CA2599162A1 - Floor vent booster fan - Google Patents

Floor vent booster fan Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2599162A1
CA2599162A1 CA002599162A CA2599162A CA2599162A1 CA 2599162 A1 CA2599162 A1 CA 2599162A1 CA 002599162 A CA002599162 A CA 002599162A CA 2599162 A CA2599162 A CA 2599162A CA 2599162 A1 CA2599162 A1 CA 2599162A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
fan
vent
booster fan
air
booster
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002599162A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Peter Po Lam Yeung
Christine Ann Remme
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Gracious Living Corp
Original Assignee
SUPER ELECTRIC Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SUPER ELECTRIC Corp filed Critical SUPER ELECTRIC Corp
Priority to CA002599162A priority Critical patent/CA2599162A1/en
Priority to US12/200,124 priority patent/US20090061758A1/en
Publication of CA2599162A1 publication Critical patent/CA2599162A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24FAIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F7/00Ventilation
    • F24F7/04Ventilation with ducting systems, e.g. by double walls; with natural circulation
    • F24F7/06Ventilation with ducting systems, e.g. by double walls; with natural circulation with forced air circulation, e.g. by fan positioning of a ventilator in or against a conduit
    • F24F7/065Ventilation with ducting systems, e.g. by double walls; with natural circulation with forced air circulation, e.g. by fan positioning of a ventilator in or against a conduit fan combined with single duct; mounting arrangements of a fan in a duct

Abstract

The invention consists of a vent booster fan, comprising: a) a vent housing, forming a vent which is operable for insertion into a ventilation duct; and defining a vent surface through which air flows from the duct; b) a fan assembly located within the vent housing, containing a fan operative to force air through the vent, the fan assembly located within the vent housing so as to be located substantially within the duct; c) an air deflector covering a portion of the vent surface sufficient to alter airflow from the vent.

Description

FLOOR VENT BOOSTER FA_N
Field of the Invention [00011 The present invention relates to the field of vents for airflow systems. In particular, it relates to a combination vent and fan to boost airflow through the vent.

Background of the Invention 100021 One of the issues that arise in forced-air heating systems is the difficulty in ensuring adequate airflow into the ventilated area from the ventilation ducts.
As the number of air outlets in the ductwork increases, and as the overall length of ductwork increases, the requirements for the starting airflow (i.e. fan power) increase as well. In some cases, the resulting airflow at some of all of the vents can be insufficient to provide proper ventilation, or even proper distribution of heating and cooling. One proposed method of overcoming this problem is through the use of additional `booster' fans in the ductwork.

[00031 One type of booster fan, as illustrated by U.S. Patent No. 6,322,443 to Jackson, discloses a booster fan located in the ductwork behind the vent location. The fan is installed into the duct at a location recessed from the vent. As a result, the fan must generally be installed at the same time as the ductwork, or else substantial modifications to existing ductwork can be required. Additionally, access to the fan for repairs or replacement is extremely limited by the size of the duct and can be difficult to execute.

[00041 An alternative type of booster fan, as illustrated by U.S. Patent No.
4,809,593 to Asselbergs, discloses a booster fan mounted on the exterior of the vent.
While this arrangement address the access and repair issues associated with the duct-mounted fan, the exterior protrusion of the fan from the vent limits the installation and use, as a fan can be easily dislodged and is not suitable for use in a ceiling or wall vent.
Also, there is a loss in efficiency as compared with a fan mounted within the duct.

100051 Thus, there is a need for a vent-mounted booster fan that provides for accessible installation and repair of the fan on a floor, ceiling or wall vent, and is - I - 72529-10 (KB/ODV) additionally capable of providing efficient airflow boosting similar to a duct-mounted fan.

100061 It is an object of this invention to partially or completely fulfill one or more of the above-mentioned needs.

Sunimary of the Invention [00071 The invention consists of a vent booster fan, comprising: a) a vent housing, forming a vent which is operable for insertion into a ventilation duct; and defining a vent surface through which air flows from the duct; b) a fan assembly located within the vent housing, containing a fan operative to force air through the vent, the fan assembly located within the vent housing so as to be located substantially within the duct; c) an air deflector covering a portion of the vent surface sufficient to alter airflow from the vent.
[00081 Preferably, the booster fan includes an adjustable shield covering a portion of the air deflector to enable adjustment of airflow.

[00091 Additional elements can include a switch to activate and deactivate the fan, and an indicator light to signal when the fan is in operation. Other additional elements include the provision of a temperature control element, being a heating or cooling element, or a combination thereof, to assist with heating and/or cooling of the ventilated area.

[0o101 The booster fan can additionally include further elements including, but not limited to: carbon filters, air filters (HEPA filters), (de)ionizers, (de)humidifiers, and air flow sensors. Such additional elements can be included singly or in any combination.
[00111 Other and further advantages and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

- I - 72529-10 (KBiODV) Brief Description of the Drawings [00121 The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers refer to like elements, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top view of the embodiment of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention containing multiple air flow and air purification elements.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments [00131 The inventive apparatus presented herein consists of a floor vent booster fan 10, with a preferred embodiment as shown in Figure 1. Note that the terms `front', `back' and `side' are used herein for convenience and are not intended to reflect any specific orientation that is required for the fan 10.

100141 A presently preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1, with booster fan 10 preferably a unitary assembly that can be identified by three separate sections: vent section 100, deflector section 200 and fan section 300.

[00151 As best shown in Figure 2, the vent section 100 consists of an outer frame 110 dimensioned to cover the opening into the duct. The frame 110 has a slotted opening 112 to permit air flow through the fan 10 into and out of the duct (not shown) while blocking the ingress and egress of small objects. The vent section further includes a switch 104 to activate and deactivate the fan motor 302, and a power cord 102 to supply power to the fan motor 302 from an outside source. Preferably, an indicator light 106 is located on the frame 110 to provide a visual indication of the power status of the fan -3- 72529-10 (KB/ODV) motor 302. Power cord 102 is preferably 120V AC for use with standard residential/business power sockets.

100161 As further shown in Figure 2, the deflector section 200 is dimensioned to cover the opening 112 in the outer frame 110 and consists of two parts. The first part is an air deflector grille 202 which protects the opening and moderate the air flow. The second part is an adjustable air shield 204, which can be rotated into different positions on the grille 202 to direct the air flow from the opening 112 in a desired direction. The adjustment of shield 204 is shown more clearly in Figure 3.

[00171 As still further shown in Figure 2, the fan section 300 consists of a fan motor 302 and a fan assembly 310 which is driven by the motor 302. Preferably, the fan assembly consists of a`wind-wheel' style rotary fan blade 312 connected to a rotating bearing assembly 314. The fan assembly is protected by a fan cover 320, which is ventilated to provide airflow through the fan blade. The motor 302 is protected by a cover 304, which additionally combines with fan cover 320 to form the body of fan section 300. An insulated cover 316 is also provided to connect power cord 102 to motor 302. The sections 100 and 300 are joined together using screw or plug connectors 318, although other methods of fabrication, such as thermal welding, can be used.

100181 Additionally, a temperature control element, being a heating or cooling element, or a combination thereof, can be mounted either as part of the opening 112 or the fan assembly 310 to assist in heating and/or cooling air traveling through the booster fan 10.

100191 When booster fan 10 inserted into a ventilation duct (not shown), vent section 100 is flush to the duct opening, with fan section 300 protruding into the duct, but secured by the vent section 100. If present, deflector section 200 extends outward from the duct opening to allow for control over the airflow direction. A top view of booster fan 10 as shown in Figure 4 reflects the external appearance of the installed booster fan 10.

-4- 72529-10 (KB/ODV) 100201 Booster fan 10 can be assembled from any known material in the art of ducts vents, including metals (aluminum), ceramics and plastics. However, preferred materials are heat-resistant, to prevent deformation from hot air traveling through the vent, and non-conductive, due to the use of an external electric power source.

[00211 The booster fan 10 can additionally include air purification elements and air flow monitoring elements as shown in Figure 5. Air purification elements can include elements such as air filters (HEPA filters) 410, carbon filters 412, (de)ionizers 422 and (de)humidifiers 402. Air flow monitoring elements can include air flow sensors 420, air temperature sensors 404, and timers 404. Other exemplary elements are known in the art or may be developed in the future. Any booster fan 10 can include some or all of these elements as desired [00221 While the above apparatus has been presented in the context of a floor vent the apparatus is equally applicable for use in wall or ceiling vents as well.

100231 This concludes the description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. The foregoing description has been presented for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching and will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended the scope of the invention be limited not by this description but by the claims that follow.

- 5 _ 72529-t0(KB/ODV)

Claims (13)

1. A vent booster fan, comprising:

a) a vent housing, forming a vent which is operable for insertion into a ventilation duct; and defining a vent surface through which air flows from the duct;

b) a fan assembly located within the vent housing, containing a fan operative to force air through the vent, the fan assembly located within the vent housing so as to be located substantially within the duct;

c) an air deflector covering apportion of the vent surface sufficient to alter airflow from the vent.
2. The booster fan of claim 1, further comprising:

d) an adjustable shield covering a portion of the air deflector to enable adjustment of airflow direction.
3. The booster fan of claims 1 and 2, further comprising a temperature control element, the temperature control element being one of: a heating element, a cooling element, and a combination thereof, and the temperature control element operative to heat and cool, respectively, air flowing through the booster fan.
4. The booster fan of claim 3, wherein the temperature control element is mounted within the vent housing.
5. The booster fan of claim 3, wherein the temperature control element is mounted within the fan assembly.
6. The booster fan of any of the preceding claims, wherein the fan is powered by an external power source and the floor vent includes a power cable to couple the fan to the external power source.
7. The booster fan of any of the preceding claims, wherein the fan is a single 'wind wheel' style rotary fan.
8. The booster fan of any of the preceding claims, further including a switch to enable activation and deactivation of the fan.
9. The booster fan of claim 8, wherein the switch is located on the vent housing, exterior to the duct.
10. The booster fan of any of the preceding claims, further including an indicator light to signal operation of the fan.
11. The booster fan of any of the preceding claims, further including one or more: air purification elements or air flow monitoring elements.
12. The booster fan of claim 11, wherein the air purification elements include one or more of: an air filter, a carbon filer, an ionizer and a dehumidifier.
13. The booster fan of claims 11-12, wherein the air flow monitoring elements include one or more air flow sensors.
CA002599162A 2007-08-28 2007-08-28 Floor vent booster fan Abandoned CA2599162A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002599162A CA2599162A1 (en) 2007-08-28 2007-08-28 Floor vent booster fan
US12/200,124 US20090061758A1 (en) 2007-08-28 2008-08-28 Floor Vent Booster Fan

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002599162A CA2599162A1 (en) 2007-08-28 2007-08-28 Floor vent booster fan

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2599162A1 true CA2599162A1 (en) 2009-02-28

Family

ID=40385171

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002599162A Abandoned CA2599162A1 (en) 2007-08-28 2007-08-28 Floor vent booster fan

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US20090061758A1 (en)
CA (1) CA2599162A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102008023311A1 (en) * 2008-05-13 2009-11-19 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Umluftweiche and method for mounting a Umluftweiche
US8167590B1 (en) * 2010-01-14 2012-05-01 Vidal Scott E Pedestal fan device
NL2012807B9 (en) * 2014-05-13 2017-03-28 Fancom Bv Ventilation valve, method and system for ventilation of an area for animals or plants.
US9916871B1 (en) 2017-03-16 2018-03-13 International Business Machines Corporation Data storage library with acclimation chamber
US11500430B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2022-11-15 International Business Machines Corporation Data storage library with service mode for protecting data storage drives
US10551806B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2020-02-04 International Business Machines Corporation System for providing an access area for a data storage library
US10890955B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2021-01-12 International Business Machines Corporation System for controlling environmental conditions within an automated data storage library
US10026445B1 (en) 2017-03-16 2018-07-17 International Business Machines Corporation Data storage library with interior access regulation
US10418071B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2019-09-17 International Business Machines Corporation Data storage library with positive pressure system
US10431254B2 (en) * 2017-03-16 2019-10-01 International Business Machines Corporation System for providing an acclimation enclosure for a data storage library
US10303376B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2019-05-28 International Business Machines Corporation Data storage library with pass-through connected media acclimation chamber
US10660240B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2020-05-19 International Business Machines Corporation Method for providing an access area for a data storage library
US9916869B1 (en) 2017-03-16 2018-03-13 International Business Machines Corporation Method for servicing a self-cooled data storage library
US10026455B1 (en) 2017-03-16 2018-07-17 International Business Machines Corporation System and method for controlling environmental conditions within an automated data storage library
US10417851B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2019-09-17 International Business Machines Corporation Data storage library with service mode
US10566023B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2020-02-18 International Business Machines Corporation Data storage library with service mode for protecting data storage drives
US10045457B1 (en) 2017-03-16 2018-08-07 International Business Machines Corporation System for maintaining the environment of a self-cooled data storage library
US10395695B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2019-08-27 International Business Machines Corporation Data storage library with media acclimation device and methods of acclimating data storage media
US10509421B2 (en) 2017-03-16 2019-12-17 International Business Machines Corproation Method for controlling environmental conditions within an automated data storage library

Family Cites Families (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2972941A (en) * 1960-01-14 1961-02-28 Boostair Corp Air distribution systems and apparatus
US3099201A (en) * 1961-03-31 1963-07-30 Gottlieb Leon Flow-boosting register for air ducts
US4501195A (en) * 1983-11-17 1985-02-26 Held Peter J Air deflector
US4722266A (en) * 1986-01-10 1988-02-02 Air-Tronex, Inc. Register air-flow boosting device
CA1268161A (en) * 1986-07-09 1990-04-24 Christophe Kees Josef Asselbergs Portable fan device for forced air heating
US5232403A (en) * 1992-08-27 1993-08-03 Joseph Marotta Air register with extendable deflector
US5569077A (en) * 1995-01-31 1996-10-29 Lam; Peter K. F. Directional vent register
US5910045A (en) * 1995-09-07 1999-06-08 Daikin Industries, Ltd. Air discharge unit for underfloor air conditioning and underfloor air conditioning system using same
US5632677A (en) * 1995-09-15 1997-05-27 Elkins; Larry V. Fan-equipped air delivery vent
US5984991A (en) * 1996-01-25 1999-11-16 Appliance Development Corp. High-efficiency air filter
US6322443B1 (en) * 2000-10-04 2001-11-27 Ronald E. Jackson Duct supported booster fan
US7232369B2 (en) * 2003-04-04 2007-06-19 Smithgroup, Inc. System and method for providing heating, ventilation and air conditioning
US6929542B1 (en) * 2004-03-18 2005-08-16 David M. Stravitz Air flow deflector
CN100424428C (en) * 2004-07-19 2008-10-08 袁仕杰 Three-in-one photoelectronic air purifier
US7459002B2 (en) * 2004-08-31 2008-12-02 Airistar Technologies Llc Modular presentation apparatus having integral air processing apparatus
US20060240764A1 (en) * 2005-04-22 2006-10-26 Pierce Christopher J Air vent inserts
US7537647B2 (en) * 2005-08-10 2009-05-26 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Air purifier
WO2008052362A1 (en) * 2006-11-03 2008-05-08 E.H. Price Ltd. Fan assisted floor ventilation diffuser
CA2581241C (en) * 2007-03-07 2014-04-29 North America Range Hoods Inc. Airflow boosting assembly for a forced air circulation and delivery system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20090061758A1 (en) 2009-03-05

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US20090061758A1 (en) Floor Vent Booster Fan
JP4366405B2 (en) Air conditioner
CN101484759B (en) Indoor unit of air conditioning system
MXPA04011493A (en) Ventilating and heating apparatus and method.
KR101289373B1 (en) Heat exchange ventilating system
CN106196291B (en) Air conditioner indoor unit and air conditioner with same
JP4391168B2 (en) Ventilation fan
US9957978B2 (en) Ventilation system and ventilation fan housing thereof
JP2005172309A (en) Blower and air conditioning system for room
CN112303904A (en) Air duct assembly, wind wheel device and blowing equipment
KR101229343B1 (en) Ceiling Type Air Conditioner
KR101639607B1 (en) Multi function connector band
JP4604973B2 (en) Equipment
JP2006192997A (en) Air conditioner
WO2010029712A1 (en) Air conditioner
JP2020165576A (en) Ventilation device
CN2831208Y (en) Temp regulation ventilator for computer displaying panel
CN212138220U (en) Laser current source
JP2001027433A (en) Ventilator for air conditioner
JP2009144983A (en) Indoor unit for air conditioner
GB2539658A (en) A heated ventilation assembly
JP5423126B2 (en) Blower with silencer box
CN209750150U (en) Reliable operation's hairdryer
WO2016157476A1 (en) Ventilation fan
GB2322103A (en) Rapid de-mister for vehicle windscreens

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Discontinued