WO2005116531A1

WO2005116531A1 - Ventilation system

Info

Publication number: WO2005116531A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/005707
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Verberkmoes
Original assignee: Sergem Engineering B.V.
Priority date: 2004-05-24
Filing date: 2005-05-24
Publication date: 2005-12-08

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ventilation system, comprising at least one passage and a corresponding closing element with the passage for selectively closing the passage entirely or in part. The ventilation system comprises an automatic control for positioning the closing element relative to the passage. The control comprises at least one control element exhibiting a behaviour dependent on ambient circumstances in an autonomously responsive manner.

Description

Ventilation system

The present invention relates to a ventilation system. Such system are known, and can be divided into actively controlled systems and passive systems. Of the actively controlled systems the systems are best known wherein a control slide has to be manually operated to open or close passages through a plate with slots arranged therein. A person skilled in the art quite easily envisage and develop an automatic system, e.g. comprising sensors and at least one active drive for operating a slide on the basis of signals from the sensors. However, such systems require electric power to operate at all times. Especially when such systems are used to ventilate rooms and spaces that are not continuously inhabited, such systems use too much power, and do not function at all when power supply is unexpected interrupted. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a ventilation system, which does not require a power supply for at least the basic functioning thereof, but with which an automatic system is provided in a novel and inventive manner nonetheless . This objective is realised with a ventilation system according to claim 1. Therein the ambient circumstances can be any parameter that is determinative for whether or not to initiate ventilation, such as temperature, humidity, personal preference by means of a override control, etcetera. Preferred non-limiting embodiments are described in the dependent claims . The invention will be elucidated herein below, where a non-limiting description is provided of specific embodiments of the present invention, where the same or similar embodiments, components and part are designated with the same reference numbers, and in which: FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are presented to show the automatic functioning of a ventilation according to the present invention; and Fig. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are presented to show an embodiment in more detail of a ventilation system according to the present invention. In fig. 1 and fig. 2 an embodiment is shown of a system 1 in accordance with the present invention in different states thereof. The system 1 is incorporated in fig. 1 and fig. 2 in a transitional area between a roof 2 and a wall 3 of a building . An airflow along the upper surface of the roof 2 is designated with arrow A. When the temperature inside the building 4, and/or the temperature outside the building 4 and/or the difference between these temperatures is such, that opening of the system 1 is warranted, the system is opened into the state, that is shown in fig. 2. In fig. 1, the system 1 is closed. As indicated herein above, it is of importance to take into account different temperatures inside and outside of the building 4, when deciding wether or not to open the system 1 according to the present invention. Fig. 3 shows a table, in which the different circumstances i.e. inside and outside temperatures, are shown, on the basis of which decisions are taken wether or not to open the system 1. As shown in fig. 2, when the system 1 is opened, the opening of the system 1 being performed in accordance with the circumstances described in fig. 3, the airflow A is introduced into the building 4 underneath the roof 2 thereof.

Thus, ventilation of for instance the insulating material in or underneath the roof 2 can be achieved. Also, in such a matter, not only the insulating material in or underneath the roof 2 can be ventilated, but several other options are also available with a system according to the present invention, for instance for directly introducing outside air into a room or space of the building 4, which is intended for habitation, etcetera. For instance the spaced be ventilated or supplied with outside air can be the cabin of a vehicle, for instance a camper or a caravan, motor homes, site caravans, holiday homes, temporary emergency accommodation, building sheds and camping lavatories, or the like. In accordance with the intended application of a system according to the present invention, the parameters in fig. 3 can vary without thereby introducing any embodiment, that is not within the. scope of the present invention. Also, the system according to the present invention can be employed in combination with forced ventilation, where for instance a driven van is used instead of, as shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2, being dependent upon an airflow upon which no influence can be exercised, i.e. the wind. When a forced ventilation is provided, preferable opening the system 1 according to the present invention will lead to activation of the for mentioned ventilation. However, when no electric power supply is available, specific embodiments of systems 1 in accordance with the present invention can be highly beneficial, in that these can function autonomously, for instance by the use memory materials, more specifically but not exclusively, memory materials like metals, for instance nitinol . This will be described herein below. Nonetheless, even when an electric power supply is available, the use of memory materials, especially metals, ^• for instance nitinol, can be highly beneficial in that a control current can be fed through the memory materials to influence the temperature thereof and thereby achieve an "overrule" function, which will also be described herein below. Moreover, it should be noted that, especially when autonomous memory materials are employed, which do not require an electric power supply, these continue to function, even when the electric power supply is interrupted. Further advantages of memory materials are, that control over a system 1, as the one shown in figures 1 and 2, is simplified, since no motors or other actuators are necessary, and neither are transmission systems or the like. Further, memory materials, especially memory metals, such as for instance nitinol, cannot be affected by fluid or humidity, whereas a system, that is based on electric power, can be severely hampered, if not fail, as a result of the presence of moisture. Therefor, the envisaged possibilities for using a system according to the present invention are numerous, such as for example in combination with a heater, as an extractor van, in a chimney, in combination with a central heating boiler, with an airconditioner, together with a wash dryer, or even in cooperation with an refrigerator. In fig. 4 an exploded view of a possible embodiment of a system 1 according to the present invention is shown. The system comprises side profiles 5, which are interconnected by means of a top profile 6 and a bottom profile 7. In the space between the side profiles 5, the top profile 6 and the bottom profile 7, which profiles are connected by means of corner profiles 24, several lamella 8 are arranged. Lamella 8, as shown in the embodiment of fig. 4, are arranged at the front and also at the back of the system 1. In between the lamella 8 at the front of the system 1 and the lamella 8 at the back of the system 1 a fly screen 9 is arranged to prevent insect and dirt or the like from passing through the system 1. More particularly, the lamella 8 in the embodiment of fig. 4 each comprise a bending portion 10, which is arranged to flex more or less to close or (partially) open passages between the lamella 8, which reciproque movement of the bending portions 10 is controlled with control rods 11. As is clearly shown in fig. 4, the lamella 8 are oppositely oriented (downward and upward respectively) at respectively the front side and the back side of the system 1. Thus, when the bending portions 10 of the lamella 8 at the front side are bent outwards to close passages between the lamella 8, a similar backward movement in the drawing is effected for control rods 11 that control the bending portions 10 of the lamella 8 at the back side of the system in fig. 4, with which the front side and the back side of the system 1 can be simultaneously opened, or at least to open the passages at respective front- and back sides of the system 1. For this a translating movement can be used, as is shown in the embodiment of fig. 4, for which inclined guide slots 17 are arranged in the side profiles 5, through which the control rods 11 extend. The control rods 11 are, for this purpose, connected to a base plate 12, which is suspended between several sets of springs 13 at the top side and a set of springs 14 at the bottom side of the system 1. The control rods 11 extend through slots 25 in the base plate 12, which is arranged in the side profile 5 for reciproque up and down movement within the side profile 5, preferably without sideways movement. The inclination of the guide slots ensures a desired movability of the control rods 11 in combination with op and down movement of the base plate 12 and the provision of the sideways slots 25, to open or close the passages between the lamella 8 in a desired manner. At the opposite side (in the drawing the left side) of the system 1, a similar control mechanism can be provided, though is not necessarily required. The springs of the set of springs 13 at the top side extend from the base plate 12 toward notches 15 at the top side of the side profile 5, whereas the springs in the lower set of springs 14 extend from the bottom edge of the base plate 12 toward notches 16 at the bottom edge of the side profile 5. The control rods 11 extend through slots 17 in the side profile 5, so that when the base plate 12 is pulled down by the lower set of springs 14, i.e. when the lower set of springs exerts a stronger force on the base plate 12 than the higher set of springs 13, the bending portions 10 of the lamella 8 are driven outward to close the passages through the system 1 under influence of the movement of the control rods 11, which are connected to the relevant parts of the bending portions 10, which movement is dictated by the slots 17. Therefore, the embodiment shown in fig. 4 is translational, corresponding to the direction of the slots 17 m the side profile 5, through which the control rods 11 extend. The set springs 13 at the top side of the system 1 and the set of springs 14 at the bottom side of the system 1 are each chosen such, that dependent on ambient temperature acting on the springs 13 or 14, a downward movement or upward movement of the base plate and therewith of the control rods 11 is accomplished. For instance, several of the set of springs 13 at the top side of the system 1 can be embodied as springs from memory material, such as memory metal, m particular, though not exclusively nitinol. In such an embodiment, the springs 14 at the lower side of the system will provide a counter acting force relative to the higher set of springs 13 to close of the passages between the lamella 8, when at least some of the nitinol springs of the higher set of springs 13 at the top side of the system 1 are relaxed, i.e. when a higher lower then a memory temperature acts on these springs 13 of memory material. The springs are "programmed" to tension or relax dependent on the ambient temperature being higher or lower than the memory temperature. Programming the materials usually occurs during production thereof. More expensive types of memory material can also be "trained" in situ to respond to ambient circumstances . Needless to say, the configuration can also be reversed, when the lower set of springs 14 comprises (a number of) springs from memory material. Also both at the top and at the bottom springs from memory material can be employed, in so far as the programming thereof corresponds with the desired (automatic) functioning of the system 1, of which functioning a non-limiting example is provided in figure 3. Any other manner of functioning of the system is also possible, dependent on the envisaged use, other than the scheme of figure three, for which alternatives a corresponding "programming" of the springs from memory material is required, which is considered to lie well within the normal capabilities of any skilled person in the art, after having learned of the presently described invention. Further, it is noted, that for a minimum amount of inflow of air or at least throughput of an airflow for an ambient temperature to act on the springs 13 or 14, that are made of memory material, such as nitinol, openings 18 are provided, which can optionally be partially closed^' by arranging for instance a wire mash therein, as is shown in fig. 4. The wire mash will then also serve to keep dust or the like out of the inner space of the side profiles when closed off with a closing profile 20. Further, according to the present invention, a override mechanism can be provided, which can have several embodiments. In the embodiment of figures 4, 5 and 6 of a system 1 according to the present invention, a handle 19 is provided, with which the opening (figure 6) or closing (figure 5) of the passages between the lamella 8 and through the system 1 according to the present invention can be set. As shown in figure 4, an overrule plate 21 comprises an extension 22, which is arranged to extend towards the handle 19. Alternatively, the handle 19 extends into the inner space of the side profile 5, which is closed off by the closing profile 20. The extension of the overrule plate 21 extends through a slot between the side profile 5 and the closing profile 20. The system 1 comprises control rods 23, which can be linked, coupled with or connected to the overrule plate 21 to override the position of the base plate 12, which position is dependent upon the ambient temperature acting on the higher set springs 13 or the lower set of springs 14. These control rods 23 comprise extensions in the interior of the lamella 8 in a direction transverse to the length of the lamella 8 and the control rods 23, to selectively act on the bending portions 10 thereof. The overrule plate 21 is connected to or coupled with the base plate 12 in order to force the base plate 12 into a desired position for opening or closing the passages of the system. Thus, an overrule function can be provided in accordance with the present invention. Alternatively or additionally, the overrule plate 21 can be arranged in the space enclosed by the side profile 5 and the closing profile 20 for movement independent of the base plate. Alternatively or additionally in further embodiment (not shown) , the notches 15 and/or 16 forming attachment points of the springs 13 or 14, that are made of memory material, can be embodied as electrical terminals, through which an electrical current can be made to flow. Thus, a switch connected to an electric power supply can be employed to selectively send a current through those springs, that are made of memory material, in order to influence the temperature thereof and thereby override the influence, that the ambient temperature has on these memory material springs 13 or 14. As such, yet another possible embodiment of an override function can be embodied. Any arbitrary means for a least temporarily holding or maintaining a position of the bending portions 10 can be provided, which can be frictional, or based on an engagement for at least temporary selective fixation of the the bending portions of the lamella 8. It will be appreciated that many additional and alternative embodiments will have become apparent to the skilled person after having taken note of the invention as described herein above and set out in the appended claims, which are all deemed to fall within the scope of protection for the present invention as defined in these appended claims, in so far as such variants do not deviate from those definitions of the invention, especially the independent claims, that such variants can no longer in spirit or literally be interpreted as true embodiments of the invention. For instance, the configuration of the lamella 8 is subject to variation, where simply elongate blades, which are arranged tiltably in a carrier frame, could be controlled with rods to set the tilt position of the blades and thus . determine the degree of opening of the ventilation system. Further it is envisaged, that components with a temperature or moisture dependent expansion characteristic could be employed, but then the advantages associated with a threshold for opening ventilation passages would be harder to realise, if not lost, where such a threshold function is considered to be highly beneficial.

Claims

1. Ventilation system, comprising: at least one passage; and a corresponding closing element with the passage for selectively closing the passage entirely or in part, characterised by an automatic control for positioning the closing element relative to the passage, the control comprising at least one control element exhibiting a behaviour dependent on ambient circumstances in an autonomously responsive manner.

2. Ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein the ambient circumstances comprise environmental entities from the group, comprising temperature, humidity, etcetera.

3. Ventilation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control element comprises at least one memory material element, in particular a memory metal, such as Nitinol .

4. Ventilation system according to at least one of the preceding claims, comprising a frame forming the at least one passage and carrying the closing element wherein the control is incorporated in the frame to save space.

5. Ventilation system according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein a transmission configuration is arranged between the control element and the closing element for transfer of the autonomous response of the control elements to the ambient circumstances to the closing element.

6. Ventilation system according to at least one of the preceding claims, further comprising override means for selectively adjustable control over at least the closing element, regardless of a state of the control element.

7. Ventilation system according to claim 6, wherein the control element comprises electrically conductive material, which is at least to some degree of a dissipating nature, and the override means comprise a connection to electric power and a switch to selectively send an electric current through the control element to influence the behaviour thereof regardless of the ambient circumstances by influencing with the current the temperature of the control element .

8. Ventilation system according to claim 6, wherein the override means comprise a manual override system.

9. Ventilation system according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the control element comprises a spring, and the control further comprises counterforce means for exerting a counterforce on the closing element directly or indirectly relative to the influence of the control element .

10. Ventilation system according to at least one of the preceding claims, comprising at least two closing elements at opposite sides relative to the passage.