The present invention relates to the field of ceiling fans.
Ceiling fans are used to move air in a space.
Patents related to the current invention are described, infra.
A. Doring, et. al., “Air Conditioning Fan”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,201 (May 6, 2008) describe an air conditioning fan including a ceiling fan unit, an air conditioning unit, and a motor unit, all suspended as an integrated device, where the air conditioning unit cools Freon gas that circulates through the fan blades.
K. Yum, et. al., “Air Conditioning System”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,110 (Oct. 17, 2006) describe an air conditioning system, including an outdoor unit, an indoor unit in a ceiling having an indoor heat exchanger in a space, a fan in the space for drawing and discharging heat through the indoor heat exchanger, and a fresh air supplier for supplying fresh air to an inlet side of the fan.
What is needed is a ceiling fan that more efficiently moves air and/or more efficiently conditions air in a space.
The invention comprises a ceiling fan method and apparatus.
A more complete understanding of the present invention is derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar items throughout the Figures.
The invention comprises a ceiling fan method and apparatus. More particularly, the ceiling fan includes at lease one blade including an opening for airflow therethrough.
In various embodiments, a ceiling fan method and apparatus is described as configured to aid in distribution of air within a space. Optional ceiling fan elements include one or more of: a coupler for coupling the ceiling fan to a cool air line from an air conditioner, curved fan blades on the ceiling fan, cuts and/or apertures leading through the fan blades, cool air distribution lines within the fan blades, and air flow boosters incorporated in the fan blades, each of which are described infra. The ceiling fan operates by rotating the fan blade to distribute air in a space.
Referring now to
An air conditioner 210 is a system or mechanism designed to dehumidify and/or extract heat from a space. Cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle. A complete system of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is referred to as “HVAC”, usable for both heating and cooling. Types of air conditioners include: a heat pump and an evaporative cooler, described infra.
The most common type of air conditioner 210 uses a heat pump. In the refrigeration cycle, a heat pump transfers heat from a lower-temperature heat source into a higher-temperature heat sink, which is opposite to the natural flow of heat. The refrigeration cycle takes advantage of the way phase changes work, where latent heat is released at a constant temperature during a liquid/gas phase change, and where varying the pressure of a pure substance also varies its condensation/boiling point.
The refrigeration cycle uses:
The most common refrigeration cycle uses an electric motor to drive the compressor. Since evaporation occurs when heat is absorbed, and condensation occurs when heat is released, air conditioners use a compressor to cause pressure changes between two compartments, and actively condense and pump a refrigerant around the refrigeration cycle. A refrigerant is pumped into the evaporator coil, the cooled compartment, where the low pressure causes the refrigerant to evaporate into a vapor, taking heat with it. In the condenser the refrigerant vapor is compressed and forced through another heat exchange coil, condensing into a liquid, rejecting the heat previously absorbed from the cooled space.
An example of a home air conditioner is provided. A basic refrigeration cycle includes four major elements: the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, which is a metering device, and the evaporator. As a refrigerant passes through these four elements, air conditioning occurs. The cycle starts when refrigerant enters the compressor in a low pressure, low temperature, gaseous form. The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor to a high pressure and temperature gaseous state. The high pressure and temperature gas then enters the condenser. The condenser condenses the high pressure and temperature gas to a high temperature liquid by transferring heat to a lower temperature medium, usually ambient air. The high temperature liquid then enters the expansion valve where it undergoes an adiabatic expansion, resulting in a low pressure and temperature liquid. The low pressure and temperature liquid is now suitable for cooling. The low temperature and pressure liquid enters an evaporator where heat is transferred from the air or another fluid to the refrigerant, causing the liquid to boil and change state to a low temperature gas. The low pressure gas enters the compressor and the cycle repeats. Optionally, a fan pushes or pulls air across the evaporator coil, the cooled space, to transfer cooled air through duct work.
Evaporative coolers, sometimes referred to as a swamp cooler, a desert cooler, or a Persian cooler are typically used in dry climates. An evaporative cooler is a device that draws outside air through a wet pad or region soaked with water. Sensible heat of the incoming air, as measured by a dry bulb thermometer, is reduced. The total heat, sensible heat plus latent heat, of the entering air is unchanged. Some of the sensible heat of the entering air is converted to latent heat by the evaporation of water in the wet cooler pads. Unlike air conditioners, evaporative coolers rely on the outside air to be channeled through cooler pads that cool the air before it reaches the inside of a house through its air duct system. This cooled outside air must be allowed to push the warmer air within the house out through an exhaust opening such as a open door or window.
These coolers cost less and are mechanically simple to understand and maintain. Evaporative coolers function best in warm, dry air. Optionally, a fan pushes or pulls the air through duct work.
Herein, the cooled air generated by the air conditioner 210, such as via use of a heat pump or evaporative cooler, is moved through the duct work to the ceiling fan. The air conditioner, heat pump, and/or evaporative cooler is preferably located in an attic, an outdoor space, and/or in a separate room from at least one element of the ceiling fan 300. The ceiling fans includes a motor 305 for turning at least one ceiling fan blade 310 about a rotation path 308, which is either clockwise or counterclockwise.
The ceiling fan blade 310 includes several optional features including any of: a curved upper surface, a curved lower surface, a curved tunnel air flow path, and air flow apertures, each described infra.
Referring now to
Referring now to
For fan blade 310 description, an x-, y-, z-axis system is used, where the x-axis runs horizontally from the leading edge 312 of the fan blade 310 through the fan blade 310, the y-axis runs horizontally from the motor 305 along the length of the fan blade 310, and where the z-axis running through the thickness of the fan blade 310 is both perpendicular to a plane formed by the x-,y-axes and is aligned with gravity. The axis system is separately defined for each blade 310 of the ceiling fan 300 and the axis system moves with rotation of the fan blade 310 about the rotor 305.
A first optional feature of the fan blade 310 is a blade 310 having two mean slopes along the x-axis describing the width of the fan blade. Particularly, the fan blade 310 optionally contains a first slope of the mean, median, or edges of the fan blade 310 in terms of the z-axis relative to the x-axis. For example, the width of the fan blade has a first tilt or slope defined by illustrated angle theta, delta z/delta x. The angle theta is preferably about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 degrees. Toward the leading edge 312 of the fan blade, the fan blade 310 optionally contains a second slope of the mean, median, or edges of the fan blade 310 in terms of the z-axis relative to the x-axis. For example, the width of the fan blade has a second tilt or slope defined by illustrated angle alpha, delta z/delta x. The angle alpha is preferably about 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 degrees. Preferably, angle alpha is greater than angle theta.
A second optional feature is a curved upper surface 317 region of the upper surface 316 of the fan blade 310 proximate the leading side 312 of the ceiling fan blade 310. Optionally, the curved upper surface 317 extends further from a first reference horizontal plane 420 above the fan blade 310 as a function of x-axis position relative to the motor 305. For instance, at a first x-axis position, x1, there is a first distance, d1, between the curved upper surface 317 of the fan blade 310 and the first reference horizontal plane 420, such as where air enters the fan blade 310. At a second position, x2, further from the motor 305, there is a second distance, d2, between the curved upper surface 317 of the fan blade 310 and the first reference horizontal plane 420 and the second distance, d2, is greater than the first distance, d1. Preferably, there are positions on the curved upper surface 317 where the second distance, d2, is about 1, 2, 3, 4 or more times as large as the first distance, d1, where the first reference horizontal plane 420 intersects an entrance port 412 of the blade 310. The entrance port 412 is described, infra.
A third optional feature is a curved lower surface 319 region of the lower surface 318 of the fan blade 310 proximate the leading side 312 of the ceiling fan blade 310. Optionally, the curved lower surface 319 extends further from a second reference horizontal plane 422, such as where air exits the fan blade, below the fan blade 310 as a function of x-axis position relative to the motor 305. For instance, at a third x-axis position, x3, there is a third distance, d3, between the curved lower surface 319 of the fan blade 310 and a second reference horizontal plane 422. At a fourth position, x4, further from the motor 305, there is a fourth distance, d4, between the curved lower surface 319 of the fan blade 310 and the second reference horizontal plane 422 and the fourth distance, d4, is greater than the third distance, d3. Preferably, there are positions on the curved lower surface 319 where the fourth distance, d4, is about 1, 2, 3, 4 or more times as large as the third distance, d3, where the second reference horizontal plane 422 intersects an exit port 414 of the blade 310. The exit port 414 is described, infra.
Referring still to
A fifth optional feature is a curved air flow path 410 running through the fan blade 310, where the air flow path is optionally described as blowing or running through a hole, aperture, and/or tunnel 320. The curved air flow path 410 includes an entrance opening 412 and an exit opening 414 of the air flow path 410 in the fan blade 310. The edges of the air flow path are preferably curved, such as with a curvature approximating an aircraft wing. A distance from the blade leading edge 312 through the air flow path 410 to the inner surface at the exit port 414 of the fan blade 310 is longer than a distance from the blade leading edge 312 to the exit port 414 along the curved lower surface 319 of the fan blade 310. Hence, the flow rate of the air through the air flow path 410 maintains a higher velocity compared to the air flow velocity along lower curved surface 319 of the fan blade 310. The increased velocity of the air flow through the air flow path 410 results in a negative pressure above the blade, which stabilizes the blade and results in quieter rotation of the fan blade 310 around the motor 305 and/or results in decreased vertical, z-axis, movement of the fan blade 310 reducing blade 310 chatter and wear on the ceiling fan 300.
Referring now to
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In still yet another embodiment, cool air flowing through duct work 220 is delivered to manifold 340, which distributes the cool air through outlet ports in the bottom side and/or edges of fan blade 310, which aids in generating uniform distribution of cold air into a room.
In still yet another embodiment, the blade of the ceiling fan is optional used with a floor fan and/or is used as a reaction turbine blade.
In still yet another embodiment, the cool air line from the air conditioner is replaced with a hot air line, such as from a parabolic solar heater.
Still yet another embodiment includes any combination and/or permutation of any of the ceiling fan elements described herein.
The particular implementations shown and described are illustrative of the invention and its best mode and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Indeed, for the sake of brevity, conventional manufacturing, connection, preparation, and other functional aspects of the system may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. Many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system.
In the foregoing description, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments; however, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth herein. The description and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative manner, rather than a restrictive one and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the generic embodiments described herein and their legal equivalents rather than by merely the specific examples described above. For example, the steps recited in any method or process embodiment may be executed in any order and are not limited to the explicit order presented in the specific examples. Additionally, the components and/or elements recited in any apparatus embodiment may be assembled or otherwise operationally configured in a variety of permutations to produce substantially the same result as the present invention and are accordingly not limited to the specific configuration recited in the specific examples.
Benefits, other advantages and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to particular embodiments; however, any benefit, advantage, solution to problems or any element that may cause any particular benefit, advantage or solution to occur or to become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required or essential features or components.
As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any variation thereof, are intended to reference a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, composition or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements recited, but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, composition or apparatus. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described structures, arrangements, applications, proportions, elements, materials or components used in the practice of the present invention, in addition to those not specifically recited, may be varied or otherwise particularly adapted to specific environments, manufacturing specifications, design parameters or other operating requirements without departing from the general principles of the same.
Although the invention has been described herein with reference to certain preferred embodiments, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other applications may be substituted for those set forth herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention should only be limited by the Claims included below.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application no. 61/450,428 filed Mar. 8, 2011 all of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference thereto.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61450428 | Mar 2011 | US |