . The cabin according to claim 12 , including at least one door movable between a closed position, in which the passage opening is closed off, and an open position, in which said passage opening is free, the control unit being configured to increase the flow of the at least one air curtain prior to the passage of the door from its open position to its closed position.

14 . The cabin according to claim 12 , wherein:
the air curtain generator include diffusor diffusing the air curtain along said plane, and the air curtain generating device includes an orientation switch configured to modify the orientation of the air curtain diffusor, between a first position, in which the air curtain is diffused in the first diffusion direction, and a second position, in which the air curtain is diffused in the second diffusion direction.

15 . The cabin according to claim 12 , wherein the air curtain generating device includes:
first air curtain generator for generating a first air curtain, comprising first air curtain diffusor diffusing the first air curtain along said plane, in the first diffusion direction, and a second air curtain generator for generating a second air curtain, comprising second air curtain diffusor diffusing the second air curtain, along said plane, in the second diffusion direction,
the control unit being able to control the diffusion of the first air curtain and the second air curtain.

16 . The cabin according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit is able to enter a first operating mode, in which the flow of the first air curtain is increased and/or the flow of the second air curtain is reduced to favor the movement of people from the outside zone toward the inside zone, or in a second operating mode, wherein the flow of the first air curtain is reduced and/or the flow of the second air curtain is increased to favor the movement of people from the inside zone toward the outside zone.

17 . The cabin according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second air curtains together generate, by venturi effect, a resulting air flow diffusing in a resulting direction, the control unit being able to modify said resulting direction by modifying the flows of the first and second air curtains.

18 . The cabin according to claim 12 , wherein the control unit is able to regulate a flow and/or a temperature of each air curtain and wherein the air curtain generating device includes a weather detector configured to detect weather conditions in the outside zone, the control unit being configured to adjust the flow and/or temperature of each air curtain based on the d

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Le Bastard Jean
• Staudt Christoph

Classifications

• F24F2009/005

  combined with a door · CPC title

• B60J9/04 Primary

  Air curtains (in general F24F) · CPC title

• B61D19/02

  for carriages (B61D19/003 takes precedence) · CPC title