Patent Application
20240247823
The present disclosure relates to an exhaust fan, and more particularly to an exhaust fan having a conduit or conduit assembly.
Roof mounted exhaust fans remove air from internal spaces within buildings. Depending on the function of the space, time of day, occupancy, building codes, intake, and other factors, such spaces may require more or less air turnover. Roof mounted exhaust fans must be controlled and operated to meet these requirements. Conventional roof mounted exhaust fans include breather tubes with power supply and/or control wiring passing therethrough.
The present disclosure provides, in another independent aspect, an exhaust fan comprising a motor, an impeller, a curb cap, a support pan, a first conduit, and a second conduit. The impeller is rotatably coupled to the motor about a longitudinal axis. The curb cap is configured for interaction with a roof curb. The curb cap includes an airflow opening, a first conduit opening, and a second conduit opening. The support pan supports the motor. The first electrically insulative conduit extends between the support pan and the first conduit opening along a first conduit axis. The second electrically insulative conduit extends between the support pan and the second conduit opening along a second conduit axis. In a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a central angle between the first conduit axis, the longitudinal axis, and the second conduit axis is greater than or equal to ninety degrees and less than or equal to one hundred and eighty degrees.
The present disclosure provides, in one aspect, an exhaust fan comprising a motor, an impeller, a curb cap, a support pan, and a conduit. The impeller is rotatably coupled to the motor. The curb cap is configured to interaction with a roof curb. The curb cap includes an airflow opening and a conduit opening. The support pan supports the motor. The conduit extends between the support pan and the conduit opening of the curb cap.
The present disclosure provides, in another independent aspect, an exhaust fan assembly comprising a motor, an impeller, a curb cap, a support pan, an electrically insulative conduit, and a wire. The impeller is rotatably coupled to the motor. The curb cap is configured for coupling to a roof curb. The curb cap includes an airflow opening and a conduit opening. The support pan supports the motor and includes a pan conduit opening. The electrically insulative conduit extends between the support pan and the conduit opening of the curb cap. The wire is electrically coupled to the motor and extends through the conduit opening of the curb cap and the pan conduit opening of the support pan. The wire is configured to provide at least one of power current or a control signal to operate the motor.
Other features and aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of supporting other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The illustrated exhaust fan 10 includes a curb cap 14 configured for engagement with or affixing to a roof curb C on the roof R and to connect the exhaust fan 10 to ductwork D servicing the building. The ductwork D is in fluid communication with a room and is configured to pass fluid (e.g., air) from the room to the exhaust fan 10. A windband 18 is coupled to the curb cab 14 and positioned within is a hoodband 22. The hoodband 22 has a first axial end 22a and an opposite second axial end 22b. The first axial end 22a is positioned closer to the curb cap 14 than the second axial end 22b. A hood 26 is removably coupled to the second axial end 22b to provide access to the interior of the hoodband 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the hoodband 22 is positioned radially within the windband 18 with at least a portion of the hoodband 22 being at a common axial position along the longitudinal axis LA as the windband 18.
The curb cap 14 has a planar surface 14a, a plurality of sidewalls 14b, a plurality of fastener interfaces 14c provided on the plurality of sidewalls 14b, an airflow opening 14d provided in the planar surface 14a (
The Venturi portion 14e is a portion of the curb cap 14 which extends in a direction away from the planar surface 14a oppositely from the sidewalls 14b. The Venturi portion 14e varies in cross-sectional size (e.g., diameter) in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis LA. More specifically, the cross-sectional size (e.g., diameter) of the Venturi portion 14e is largest adjacent the planar surface 14a and the airflow opening 14d and is smallest at a distal end thereof spaced from the planar surface 14a. Fluid passing through the exhaust opening 14d is passed through the Venturi portion 14e with the Venturi portion 14e being configured to guide the exhaust airflow and to speed up the exhaust airflow as the exhaust airflow passes through the airflow opening 14d and subsequently the Venturi portion 14e. The downstream end (e.g., top end as viewed in
As illustrated in
The windband 18 has a reduced size (e.g., diameter) portion 18a coupled to the curb cap 14 and an enlarged size (e.g., diameter) portion 18b extending from the reduced size portion 18a. The enlarged size portion 18b includes a vent hole 18c, and the hoodband 22 includes a vent hole 22c. A breather tube 28 provides fluid communication from the interior of the hoodband 22 to the exterior of the windband 18. The breather tube 28 is located between the vent hole 18c of the windband 18 and the vent hole 22c of the hoodband 22.
Referring to
As illustrated in
The exhaust fan 10 further includes a support pan 44, which supports the motor 30 thereon. The support pan 44 of the illustrated embodiment is generally oriented perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis LA. The support pan 44 is positioned within the hoodband 22 and is shaped as an annular disk. The support pan 44 is further coupled to the hoodband 22 and the windband 18. More specifically, the first axial end 22a of the hoodband 22 is removably coupled to and supported by the support pan 44. In the illustrated embodiment, the support pan 44 is supported by the enlarged size (e.g., diameter) portion 18b of the windband 18. The support pan 44 includes a first pan conduit opening 44a and a second pan conduit opening 44b. In the illustrated embodiment (
The conduits 38, 42 are in fluid communication with both the ductwork D and an interior volume V1 of the hoodband 22. As shown in
The windband 18 defines a volume V2 axially below (e.g., facing the curb cap 14) a distal end of the enlarged size portion 18b and above the curb cap 14. At an axial position corresponding with the position of the hoodband 22, the volume V2 is further defined in a radial direction between the outer surface of the hoodband 22 and the inner surface of the windband 18. Axially below the hoodband 22, the volume V2 is defined in a radial direction between the inner surface of the windband 18 and the longitudinal axis LA. The conduits 38, 42 are in communication with the ductwork D and the volume V1, and the conduits 38, 42 generally pass through the volume V2.
In a plane P (
Any central angle AN or combinations of central angles is possible. For example, any central angle AN (e.g., 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 degrees, etc.) is possible, and may be selected. In other embodiments, more than two conduits 38, 42 may be provided, and may extend between the support pan 44 and the curb cap 14. Each of the conduits 38, 42 may be spaced from one another circumferentially about the longitudinal axis at any equal or unequal desired central angle spacing. In some embodiments, the central angle AN may be one hundred and eighty degrees. In other embodiments, the central angle AN may be greater than zero degrees and less than or equal to one hundred and eighty degrees. In other embodiments, the central angle AN may be greater than 60 degrees and less than or equal to one hundred and eight degrees. In other embodiments, the central angle AN may be equal to or greater than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 60 degrees. The central angle AN may be selected to correspond with any desired arcuate length (e.g., measured in an arcuate path in the plane P perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LA and between the conduit axes CA1, CA2) between the conduit axes CA1, CA2. A corresponding chord length (e.g., a direct linear distance measured in the plane P perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LA) between the conduit axes CA1, CA2 may also be selected as a result of adjusting the central angle AN. However, in other embodiments, such a chord length between the conduits 38, 42 may be otherwise provided. Further still, the conduits 38, 42 may be spaced from one another at differing radii from the longitudinal axis LA (as shown in
As shown in
Wires W1, W2, which provide power current and/or control signals to the motor 30 are passed through the conduits 38, 42 from the curb cap 14 to the interior of the hoodband 22 for connection with the motor 30. The first wire W1 passes through the first conduit opening 14f, the first conduit 38, and the first pan conduit opening 44a. The second wire W2 passes through the second conduit opening 14g, the second conduit 42, and the second pan conduit opening 44b. The first wire W1 may be a first wire of a first group of wires. The first group of wires includes two or more than two wires (e.g., the first wire W1 and a third wire, not shown). In some embodiments, the first wire W1 and/or each of the first group of wires operates at a first voltage (e.g., 115 Volts, 120 Volts, 240 Volts, etc.) configured to provide a power current (e.g., 1 phase alternating current, 3 phase alternating current, direct current) to the motor. The second wire W2 is configured to provide a control and/or data signal (e.g., operating current between and including 4 milliamps to 20 milliamps, operating voltage being 12 Volts, 24 Volts, etc.) to the motor 30. The wire W2 may be, for example, a sheathed and shielded twisted pair, a data signal wire, or a MODBUS wire configured to transmit a signal (e.g., data signal, MODBUS signal) to the motor 30. In other embodiments, the first wire W1 (or first group of wires) may pass through the second conduit 42, and the second wire W2 (or second group of wires) may pass through the first conduit 38. In some embodiments, the second wire W2 (or each of the second group of wires) may operate at a second voltage (e.g., 12 Volts, 24 Volts, etc.) different from the first voltage (e.g., 115 Volts, 120 Volts, 240 Volts, etc.). In some embodiments, the wires W1, W2 may be installed by construction personnel, contractor, and/or field technician(s), etc., after installation of the exhaust fan 10 on the curb C.
In operation, exhaust generated by the impeller 34 passes from the room or space within the building, through the ductwork D and the impeller 34, and to the surroundings of the exhaust fan 10 external to the roof R. The exhaust airflow generated by the impeller 34 passes along a first flow path FP1 and a second flow path FP2 (
During operation of the exhaust fan 10, electrical interference realized by one wire W1, W2 (e.g., the control signal wire[s]) and generated by magnetic and/or electrical fields emanating from another wire W2, W1 (e.g., the power current wire[s]) is limited by the conduit 38, 42. The interference effects of magnetic and/or electric fields emanating from the wire W1, W2 are weakened by the conduits 38, 42 as well as the physical space between the conduits 38, 42 such that interference or unwanted modification of current and/or signal(s) flowing through the wires W1, W2 is minimized. In other words, the electrically insulative material properties, geometries, or spacing and positioning of the conduits 38, 42 (these factors could be alone or in combination) partially or totally isolate the magnetic and/or electric field of one wire W1 from the other wire W2. As such, the motor 30 can more accurately receive (e.g., in an uninterrupted manner) both power current (e.g., AC power) and control signals (e.g., DC signals) which are minimally electrically interfered (e.g., no interference) with by the power current.
The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures relate to an exhaust fan 10 which may be referred to as a roof-mounted upblast exhaust fan 10 mounted to the curb C of the roof R. The above-described features of the exhaust fan 10 may be applied equally to other types of fans 10 other than roof-mounted upblast exhaust fans 10. For example, the aforementioned fan 10 may be in the form of a sidewall fan mounted on a sidewall or a downblast fan. Either type of fan 10 (e.g., roof-mounted, sidewall-mounted, underhang or downwardly mounted) may be configured as either an exhaust fan (which exhausts air from the ducts D to the surroundings of the fan 10) or a supply fan (which supplies outside air into the associated ducts D) and move air in any direction towards or away from the associated ducts D. In any case, the features described above with regard to the conduit 38, 42 of the described exhaust fan 10 may be present and applicable in various forms with any type or combination of supply, exhaust, roof-mounted, sidewall-mounted, downward-mounted or downblast, or other such fan.
The embodiment(s) described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present disclosure. As such, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications to the elements and their configuration and/or arrangement exist within the spirit and scope of one or more independent aspects as described.
Various features of the disclosure are set forth in the following claims.
