Patent Application
20230341146
The present invention relates to an electrical device attachable in or to an air duct. The present invention further relates to a mechanical ventilation system for forced or unforced ventilation of a home, office building and the like, comprising at least one air duct and a ventilation device connected to said air duct in which such an electrical device is provided.
Many buildings have air ducts that provide passageways for the exchange, ventilation, circulation and/or movement of air through the surfaces (e.g. walls and ceilings) of the building. Buildings may have ventilation systems, which draw in “fresh” air from outside the building and expel “exhaust” air from inside the building. Fresh air can be drawn into a building or exhaust air can be expelled from a building through one or more air ducts. Some buildings contain other systems and/or devices, such as air-conditioning systems, heating systems and bathroom fans, that use air ducts to provide passageways for air to flow through the surfaces of buildings.
Typically, an air duct is associated with devices such as ventilation nozzles and/or ventilation grilles to direct air flows from the ventilation ducts. These devices at least partially conceal the end of the air duct from the occupant's view by covering the surface of and adjacent to the end of the air duct. As a result, a relatively large proportion of the surface area is occupied. Especially in small rooms, such as the toilet room, and/or if several air ducts are provided, this can have the disadvantage that too many fixtures, such as light fittings, smoke detectors, loudspeakers or heating panels are attached to the same surface, these fixtures are then very quickly perceived as too crowded and aesthetically unpleasing. In addition, ventilation nozzles and/or ventilation grilles themselves are often perceived as disturbing. There is therefore a need for electrical devices, in particular lighting fixtures, which are able to direct air flows out of ventilation ducts so that conventional ventilation nozzles and/or ventilation grilles become superfluous and invisible. Existing recessed or surface-mounted luminaires, however, have the disadvantage that they are not designed to guide airflows and cannot provide a sufficient flow, if any. In addition, the provision of known fittings in or before the end of the air duct has the disadvantage that the installation is more difficult because they are not designed to be connected to or in a ventilation duct (size, shape . . . ). This also means that the fasteners are sometimes visible, which can be experienced as aesthetically unpleasing.
An object of the invention may be to provide electrical devices of the aforementioned type which do not exhibit at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art. A further object of the invention may be to provide electrical devices of the aforementioned type in a ventilation duct. A further object of the invention may be to provide electrical devices of the aforementioned type which also include fasteners to allow a user to attach parts thereto, for example a socket of a lamp connection or other current-carrying connection parts. A further object of the invention may be to provide these fasteners substantially invisible.
According to the invention, this purpose is achieved by a system that exhibits the technical characteristics of the first independent claim.
In a first aspect of the invention, which may occur in conjunction with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, the invention includes an electrical device for use in a ventilation duct of a building, or at one end thereof. The device includes a housing, wherein the housing provides a passageway for allowing air to flow between an end of the housing to be turned towards a room of the building and an end of the housing to be turned towards the air duct. For example, the housing may include a passageway from an inlet of the passageway at one end of the housing to an outlet of the passageway at the opposite end of the housing. The device further comprises an electrical body, preferably orientable, extending at least partly into the passageway and adapted to connect a power source to an electrical device and fasteners by means of which the housing and the electrical body are fixed together.
The passageway extends between an inner housing side and an outer side of the electrical body such that air can flow in the space between the inner housing side and the outer side of the electrical body. Viewed in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the housing or in the surface of the end of the housing to be turned towards the room of the building, the electric body may be completely surrounded by the passageway.
The presence of the passageway makes it possible to provide a passage of air through the housing and around the electrical body, in contrast to traditional electrical devices, e.g. light fittings, which do not allow any or only limited, unoptimised air flow through the housing of the electrical device.
Moreover, unlike traditional electrical equipment, the electrical device simultaneously provides a (central) electrical body around which airflow is possible and can be provided in or attached to an existing ventilation duct of a building. This makes it possible to install the electrical device in or on existing ventilation ducts without having to make significant adjustments, for example, during renovation work.
In embodiments according to the invention, the outer housing side may be adapted to close off an air channel, for example with an essentially circular cross-section, for example by providing an airtight sealing element on the housing that can close off the space between the housing and the air channel airtight such that, during operation, the air carried by the air channel flows primarily through the electrical device. In further embodiments according to the invention, the outer housing side may be adapted to form, in a cross section, a circle having a diameter of about 80, about 100, about 125 or about 160 mm. In still further or other embodiments according to the invention, a number of protrusions may be provided on the outer housing side which, in a cross section, form an imaginary circle having a diameter of about 80, about 100, about 125 or about 160 mm.
A first embodiment, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, relates to a aforementioned electrical device, wherein, in a first position, the longitudinal direction of the electrical body is parallel to or corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the housing, and optionally, in a second position, the longitudinal direction of the electrical body is tilted relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing.
In a second embodiment according to the invention, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, the fasteners are provided recessed or sunk into the housing. In a further embodiment according to the invention, the distance between the end of the housing to be turned towards the room of the building and an end of the fasteners to be turned towards the room of the building may be at least 1, 3 or 5 cm and/or at least 10%, 20% or 30% of an outer diameter of the housing or at least 10%, 20% or 30% of the diameter of the circumscribed circle, i.e. a circle passing through essentially all the vertices of a polygon, of a cross-section of the housing.
By providing the fasteners deep inside the enclosure, the fasteners are virtually invisible to people in the enclosure room. In addition, this makes tilting/aligning the electrical body in the housing easier. In embodiments according to the invention, the fastening means and other means extending into the passageway between the housing and the electrical body are provided deep inside the housing.
A third embodiment, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, relates to a aforementioned electrical device, wherein the passageway is arranged to allow air to flow at a flow rate of at least 5, 15, 25, 50 or 75m3/h.
In a fourth embodiment according to the invention, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, the electrical device may further comprise flow and/or flow control means for regulating the flow and/or airflow through the passageway, for example a flow controller such as a valve or fan. In particular, the flow and/or flow control means extend at least partly into the housing or passageway, in particular at least partly between the housing and the electrical body. In embodiments according to the invention, the flow and/or flow control means are provided deep within the housing.
In a further embodiment according to the invention, the flow and/or flow control means and the fasteners may be integrated into an adjustable valve with means for adjusting the position of flow control means of the assembly, which valve controls the flow or pressure of air flowing through the assembly.
In a fifth embodiment according to the invention, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, the electrical body extends from an end of the housing to a room of the building.
In embodiments according to the invention, an outer housing side may be adapted to be attached to or engage with the inner side of the air duct and an inner housing side, opposite the outer housing side, adapted to receive the fasteners.
In a sixth embodiment according to the invention, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, the electrical body is configured as a luminaire body adapted to receive a light source, whether or not detachable in a non-destructive manner, and connect thereto, e.g., an LED, to provide illumination.
A seventh embodiment, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, concerns a aforementioned electrical device, wherein the electrical device is modularly arranged such that the housing and the electrical body are attached to each other in a non-destructive manner. As a result, the electrical body is removable in a simple and reusable manner, preferably without tools.
In a second aspect of the invention, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, the invention includes a mechanical ventilation system comprising a ventilation device connected to an air duct in which an electrical device as described above is provided.
In embodiments according to the invention, the ventilation device is arranged to allow air to flow:
from the end of the housing facing a room of the building to the air duct end of the housing; or from the end of the housing facing the air duct to the room of the building to be turned.
In embodiments according to the invention, the air duct may have a predominantly circular cross-section with preferably a diameter of 80, 100, 125 or 160 mm. In embodiments according to the invention, the inner side of the air duct and the outer housing side may have a similar cross-section, for example a mainly circular cross-section, or different cross-sections, for example a mainly circular cross-section and a mainly polygonal cross-section.
In a third aspect of the invention, which may occur in combination with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein, the invention includes a building comprising a ventilation system as described above.
Other aspects, advantages and salient features of the revelation will become clear to the practitioner from the following detailed description, which, in combination with the accompanying drawings, reveals various forms of the current revelation.
The invention will be further illustrated below by an example of performance illustrated in the drawing. They are intended solely for illustrative purposes and not to limit the inventive concept defined by the appended claims.
The present invention will be described with reference to certain forms of execution and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited in this respect and is determined solely by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and non-restrictive. In the drawings the size of certain elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The shape, dimensions and relative sizes do not necessarily correspond to actual practical implementations of the invention.
Moreover, the terms first, second, third and the like are used in the description and in the claims to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily to describe a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the embodiments of the invention may be applied in other sequences than those described or illustrated herein.
Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for illustrative purposes and not necessarily to describe relative positions. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention described herein may be used in orientations other than those described or illustrated herein.
Furthermore, the various embodiments, although referred to as “preferred embodiments”, should be understood as examples of how the invention can be carried out rather than as limitations on the scope of the invention.
The term “comprehensive”, used in the conclusions, should not be interpreted as being limited to the means or steps mentioned thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the listed features, elements, steps or components referred to, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression ‘a facility comprising means A and B’ should not be limited to facilities consisting only of components A and B. The meaning is that with regard to the present invention only the components A and B of the device are enumerated, and the claim should be further interpreted as including equivalents of these components.
The housing 40 has an outer housing side 41 that is adapted to be connected to and attached to or near the air duct 2. As shown in
The fixture portion 20, 23 includes a luminaire body 20 adapted to be connected to and attached to the assembly 10 such that it is arranged facing the chamber when the housing 40 is inserted into the air duct, and is connected to an inner wall of the air duct. In particular, the luminaire body 20 may be connected to the adjusting means for adjusting the position of the adjusting means, thereby controlling the airflow or pressure of the air flowing through the housing 40 The proximal end 21 of the luminaire body 20 is adapted to be rotatably connected to the adjusting means so that axial rotation of the luminaire body 20 changes the position of the adjusting means and point rotation of the luminaire body 20 changes the direction of the luminaire body B relative to the assembly 10 without changing the position of the adjusting means, as shown in
Further, the electrical device 1 may include an annular guide element 30 to conduct air between the to-be-returned end of the housing 40 and the to-be-returned end of the assembly. As with the assembly 10, the guide element 30 may be mechanically retained via an annular coil spring 31.
The annular coil springs 140, 141 are adapted to be inserted into an annular slot 31, 134 of the assembly 10 or the guide element 30 to secure (lock and hold) the respective part to the housing 40. This makes it possible to remove the assembly 10 and the guide element 30 from the housing 40 to allow for easy cleaning of the electrical device 1 and the air duct 2. The coil springs may be, for example, compression springs and/or tilted helical springs. Advantageously, the coil spring 140, 141 produces a radial or axial force so that the coil spring 31, 140 remains in contact with the mating surface and can compensate for large adjustment tolerances, alignment and surface irregularities.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The stator 130 further includes openings 138a, 138b, of a locking mechanism and a ratchet mechanism respectively, which extend axially from the lower end of the stator element 131 to permit insertion of a complementary element by a user when installed and extend radially across the inner surface 132 to permit interaction between the complementary element and the outer surface of the outer rotor element 111.
By inserting locking means 150 into the aperture 138a, the locking means 150 interact with the corrugated surface 117 of the outer rotor part 110 to lock the relative position between the stator 130 and the rotor parts 110, 120. By inserting pawl means 160 into the opening 138b, the pawl means 160 work in conjunction with the corrugated surface 117 of the outer rotor part 110 to limit rotational movement between the stator 130 and the rotor parts 110, 120 to clockwise or counterclockwise movement.
The stator element 131 further includes a plurality of recessed holes 139 on its outer surface to receive a respective screw or the like 170 extending into a respective recessed surface 116 of the outer rotor element 111 to mechanically hold the outer rotor part 110, and thereby also the inner rotor part 120, within the annular stator element 131, i.e., in the space defined by the annular stator member 131 and the lower ring 136. The screw 170 and recessed surfaces 116 further limit the rotational movement of the outer rotor part 110 in the angular direction.
Next, the working principle of the assembly of the present invention will be described with reference to
The adjusting means includes the bowl-shaped element 113, optionally attached to the proximal end 21, which is rigidly connected to the outer rotor element 111. By rotating the bowl-shaped element 113, the position of the assembly 10, 100 can be changed. to the closed position or to the open position, depending on the direction of rotation. Rotating the bowl-shaped element 113 causes the outer rotor element 111 to rotate in the same direction of rotation, and thus the protrusions 125 of the inner rotor element 121 present in the slots of the outer rotor element 112.
The protrusions 125 extending through the slots of the outer rotor element 112 and included in the at least one inner slot 135 of the stator element 131 are guided through the at least one inner slot 135 when the bowl-shaped element 113 is rotated. to the fact that the at least one inner slot 135 extends in axial direction A, the axial position of the guided protrusions 125 is changed relative to the stator 130 and the outer rotor part 110. As a result, the axial position of the annular element 126 of the inner rotor part 110 is changed relative to the bowl-shaped element 113. Therefore, the flow or pressure of air flowing through the assembly 10, 100 is adjusted because the air passage through the assembly is determined by the space between the bowl-shaped element 113 and the annular element 126. The flow rate is increased by rotating the bowl-shaped element 113 clockwise and the flow rate is decreased by rotating the bowl-shaped element 113 counterclockwise, or vice versa.
Other alternatives and equivalent implementations of the present invention are conceivable within the idea of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20152161.4 | Jan 2020 | EP | regional |
| 2024689 | Jan 2020 | NL | national |
| 2020/5691 | Oct 2020 | BE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2021/050349 | 1/18/2021 | WO |
