GB1564943A - Ventilator apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(54) VENTILATOR APPARATUS (71) We, FLAMINIA S.p.a., an Italian company, of Fossato di Vico, Perugia, Italy, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention concerns a ventilator apparatus particularly for use in small rooms such as in kitchens, as well as in cabins of vehicles, such as caravans and motorboats.

The present invention preferably provides an apparatus which is easy to instal in the desired position, the extraction of gas particularly air vitiated air from rooms or other enclosures having a limited capacity, such as domestic kitchens, the available space whereof is, in general, substantially limited.

In particular, the present invention is preferably designed for installation above a cooking unit, to take-in and to expel the unpleasant smells and the vapours which develop in a kitchen. The present invention may provide apparatus for the ventilation, as well as the removal of the air contained in the rooms concerned, as well as to heat and, if desired, to cool the room.

According to the invention there is provided a ventilator apparatus, particularly for small rooms, the apparatus comprising: a housing; a motor driven fan in the housing having an input duct and an output duct; first, second and third openings in the housing, the first opening being connectible, in use, with the environment outside the room to be ventilated; a heating device mounted in the second opening; first movable means for selectively connecting the output duct with the first or second opening; and second movable means for selectively connecting the input duct with the first or third opening.

In a preferred embodiment, the first means includes a first flap pivotally mounted in said housing and said second means includes a second flap pivotally mounted in said housing.

Preferably, the housing has one dimension substantially shorter than its other two dimensions, the apparatus being suitable for operation with said shorter dimension vertical, the fan having an axis lying parallel to said shorter dimension.

In an advantageous embodiment, said first and second means are coupled together in such a manner that movement of said first means into a position connecting the output duct with the first opening simultaneously moves said second means into a position connecting the input duct with the third opening, and movement of said second means into a position connecting the input duct with the first opening simultaneously moves said first means into a position connecting the output duct with the second opening.

The present invention will now be further explained in the following description, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus for installation above a cooker in a kitchen; Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the longitudinal level of an apparatus according to an alternative embodiment; and Figure 3 is the transversal or crosssection taken on the line III--III in Figure 2.

The apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a substantially parallelepipedically shaped, flattened housing A, which extends in a horizontal direction, to allow for the installation of the apparatus within a limited space. For example, it is possible to instal the apparatus above a hot cooking plate, thus providing a hood for said plate. The apparatus can be installed advantageously, according to the shape of housing A, below a wallmounted piece of kitchen furniture.

Referring now to Figure 2, where like features with Figure 1 and given like reference numbers, the central part of housing A includes the volute or scroll 10 for a matching fan 12 for a ventilator actuated by a motor.

The final length 14 of volute 10 provides the delivery duct or output duct of the fan 12, said duct delivering into a distribution chamber 16 that extends substantially all along the width of housing A and has an opening 18 which is open to the room to be ventilated. Opening 18 is provided with a grid to screen heat source 20 which consists advantageously of thermoelectric resistances.

The delivery opening 14 of the fan 10 comprises a control flap 22, the shaft 24 whereof projects into housing A, and is provided with a manoevering member 124, by means of which the above mentioned control flap is displaced either to the one or to the other of the two positions 22 and 221, shown in Figure 1 with continuous and with dotted lines respectively. When control flap 22 is in position 221 it closes the communication between delivery 14 of ventilator 10-12 and the distribution chamber 16, thus establishing a communication between the said delivery and a second chamber of distribution, as it will be explained in the following.When control flap 22 is in the position shown with a continuous line (Fig. 2), it provides for the establishment of a communication between delivery 14 of the ventilator and chamber 16, as well as for the interception of the communication between said delivery 14 and duct 26 which delivers into a second distribution chamber 28 opposed to chamber 16.

Volute 10 of fan 12 has, at its central part, an axial opening 30, which forms the intake or input duct of the fan 12, said duct being connected to a duct 32 (Figure 3) extending all along the outer lower wall 34 of housing A.

Duct 32 ends with an opening 36 in communication with the distributing chamber 28, while the said opening can be closed by means of a control flap 38, the shaft 40 whereof is joined by means of an appropriate linkage connection, to shaft 24 of lock-grid 22, in order to realize the simultaneous control of the two control flaps 22 and 38. The linkage connection between shafts 24 and 40 are provided with a clutch member, which allows the establishment of the most favourable conditions for realizing the single control or the simultaneous control of control flaps 22 and 38, as will be explained in the following.

Flap 38 can take two positions 38 and 381, as shown in Figure 3, with a continuous line and with a dotted line respectively. In the first mentioned position, flap 38 closes an opening 42 provided in wall 34 of housing A, so as to connect take-in duct 30 of the fan 12 with the distribution chamber 28 and thereafter, with the environment outside the room to be ventilated. On the other hand, when flap 38 is in position 381, intake-duct 30 is connected with the room to be ventilated, whilst the delivery 14 of the ventilator is connected with the abovementioned dis tributing chamber 28, because flap 22 is shifted over to position 221 shown in Figure 2.At the other end of housing A, distribution chamber 28 has a large opening 44, advantageously connected with the environment outside the room to be ventilated and closed by grid which in the illustrated case, comprises a second heat exchanger 46, to cool the air which is passed to the outside therefore, second heat exchanger 46 consists of a winged coil which forms part of the evaporator of refrigerating unit B, housed in a compartment 48 obtained in the structure of housing A and connected with the surrounding by means of ventilating duct 50.

With reference to the location and the installation of the apparatus it should be noted that housing A of said apparatus has, at the lower part thereof and near wall 34, a screen provided with a grid 52 to diffuse and to distribute the air to opening 42. Openings 44, 18 and 42 constitute respectively first, second and third openings in the housing A.

The above described apparatus is provided with a control member C and 25, to check the temperature of the air contained in distributing chambers 16 and 28 at regular intervals, in order to connect or disconnect the heater 20 and the cooler 46 as well as to check the actuation of either the one or the other of them, in such a way that, when one of said sources is being on, the other is off, and vice versa. It is possible to connect the said members in turn operatively with the drives for flaps 22 and 38, according to the ventilating circuit which is established each time.

When the apparatus as above described operates and, during its different performances, the fan 12 is always operating. The performances which can be realized by means of the apparatus hereinbefore described, are the following: (I) To remove the vitiated air of the ambient, flap 22 is moved into position 221 shown with dotted lines in Figure 2 and flap 38 to position 381 as shown in Figure 3.

As a consequence, the inlet duct 30 of the fan 12 is connected, through duct 32 and opening 42, with the air of the room, whilst the outlet of said fan is connected with chamber 28 and hence with the atmosphere outside the room.

(II) To ventilate and to renew the air in the room, flap 22 is moved to position 22 shown in Figure 2 whilst flap 38 is arranged in position 38, shown in Figure 3, to close opening 42 and to open opening 36. In this case, inlet opening 30 is connected with the atmosphere outside the room, whilst the outlet 14 is connected with the air in the room through chamber 16; in this case the room is being ventilated and the air therein renewed.

It is understood that it is possible to heat the air in the room by activating the thermoelectric resistance 20; or otherwise it is possible to condition said air supplied to the room, by actuating unit B to cool the air which is sucked into the room through opening 44.

(III) To heat the room air in close circuit, flap 22 is maintained in position 22, of Figure 2, whilst flap 38 is moved into position 381 of Fig. 3; in this case the air contained in the room is being sucked-in through opening 42 and conveyed into chamber 16, to be heated by means of heat source 20 and thereafter returned into the room.

The embodiment shown in Figure 1 differs from that shown in Figures 2 and 3 in having two control members CC (in place of the single control member C in Figure 2) and sliding control members 25a (in place of the control members 25 in Figure 2). The shape of the opening 18a is also modified.

Modifications and variations can be brought to the apparatus claimed with the present application, according to the requirements of the single end-users thereof. For example, the apparatus can be furnished without refrigerator unit B. On request of the end-user, the side walls of housing A can be equipped with downwardly looking screens, in order to form a hood proper for the efficient collection and removal of the vapours produced by the food cooking procedure.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A ventilator apparatus, particularly for small rooms, the apparatus comprising: a housing; a motor driven fan in the housing the fan having an input duct and an output duct; first, second and third openings in the housing, the first opening being connectible, in use, with the environment outside the room to be ventilated; a heating device mounted in the second opening; first movable means for selectively connecting the output duct with the first or second opening; and second movable means for selectively connecting the input duct with the first or third opening.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said first means includes a first flap pivotally mounted in said housing and said second means includes a second flap pivotally mounted in said housing.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing has one dimension substantially shorter than its other two dimensions, the apparatus being suitable for operation with said shorter dimension vertical, the fan having an axis lying parallel to said shorter dimension.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein said first and second means are coupled together in such a manner that movement of said first means into a position connecting the output duct with the first opening simultaneously moves said second means into a position connecting the input duct with the third opening, and movement of said second means into a position connecting the input duct with the first opening simultaneously moves said first means into a position connecting the output duct with the second opening.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein a cooling device is positioned in the first opening.

6. A ventilating apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. air which is sucked into the room through opening 44. (III) To heat the room air in close circuit, flap 22 is maintained in position 22, of Figure 2, whilst flap 38 is moved into position 381 of Fig. 3; in this case the air contained in the room is being sucked-in through opening 42 and conveyed into chamber 16, to be heated by means of heat source 20 and thereafter returned into the room. The embodiment shown in Figure 1 differs from that shown in Figures 2 and 3 in having two control members CC (in place of the single control member C in Figure 2) and sliding control members 25a (in place of the control members 25 in Figure 2). The shape of the opening 18a is also modified. Modifications and variations can be brought to the apparatus claimed with the present application, according to the requirements of the single end-users thereof. For example, the apparatus can be furnished without refrigerator unit B. On request of the end-user, the side walls of housing A can be equipped with downwardly looking screens, in order to form a hood proper for the efficient collection and removal of the vapours produced by the food cooking procedure. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A ventilator apparatus, particularly for small rooms, the apparatus comprising: a housing; a motor driven fan in the housing the fan having an input duct and an output duct; first, second and third openings in the housing, the first opening being connectible, in use, with the environment outside the room to be ventilated; a heating device mounted in the second opening; first movable means for selectively connecting the output duct with the first or second opening; and second movable means for selectively connecting the input duct with the first or third opening.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said first means includes a first flap pivotally mounted in said housing and said second means includes a second flap pivotally mounted in said housing.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing has one dimension substantially shorter than its other two dimensions, the apparatus being suitable for operation with said shorter dimension vertical, the fan having an axis lying parallel to said shorter dimension.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein said first and second means are coupled together in such a manner that movement of said first means into a position connecting the output duct with the first opening simultaneously moves said second means into a position connecting the input duct with the third opening, and movement of said second means into a position connecting the input duct with the first opening simultaneously moves said first means into a position connecting the output duct with the second opening.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein a cooling device is positioned in the first opening.

6. A ventilating apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.