GB2430468A

GB2430468A - Heat recovery unit fan motor mounting

Info

Publication number: GB2430468A
Application number: GB0610811A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Cottingham
Original assignee: Vent Axia Ltd
Current assignee: Vent Axia Ltd
Priority date: 2006-06-01
Filing date: 2006-06-01
Publication date: 2007-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-01
Also published as: GB0610811D0; GB2430468B

Abstract

A heat recovery unit 1 comprises a housing 2 defining two separate flow paths, each path being provided with a motor driven fan 7, each motor being releasably securable to the housing 2 by a bayonet fitting. Each motor may be mounted on a plate provided with the male or female element(s) of the bayonet fitting, the complementary fitting being provided on the housing. The heat recovery unit may include an outlet turret for each flow path, each turret being rotatably mounted on the housing and preferably provided with a lining.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO

HOUSINGS

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to housings particularly but not exclusively housings used in heat recovery units, for example mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) units.

The present invention has especial reference to such units of a type disclosed in our co-pending UK Patent Application No 2 361 992 in which one such unit embodies a counterflow arrangement for air flows into and out of buildings whereby heat from stale exhaust air is transferred to fresh incoming air, there being substantially no air stream mixing. A heat-recovery cell is provided for this purpose and may be of the form and construction of the type described in our co-pending UK Patent Application No 2 370 348 comprising a plurality of stacked plates arrayed in such manner as to define two separate flow paths.

The advantage of heat recovery units of this kind is that there is no power consumption within the cell itself, airflow being through the main body of the housing and the ducting which is connected to individual rooms within the building. The airflow is induced through the units by centrifugal fans axially located within the turrets. The advantage of the turrets lies in the capacity to customise orientation of the ducting thereby affording versatility in the disposition of the units in difficultly shaped areas associated with buildings, for example limited loft or ceiling spaces.

Furthermore if maintenance work on the motor and fan is required for any reason, removing the motor with the fan from the turret has to be effected and currently necessitates the use of tools for this purpose.

Generally one object of the present invention is to provide a method for generating a lining for a housing, and a housing with a lining so generated.

More particularly another object of the present invention is to provide a method of generating an anti-vibration mounting for a heat recovery unit and a unit with a mounting so generated.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of mounting a motor to a housing.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of generating a lining for a housing including the steps of placing the housing in a moulding position in which the housing per se constitutes part of the mould, placing a former into position relative to a wall of the housing to create a void whereby the requisite dimension of the lining is defined by the void, injecting a lining material into the void and setting the material onto the wall of the housing, and removing the former to leave a lining of the material on said wall.

According to a second aspect of the invention a housing is furnished with a lining of material generated in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. [00010] According to a third aspect of the present invention a method of generating an anti-vibration mounting as a lining to a heat recovery unit includes the steps of placing the housing in a moulding position in which the housing per se constitutes part of the mould, placing a former into position relative to a wall of the housing to create a void whereby the requisite dimension of lining is defined by the void, injecting a lining material into the void and setting the material onto the wall of the housing, and removing the former to leave a lining of an anti-vibration mounting of the material on said wall. [00011] The housing may conveniently be produced from a plastics material, for example ABS, injection moulded to the form desired. [00012] The lining may be constituted by polystyrene, polyurethane or polypropylene or any suitable mouldable plastics material providing a lightweight finished article. [00013] The moulding position of the housing is defined by a location on a moulding machine provided with suitable injection moulding means. In practice the housing is clamped to the location prior to injection of the plastics starting material, which may be in granular form. [00014] Once the housing is so clamped, the former is brought into position to complement the housing to define a mould into which the plastics material is to be injected to generate the lining. The plastics material is injected into the void between the former and the housing to fill the same to maximum capacity and heat is applied to the material. The heat may be applied in the form of a gas or vapour at elevated temperature; for example steam may be employed for this purpose. The heating step continues for so long as is necessary to ensure air pockets that may have formed are dispelled and to secure that the plastics material is in intimate contact with the wall of the housing and is frictionally held thereto at least during the formation step and such that it remains positively engaging the surface of the wall.In this manner the lining or the anti-vibration mounting provides a stiffener for the housing and thereby adds strength thereto. It will be appreciated that the heating step continues only for so long as necessary for the purposes indicated and is discontinued at such time as to avoid any deleterious effect the heat may have on the material from which the housing is made. [00015] A mould release medium may be applied to the former prior to its complementary positioning in relation to the housing. [00016] According to a fourth aspect of the invention a heat recovery unit includes a housing provided with two separate flow paths each provided with a fan driven by a motor, the motor being releasably securable to the turret through the agency of a bayonet fitting. [00017] Conveniently the motor is mounted on a plate provided with a male or female element of the bayonet fitting, a complementary fitting being provided on the housing. [00018] The housing may be of the kind disclosed in our co-pending UK patent application No 2 361 992 from which it will be seen that the exhaust ports of the housing are provided with fan assemblies comprising centrifugal fans driven by motors, the assemblies being mounted on turrets that are swivellable. Whilst not shown in the illustrations of that patent application the motors and fan assemblies are provided as units on plates releasably securable to the turrets. The present invention in its fourth aspect provides the means for facilitating the application and removal of the assemblies from the housing by virtue of the bayonet fitting which requires minimal effort to lock and to release the assemblies. [00019] By way of example only, one method of lining a housing, e.g. a turret for a heat recovery unit, and a lining therefor as produced by the method together with a mounting for a motor driven fan assembly therefore in accordance with the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [00020] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an unlined housing clamped to an injection-moulding machine in a position ready for moulding with a lining; [00021] Figure 2 is perspective view of an unlined housing corresponding to Figure 1 but with a partial former in situ; [00022] Figure 3 is perspective view corresponding to Figure 2 with the lining shown; [00023] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an outer end of a turret of the unit; [00024] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a relatively inner end of the turret shown in Figure 4; [00025] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the outlet duct of the turret from the fan housing; and [00026] Figure 7 is a perspective exterior view of a heat recovery unit. [00027] Referring first to Figure 7 of the drawings there is shown a heat recovery unit 1 having a main housing 2 in which is disposed a heat recovery cell (not shown) which may be of the type described in our copending UK Patent Application No 2 370 348. The housing 2 has four port stations 3, 4, 5 and 6 one pair of opposite stations being an inlet and an outlet for one stream and the other pair corresponding thereto for [00028] another separate stream, the streams being maintained substantially isolated during their passage in use through the cell of the unit 1. [00029] Each outlet port station 5, 6 is provided with a fan assembly 7 including a centrifugal fan (not shown) and a fan mounting plate (not shown) which is releasably connected to a turret 10, 12 mounted for swivelling movement at its point of interconnection 14 with the housing 2. The fan has an outlet spigot 16 and dependent upon requirements its positioning may be altered by the swivelling movement of the relevant turret. The inlet port stations 3, 4 also have turrets 13, 15, all the turrets being provided with dogleg connectors (not shown) for connection to suitable ducting (not shown). [00030] The fan mounting plate has circumferentially spaced formations (not shown) which are adapted to engage mating formations 22 provided around the mounting chamber of the turret, the respective formations constituting a bayonet type fitting which allows ease of application and release. [00031] Referring now more specifically to Figures 1 to 6, there is described the method of lining the turrets, a part only of the base plate 35 of an injection-moulding machine being shown. [00032] The lower half 36 of one of the turrets intended to carry the motor for the fan is shown clamped as at 40 to the base plate 35, the turret appearing in unlined form in Figure 1. A partial former 42 is depicted (Figure 2) extending into the tangential outlet 43 of the turret leaving appropriate clearance for the lining on the outlet wall and to maintain the outlet open free to prevent filling by the lining material during moulding. The upper half 37 of the turret is placed in position on the lower half 36 and secured thereto. A further former (not shown) is provided to give the required internal profile within the turret when lined and is adapted to extend into the turret for that purpose and to define the void and thus the thickness of lining generated.With the further former in position the lining material in granular form is injected under high pressure into the mould which is effectively constituted by the turret and the formers. The lining material may be a polyurethane, polystyrene or polypropylene plastics material. Heat is then applied to the lining material by the use of a gas or vapour, e.g. steam, at elevated temperature to cure the material and to ensure that no voids remain in the lining. It is important to rid the lining of any voids which would otherwise allow short-circuiting of the airflow through the heat recovery unit. The application of heat, in terms of the temperature and duration, is closely controlled to ensure that any heat transfer to the housing does not compromise its integrity, since distortion of the housing, which may be produced from polymeric or plastic ABS, may occur. [00033] Once the lining has been fully set within the turret parts, the principal former is removed from the housing to reveal the completed lining, the partial former then being removed to yield a housing provided with a self-supporting lining 50 as shown in Figures 3 to 6. The lining provides has anti-vibration properties and also serves to insulate the interior of the turrets from the external ambient atmosphere to prevent heat loss or heat gain, i.e. cool recovery in a hot climate. [00034] The main body of the housing may also be lined in this manner with appropriate formers being disposed to ensure that the requisite gauge of lining is achieved. [00035] The advantage of the invention is two-fold in that it affords the means of applying a lining to a housing which essentially performs as part of the mould, and further that the lining is self-supporting within the housing forming an intimate contact therewith to provide a stiffening effect for the housing. In sharp contrast existing linings are moulded entirely separately from the housing and thus do not provide an integrated effect as with the present invention and usually are loose within the housing leading to air leakage and moisture penetration and trapping and consequent deterioration. [00036J The bayonet fitting of the motor mount to the turret facilitates assembly and disassembly of the heat recovery unit and obviates the necessity for the use of separate fixtures. [00037] In these respects, therefore, the present invention represents an improvement over the conventional lining techniques in offering ease of manufacture and assembly.

Claims

1. A heat recovery unit including a housing provided with two separate flow paths each provided with a fan driven by a motor, the motor being releasably securable to the housing through the agency of a bayonet fitting.

2. A heat recovery unit according to claim 1 in which the motor is mounted on a plate provided with a male or female element of a bayonet fitting, a complementary fitting being provided on the housing.

3. A heat recovery unit according to claim 2 in which the unit includes outlet turrets for separate air flow streams, the turrets being rotatably mounted on the housing to afford swivelling movement thereto and the complementary fitting is provided at the opening to the turret.

4. The heat recovery unit of claim 3 wherein the turrets are each provided with a lining.

5. A heat recovery unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.