Patent Application
20140063796
Conventional lighting and ventilating systems can combine elements of a conventional room ventilating fan with a light fixture. These apparatuses can have a bulky, unaesthetic appearance, can employ a complicated design, can fail to adequately cool the light fixture, and/or can employ a design where the components of the apparatus are inefficiently arranged. Additionally, many conventional illumination grille assemblies can include only one illumination source which can lack certain useful functions, including a failure to provide lighting when the ventilation assembly is quiescent.
Some embodiments of the invention provide an illumination grille assembly including a frame. The frame can include an aperture through which fluid can be moved. In some embodiments, the assembly can comprise at least one aperture to allow fluid to flow through the assembly. In some embodiments, a set of illumination devices can be at least partially disposed within the illumination grille assembly.
Some embodiments provide an illumination grille assembly including a grille coupled to a frame, and a plurality of light-emitting diodes coupled with the frame and substantially surrounding the grille. In some embodiments, the light-emitting diodes can be at least partially covered with a light transparent cover. In some embodiments, the illumination grille assembly can comprise at least one aperture to allow fluid to flow through the grill. In some embodiments, the lighting and ventilating assembly can allow fluid to flow through the grill, and at least one of the plurality of light-emitting diodes can emit visible light.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a lighting and ventilating system including a main housing. The main housing can include an inlet through which air can be received within the main housing and an outlet through which the air can exit the main housing. A blower assembly can be supported in the main housing and it can be operable to generate a flow of air. In some embodiments, an illumination grille assembly can be coupled to the main housing and the grill assembly can comprise at least one aperture to allow fluid to flow through the grill assembly to the main housing. In some embodiments, a set of illumination devices can be at least partially disposed within grill assembly, at least partially covered with a light transparent cover. In some embodiments, the set of illumination devices can be configured and arranged to emit light through the light transparent cover.
a shows a perspective view of a light transparent cover of an illumination grille assembly according to one embodiment of the invention.
b shows a perspective view of a light transparent cover of an illumination grille assembly according to one embodiment of the invention.
a shows a perspective view of a light emitting diode light engine printed circuit board of an illumination grille assembly according to one embodiment of the invention.
a shows a perspective view of a light emitting diode light engine printed circuit board of an illumination grille assembly according to one embodiment of the invention.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention 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 invention is capable of 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 use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 10 includes components of a light engine. For example, the power leads 58 shown in
Referring to
In some embodiments, the horizontal plane of the ventilation grille 32 can be substantially parallel to the horizontal plane of the light transparent cover 20, but the two horizontal planes need not be congruent. More specifically, in some embodiments, the horizontal plane of the ventilation grille 32 can be generally elevated with respect to the light transparent cover 20. In other embodiments, the ventilation grille 32 can be generally recessed with respect to the transparent cover 20. In other embodiments, the horizontal planes of both the ventilation grille 32 and the transparent cover 20 can be substantially congruent so that the entire external surface of the illumination grille assembly 10 can be generally planar.
As shown, the illumination grille assembly 10 is generally square, however in other embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 10 may be substantially rectangular. In other embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 10 may be substantially circular, or substantially oval, whereas in other embodiments, illumination grille assembly 10 may be substantially triangular. In some other embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 10 may comprise other shapes, such as, but not limited to square, rectangular, regular or irregular polygonal, or any shape generally corresponding to the main housing 90, etc. The ventilation grille 32 may be formed from any material that is readily shaped, including, but not limited to, polymers, including injection-molded or thermo-formed polymeric materials, polymer-composites, metal, ceramic, or wood, or paper-based composite or laminate. Furthermore, the use of injection-molded or thermo-formed polymeric materials conveniently allows a variety of functional components to be included into the structure of the ventilation grille 32, such as one or more tabs 25. In some embodiments the ventilation grille 32 is formed from a sheet metal, including, but not limited to an aluminum-based metal, a steel or iron-based metal, a zinc-based metal, or a nickel and tin-based metal.
In some embodiments, the ventilation grille 32 and the light transparent cover 20 can be formed from at least two different subunits and coupled together. The ventilation grille 32 and the light transparent cover 20 can be coupled using any of the methods described above. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the ventilation grille 32 can be completely or substantially integral with the light transparent cover 20. For example, in some embodiments, the light transparent cover 20 can comprise a single sheet of material, such as a polymer material, and the ventilation grille 32 and can be formed so that the light transparent cover 20 and the ventilation grille 32 are a monolithic structure. For example, in some embodiments, the light transparent cover 20 and the ventilation grille 32 can be injection-molded to form a single monolithic structure. Moreover, in some embodiments, the ventilation grille 32 can be formed in a mold, such as a thermosetting mold, so that the light transparent cover 20 and the ventilation grille 32 can be injection-molded at the same time to form a single monolithic structure.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the cross-rib 35 may be formed from the same materials as the ventilation grille 32. In some embodiments, the cross-rib 35 may be formed from any material that is readily shaped, including, but not limited to, polymers, including injection-molded or thermo-formed polymeric materials, polymer-composites, metal, ceramic, or wood, or paper-based composite or laminate. Furthermore, the use of injection-molded or thermo-formed polymeric materials conveniently allows the cross-rib 35 to be included into the structure of the ventilation grille 32 as described above. In some embodiments the cross-rib 35 is formed from a sheet metal, including, but not limited to an aluminum-based metal, a steel or iron-based metal, a zinc-based metal, or a nickel and tin-based metal. In some embodiments, the cross-rib 35 can extend across the ventilation grille 32. In some other embodiments, the cross-rib 35 may extend only partially across the grille 32. In some embodiments, a plurality of cross-ribs 35 can be located anywhere on the ventilation grille 32. In some embodiments, the location of the cross-rib 35 can be at least partially determined by airflow path(s) which can be available.
In some embodiments of the invention, the illumination emitted by the light emitting diodes 60 can comprise a range of colored illumination. The color can be any color, include red, green blue, green, purple, amber, yellow, or any other color. Further, in some embodiments, the range of colored illumination can include variations in hues of the same color. In some embodiments, the light emitting diodes 60 can be configured to operate separately from one another. In some embodiments, a first set of light emitting diodes 60 can be configured to emit either a brighter or duller light than the remainder of the light emitting diodes 60. Also, in some embodiments, the light emitting diodes 60 can be configured in any conventional manner to have one or more dimmed settings or can be controllable in a range of brightness.
In some embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 10 can include the capability to emit visible light of substantially a single color. In some embodiments, the assembly 10 can include the capability to emit more than one color. In some embodiments, the user can select which color he or she prefers for the dynamic illumination event from any color that the assembly 10 can display. In some embodiments, the assembly 10 can include four colors from which the user can chose, although in other embodiments, the system can include any number of colors that the manufacturer or user desires. In some embodiments, the user can use a selection actuator (not shown) to select the color of the dynamic illumination event. In some embodiments, the selection actuator can be a dip switch, but in other embodiments, the selection actuator can be a rotary switch, or any other suitable device (not shown). In some embodiments, the selection actuator can be positioned substantially within the assembly 10, the main housing 90, the ventilation grille 32, or generally anywhere in or on the system 11, but in other embodiments, the selection actuator can be installed in a remote location.
a and
As shown in
In some embodiments, the plurality of light emitting diodes 60 can provide illumination both when the user is and/or is not in the space to be illuminated. For example, in some embodiments, when the user is not present in the space to be illuminated, the plurality of light emitting diodes 60 can emit a generally low-level intensity of illumination so that the system 11 can function as a night light, similar to some of the previously mentioned embodiments. In some embodiments, this can be controlled, at least partially, by the motion-sensing monitor (e.g. the system 11 can function as a night light when there is little to no movement in the space). Additionally, in some embodiments, a plurality of light emitting diodes 60 can be controlled by a timer to determine when the low-intensity illumination should be emitted. In some embodiments, upon detecting the presence of the user (e.g., via the motion-sensing monitor, a user-actuated switch, and/or a timer), the plurality of light emitting diodes 60 can emit the dynamic illumination event or can substantially immediately begin emitting a greater intensity illumination so that at least a portion of the room is substantially illuminated (e.g., the system 11 can provide both quiescent and/or task illumination).
In some embodiments, at least a portion of the printed circuit board 52 immediately in the region of one or more of the light emitting diodes 60 can comprise a substantially reflective surface. As a result, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the illumination provided by the light emitting diode 60 can be centrally reflected by the reflective surface to improve the illumination performance of the light emitting diode 60, and the illumination grille assembly 10.
As evident from the exploded view of
In some embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 10 can be coupled with the main housing 90, and power can be supplied to the motor 94 of a magnitude to turn the blower wheel 110, thereby providing a flow of fluid to the ventilation outlet 92 (depicted as fluid output 88 in
In some embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 11 can be secured within a wall, ceiling, or other building structure in a partially, or fully recessed position. In some embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 11 can be installed as a new, original equipment installation in a room or building where none had previously existed, whereas some embodiments of the invention provide an illumination grille assembly 11 that can replace a pre-existing ventilation system, or pre-existing ventilation grille assembly. In some embodiments, the illumination grille assembly 11 can be installed within an intermediate space, outside of the room, area or space, and coupled with one or more ventilation duct assemblies to provide ventilation to the room, area or space. In some other embodiments, the fluid may comprise air, or other gases, or vapor, such as water vapor. In some embodiments, the fluid may comprise a smoke, ash, or other particulate in addition to air or other gases.
In some embodiments, one or more power consuming devices, including, but not limited to the motor 94 and the light emitting diode 60 can be powered by an internal electrical circuit of a building. In some embodiments, one common line from one side of the main housing 90 can provide an inlet for one or more lines of power to enter the main housing 90 and power one or more of the power-consuming devices.
In some embodiments, one or more switches, such as wall switches can be used to activate or deactivate any of the power-consuming devices of the illumination grille assembly 10, and the system 11. In some embodiments, separate switches can be used to control the illumination characteristics of the illumination grille assembly 10, and the ventilating characteristics of the assembly 11. In some embodiments, one switch can be used to control both the illumination characteristics of the illumination grille assembly 10 and the ventilating characteristics of the assembly 11.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
