AU2005100112A4 - Light transmissive rotor ventilator - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicant: EDMONDS PTY LTD A.C.N. 073 056 523 Invention Title: LIGHT TRANSMISSIVE ROTOR VENTILATOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: n 2 O LIGHT-TRANSMISSIVE ROTOR VENTILATOR STechnical Field 00 A light-transmissive rotor ventilator, and particularly though not exclusively a roof-top rotor ventilator, is disclosed.

Background Art Roof-top rotor exhaust ventilators are employed to exhaust air from a building (eg. roof space). Such buildings may include factories, farm sheds or domestic houses.

't 10 Air movement passing the ventilator causes the ventilator to rotate about its vertical axis. This movement causes vanes of the ventilator to force air out from within the ventilator, causing the air pressure within the ventilator to be lower than the air pressure within the building that is in fluid communication with the ventilator. Air within the building then moves into and through the ventilator to be exhausted to the outside of the building. Known ventilators are formed from metal (eg. steel or aluminium) or opaque plastics.

Summary Of Disclosure A light-transmissive rotor ventilator is provided that comprises: a base for mounting to a structure; and a rotor that is mounted for rotation with respect to the base; wherein one or more portions of the base and/or rotor are transmissive to light.

The term "transmissive to light" includes the one or more portions of the base and/or rotor being either transparent or translucent.

Whilst the rotor ventilator can therefore exhaust gas (eg. air) from a building, the one or more portions can also allow ambient light (eg. natural light) to pass therethrough and into a space (eg. roof space) enclosed by the structure to which the base is mounted. The structure can be a building as described above. This can illuminate the space to assist human access without requiring another light source, and can prevent rodents and other vermin from occupying such space, and may also prevent rot, mould, damp etc in such space.

In one form, sidewall(s) of the base may be transmissive to light. In another form, internal sidewall(s) of the base may comprise a light reflective material to concentrate and/or reflect light into a space (eg. roof space) enclosed by the structure.

The rotor may comprise a plate and a plurality of vanes extending downwardly therefrom, and each of these may be transmissive to light. The plurality of vanes may extend between and be mounted to two opposing such plates, and each such plate may O be transmissive to light. A dome may cover an in-use top plate and may also be transmissive to light.

SThe rotor ventilator may be of a type where a shaft is connected to extend 00 upwardly from the base, with the rotor rotatable in use about the shaft and being mounted to the shaft by bearings that rotatably support the rotor on the shaft. In this regard, the plate (or each plate) may be rotatably mounted to the shaft via a respective bearing (eg, a ball bearing). The shaft may extend from a support defined as part of the base, and this support may be transmissive to light.

_The majority of components of the rotor ventilator may be formed of plastics In 10 or other materials transmissive to light (eg. clear, transparent, translucent etc materials).

Throughout this specification, when the terms "upper", "above", "lower", "top", "bottom", "down" and the like (including their grammatical variants) are used with respect to the rotor ventilator, they refer to a typical in-use orientation of the rotor ventilator (eg. vertically orientated). However, if the rotor ventilator is used in a sideways, angled or upside down configuration, these orientations may be changed or reversed. Hence, these terms are to be interpreted broadly and appropriately in this context, and thus as relative terms.

Brief Description Of The Drawings Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the lighttransmissive rotor ventilator defined in the Summary, embodiments of a lighttransmissive rotor ventilator will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of a light-transmissive rotor ventilator; Figure 2 is a sectioned side elevation of the light-transmissive rotor ventilator of Figure 1 taken on the line A-A; and Figure 3 is a sectioned plan elevation of the light-transmissive rotor ventilator of Figure 1 taken on the line B-B (and with flashing removed).

Detailed Description Of Specific Embodiments Referring to Figures 1 to 3, an embodiment of a light-transmissive rotor ventilator 10 comprises a base in the form of a hollow cylindrical base element 12 for mounting on a roof, wall, ceiling, floor, etc via a flashing 14 (omitted in Figure The base element 12 is fastened to the flashing via screws 15. The base element 12 allows gas to pass through its lower opening 16 and into the interior 18 of the rotor ventilator.

The type of gas to pass through the ventilator is typically warm to hot roof space air, but In 4 O may also be corrosive and/or industrial exhaust gases.

A rotor 20 is rotatably mounted to the base element 12 to rotate in use about a shaft 21 extending up from the base element. In this regard, the shaft 21 is connected to 00 extend upwardly from a spider bracket 22 mounted to a sidewall 24 of the base element via one or more screws 25 extending through a bracket sidewall 22A. The spider bracket is also configured to ensure air flow through the base element 10 into the rotor ventilator interior 12 is not substantially impeded. In this regard, the bracket comprises three discrete, evenly spaced arms 22B (Figure 3) extending inwardly from the bracket sidewall 22A to a central spider body 26.

S 10 The shaft 21 is typically fixed against rotation by securing a threaded lower O free end of the shaft with a lock nut 27, which when tightened causes a shaft shoulder 28 to bear down on an inner race of lower roller bearing 30, which in turn bears against the central spider body 26 of the spider bracket. An outer race of the lower roller bearing in turn supports a lower plate 32 of the rotor 20 for rotation about the shaft, the lower plate being annular in shape (Figure 3).

The rotor 20 further comprises an upper plate 34 and a plurality of vanes 36 extending downwardly therefrom to the lower plate 32. The upper and lower ends of each vane can be mounted to the respective upper and lower plates by adhesive, by welding, riveting, or by inserting and then bending projecting vane tabs through the plates etc. This can reduce the weight of the rotor and reduce manufacturing time and cost. The upper plate 34 is supported for rotation about the shaft 21 by locating on the outer race of an upper roller bearing 37. The upper roller bearing is in turn mounted to a threaded upper free end of the shaft by a lock nut 38, which causes the inner race of the upper roller bearing to bear down on a shaft upper shoulder 39.

The rotor ventilator further includes a dome 40 placed on top of the rotor to cover the rotor interior and protect it against the weather (eg. against precipitation such as rain) and to reduce resistance to air movement about and around the rotor ventilator.

Also, a skirt 42 is mounted to the lower side of the lower plate 32 to interact with the bracket sidewall 22A. In this regard, the bracket sidewall 22A surrounds and extends upwardly from base element sidewall 24, with the resulting arrangement further weatherproofing the rotor ventilator and minimising air leakage from around the upper end of sidewall 24.

As air moves past the vanes of the rotor, a leading edge 46 of each of the vanes will catch the passing air, causing the rotor to rotate in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Figure The movement of the vanes through the surrounding air causes the gas within the rotor ventilator to be exhausted therefrom. This is achieved by a vane trailing edge 48 cutting through the gas present in the interior 18 of the rotor ventilator, IA O and forcing this gas out from the rotor ventilator between the vanes. This accordingly reduces the gas pressure in the interior of the rotor ventilator. Thus higher pressure gas 4 (from eg. the roof space) is drawn up into the ventilator through the opening 16 of the 00 base element 10 and is subsequently exhausted from the rotor. The rotor ventilator is typically used to exhaust roof space air but can also exhaust other gases in industrial contexts.

Whilst different materials may be used in the construction of various components of the rotor ventilator, at least some of the components used are 0 transmissive to light. The term "transmissive to light" includes components that are 'A 10 formed from either a transparent (eg. clear) or translucent material. For example, the dome 40, the lower and upper plates 32, 34 and the vanes 36 of the rotor can be formed from a material that is transmissive to light. Similarly, the sidewall 24 of the base element, the bracket sidewall 22A and even the spider bracket 22 can be formed from a material that is transmissive to light. Typically such components are formed from a transparent (eg. clear) or translucent polymer, including polycarbonates, Perspex etc.

Light-transmissive ceramic and glass may also be used for some components.

The internal surface of sidewall 24 may alternatively comprise a light reflective material to concentrate and/or reflect light into a roof space adjacent to which the rotor ventilator is mounted. Such a material may comprise a metallic foil, or even comprise a light reflective material dispersed through the sidewall (eg. when the sidewall comprises a polymer, it may be incorporated therein during moulding). Thus, light transmitted by the rotor portion can then be directed, concentrated etc into the roof space.

Components such as the shaft 21 and spider bracket may typically be constructed from aluminium for strength and wear. Any aluminium components may also be powder coated to reduce the formation of an oxide layer on the components.

For corrosive exhaust environments, some of these components may be constructed from stainless steel. The lower and upper bearings 30, 37 and the lower and upper nuts 27, 38 may also be formed from stainless steel.

The rotor ventilator 10 can therefore exhaust air from the roof space of a building and, at the same time, those components formed from a light-transmissive material allow ambient light (typically natural light) to pass therethrough and into the roof space. This then illuminates the space (eg. throughout the day) to facilitate human access without requiring another light source. Such natural light can also prevent or deter rodents and other vermin from occupying the roof space. The warmth and energy of natural light can also prevent rot, mould, damp etc in the roof space.

To use the rotor ventilator 10, a hole is made in, for example, the roof of a n 6 building and the flashing 14 is first positioned thereat. The roof may be sloping and hence the sidewall 24 of base element 12 may first be cut at an angle. The sidewall is Stypically fixedly attached via the flashing to the roof such that the shaft 21 assumes a 00 substantially vertical position and allows free rotation of the rotor 20 about the shaft.

Therefore, when moving air causes rotation of the rotor, air exhausted from the interior 18 of the rotor ventilator is replaced by air from the roof space. This air is then exhausted from the rotor.

Although the rotor ventilator has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it will be appreciated that it may be embodied in many other forms.

Claims (5)

1. A light-transmissive rotor ventilator is provided that comprises: 00 a base for mounting to a structure; and a rotor that is mounted for rotation with respect to the base; wherein one or more portions of the base and/or rotor are transmissive to light.

2. A rotor ventilator according to claim 1 wherein sidewall(s) of the base are transmissive to light or comprise a light reflective material to concentrate and/or reflect light into a space enclosed by the structure, and wherein the rotor comprises a plate and 10 a plurality of vanes extending downwardly therefrom, and each of these is optionally transmissive to light.

3. A rotor ventilator according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of vanes extend between and are mounted to two opposing plates, and each plate is transmissive to light, and a dome covers an in-use top one of the plates and is also transmissive to light.

4. A rotor ventilator according to any one of the preceding claims that is of a type where a shaft is connected to extend upwardly from the base, and the rotor is rotatable in use about the shaft, with the rotor being mounted to the shaft by bearings that rotatably support the rotor on the shaft, and with the shaft extending from a support defined as part of the base, wherein the support is optionally transmissive to light.

5. A rotor ventilator according to any one of the preceding claims wherein components of each of the rotor and/or ventilator are formed of plastics materials transmissive to light. Dated this 8 th day of February 2005 Edmonds Pty Ltd By its Patent Attorneys Griffith Hack