CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107105564, filed on Feb. 14, 2018.
FIELD
The disclosure relates to a ventilation device, and more particularly to a ventilation device for a building.
BACKGROUND
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional ventilation device 100 is adapted to be mounted onto a roof 1 of a building and includes a pair of hollow frames 11 that are respectively mounted on opposite sides of an opening 10 of the roof 1, a shade 12 that is lifted above the opening 10 by interconnecting top ends of the hollow frames 11, and a pair of connecting seats 13 each of which connects a bottom end of a corresponding one of the hollow frames 11 with the roof 1. The hollow frames 11 cooperate with the shade 12 to form an air chamber 14 that is adjacent to and in fluid communication with the opening 10. Each of the hollow frames 11 has a vent slot 141 that is adjacent to and in fluid communication with the air chamber 14, and a vent hole 142 that is disposed at a bottom thereof and that is adapted to be adjacent to and in fluid communication with the surrounding environment. The vent slot 141 and the vent hole 142 of each hollow frame 11 cooperate with the opening 10 and the air chamber 14 to form a first venting pathway (I).
Each of the hollow frames 11 ventilates hot air out of the building through the first venting pathways (I), and prevents rain from splashing into the building therethrough. However, during emergencies such as fire, when a large amount of smoke is required to be exhausted from the building, the rate in which the ventilating device 100 is capable to exhaust through the first venting pathways (I) is rather limited.
SUMMARY
Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a ventilation device that can alleviate the drawback of the prior art.
According to the disclosure, the ventilation device includes a frame unit, at least one vent unit, and an air circulating unit. The frame unit is adapted to be mounted onto a surface of a building and includes at least one guiding bar. The frame unit is adapted to cooperate with the building to form an air chamber that has a vent opening and an outlet, which are respectively adjacent to interior and exterior of the building.
The at least one vent unit is disposed on the at least one guiding bar, and has a vent slot set that is adjacent to and in fluid communication with the air chamber, a vent hole set that is adapted to be adjacent to and in fluid communication with the exterior of the building and that is in fluid communication with the vent slot set, and a vent chamber that is formed in the at least one guiding bar and that is in fluid communication with the vent slot set and the vent hole set. The vent chamber cooperates with the vent opening, the air chamber, the vent slot set and the vent hole set to form a first venting pathway.
The vent slot set has at least one vent slot. Each of the outlet of the air chamber and the at least one vent slot has an opening that faces the air chamber. The ratio between an area of the opening of the at least one vent slot to an area of the opening of the outlet is less than 0.33.
The air circulating unit includes a window that is mounted on the frame unit, and that is movable relative to the frame unit between a closed position, where the outlet is blocked by the window such that the interior of the building fluidly communicates with the exterior of the building through the first venting pathway, and an open position, where the outlet is unblocked such that the interior and exterior of the building fluidly communicate through the first venting pathway and a second venting pathway, which is defined cooperatively by the vent opening, the air chamber and the outlet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional ventilation device;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of a ventilation device according to the disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2, illustrating a window of an air circulating unit in a closed position;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary assembled perspective view of a guiding bar and a mounting bar of a frame unit;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the window in an open position;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating a variation of the embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating another variation of the embodiment;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating multiple instances of the embodiment used in conjunction with another; and
FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating yet another variation of the embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Before the disclosure is described in greater detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, an embodiment of a ventilation device according to the disclosure is adapted to be mounted onto a surface of a building 9, and includes a frame unit 2, two vent units 3, a connecting seat 4, and an air circulating unit 5. In this embodiment, the surface of the building 9 is represented by a top surface of a roof 91 which has a roof opening 911, but may be represented by other structural elements such as walls or beam columns in other embodiment.
The frame unit 2 is adapted to be disposed above the roof opening 911 of the roof 91, to be fixedly mounted on the roof 91, and to cooperate with the roof 91 to form an air chamber 200 that has a vent opening 201 and an outlet 202, which are respectively adjacent to interior and exterior of the building 9. In this embodiment, the frame unit 2 includes two spaced-apart mounting bars 21 that are adapted to be connected to the roof 91 and that extend in a first direction (X), two guiding bars 22, and two supporting members 23 spaced apart from each other in the first direction (X). Each of the guiding bars 22 extends in the first direction (X) and is connected to a top end of a respective one of the mounting bars 21. Each of the supporting members 23 includes two parallel rod segments extending in a second direction (Y) transverse to the first direction (X) and interconnecting the guiding bars 22. In this embodiment, the first direction (X) is perpendicular to the second direction (Y). In this embodiment, each of the mounting bars 21 and the respective one of the guiding bars 22 are assembled after initial manufacturing, but may be molded as a single piece in other configurations of the embodiment. In this embodiment, the rod segments of the supporting members 23 are configured as hollow and metallic bars. However, the supporting members 23 may be made of plates to enclose two opposite ends of the air chamber 200 in the first direction (X) for improving airtightness of the air chamber 200.
Each of the mounting bars 21 has a fixed mounting portion 211 that protrudes toward the air chamber 200 to compliment shape of the roof 91, and that is fixedly mounted onto the roof 91 in a position adjacent to the roof opening 911. Each of the guiding bars 22 has an inner side plate 220 that is adjacent to the air chamber 200, an outer side plate 221 that is spaced apart from the inner side plate 220, a top plate 222 that is proximate to the outlet 202 and that interconnects top ends of the inner and outer side plates 220, 221, and a bottom plate 223 that interconnects bottom ends of the inner and outer side plates 220, 221. The inner side plate 220, the outer side plate 221, the top plate 222 and the bottom plate 223 extend in the first direction (X). In this embodiment, the top plate 222 of each of the guiding bars 22 is formed with an indented section 224 that extends in the first direction (X) and that is connected to the inner side plate 220.
Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, each of the vent units 3 is disposed on a respective one of the guiding bars 22. Each of the vent units 3 has a vent slot set 31, a vent hole set 32, a plurality of blocking plate 33, and a vent chamber 34. The vent slot set 31 is formed in the inner side plate 220 of the respective one of the guiding bars 22 and is adjacent to and in fluid communication with the air chamber 200. The vent hole set 32 is formed in the bottom plate 223 of the respective one of the guiding bars 22, is adapted to be adjacent to and in fluid communication with the exterior of the building 9, and is in fluid communication with the vent slot set 31. The blocking plates 33 are formed with a staggered arrangement on the inner and outer side plates 220, 221 within the respective one of the guiding bar 22, and cooperate with the respective one of the guiding bars 22 to define the vent chamber 34. The vent chamber 34 is in fluid communication with the vent slot set 31 and the vent hole set 32, and cooperates with the vent opening 201, the air chamber 200, the vent slot set 31, and the vent hole set 32 to form a first venting pathway (F1). For each of the vent units 3, the vent slot set 31 has a plurality of vent slots 311 that are spaced apart in the first direction (X), and the vent hole set 32 has a plurality of spaced-apart vent holes 321 that are arranged in two rows extending in the first direction (X). In this embodiment, the vent slot set 31 has six of the vent slots 311 that are rectangular, and the vent holes 321 of the vent hole set 32 are circular holes. In should be noted that, each of the outlet 202 of the air chamber 200 and the vent slots 311 has an opening that faces the air chamber 200, and a ratio between a sum of an area of the opening of each of the vent slots 311 to an area of the opening of the outlet 202 is less than 0.33. Conversely, a ratio between the area of the opening of the outlet 202 to the sum of the area of the opening of each of the vent slots 311 is more than 3. In addition, each of the vent holes 321 has an opening that fluidly communicates with the air chamber 200 through the vent slots 311, and a ratio between the area of the opening of the outlet 202 to a sum of an area of the opening of each of the vent holes 321 is more than 3.
Referring back to FIGS. 2 to 4, the connecting seat 4 is mounted on the frame unit 2 and includes a seat body 41 that defines an installation opening 40 adjacent to and in fluid communication with the outlet 202 of the frame unit 2. The seat body 41 has a base wall 411 and an inner surrounding wall 412 that extends from an inner edge of the base wall 411. The base wall 411 has two opposite ends in the second direction (Y), each of which engages the indented section 224 of a respective one of the guiding bars 22 to be secured thereat.
The air circulating unit 5 includes a window 51 that is mounted to the frame unit 2 and that is movable relative to the frame unit 2, a driving member 52 that drives movement of the window 51, and a control 53 that is electrically connected to the driving member 52 for operating the driving member 52.
In this embodiment, the connecting seat 4 is mounted between the frame unit 2 and the window 51. The window 51 has a window frame 511 that is formed with a window opening 514 and that has an end pivotally mounted to the base wall 411 of the connecting seat 4 by two hinges 513, and a window pane 512 that is embedded in the window frame 511 and that blocks the window opening 514 from being fluidly communicated with the exterior of the building 9. The window frame 511 has an abutment portion 515 that extends inwardly, and the window pane 512 is placed on and abuts against the abutment portion 515.
In this embodiment, the inner surrounding wall 412 of the connecting seat 4 has a distal portion surrounded by the window frame 511 (see FIG. 4) for preventing rainwater leakage through a gap between the connecting seat 4 and the window 51. The window pane 512 may be made from light-transmissive material for naturally improving building lighting and reducing usage of indoor lightings. Each of the hinges 513 has a first hinge plate 516 that is fixedly mounted to the base wall 411 of the connecting seat 4, and a second hinge plate 517 that is fixedly mounted to the window frame 511 of the window 51 and that is pivotally connected to the first hinge plate 516. The hinges 513 are secured by a plurality of securing members 54, with a portion of the securing members 54 extending through the first hinge plates 516, the base wall 411 of the base seat 4, the indented portion 224 of one of the guiding bars 22, and another portion of the securing members 54 extending through the second hinge plate 517 and the window frame 511 of the window 51.
In this embodiment, the driving member 52 of the air circulating unit 5 is air-pressured, is connected between the frame unit 2 and the window 51, and has a cylinder body 521 that is connected pivotally to the frame unit 2, and a piston rod 522 that is inserted telescopically into the cylinder body 521 and that is connected pivotally to the window 51.
Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the window 51 is driven by the driving member 52 to move relative to the frame unit 2 between a closed position (see FIG. 4), where the outlet 202 is blocked by the window 51 such that the interior and exterior of the building 9 fluidly communicate through the first venting pathway (F1), and an open position (see FIG. 6), where the outlet 202 is unblocked after the piston rod 522 extends from the cylinder body 521 such that the interior and exterior of the building 9 fluidly communicate through the first venting pathway (F1) and a second venting pathway (F2) which is defined cooperatively by the vent opening 201, the air chamber 200 and the outlet 202. In other embodiments, instead of the use of the hinges 513, the window 51 may be altered to move relative to the frame unit 2 via other mechanisms in other manners, such as sliding in a horizontal direction.
In addition, the frame unit 2 further includes two protective nets 24 (see FIG. 7) disposed respectively below the bottom plates 223 of the guiding bars 22 to prevent birds from entering through the vent holes 321.
Referring to FIG. 7, in a variation of the embodiment, the seat body 41 of the connecting seat 4 has the base wall 411, the inner surrounding wall 412, and an outer surrounding wall 413 that extends from an outer edge of the base 411. Also, the guiding bars 22 of the frame unit 2 do not have the indented portions 224 similar to the ones shown in FIG. 4. With that in mind, the base wall 411 of the seat body 41 covers top surfaces of the guiding bars 22, and the outer surrounding wall 413 is disposed at an outer side of and secured to the guiding bars 22 to prevent rainwater from entering a gap between the guiding bars 22 and the connecting seat 4.
Referring to FIG. 8, in another variation of the embodiment, the ventilation device does not have a connecting seat 4 at all. Because of this, the window 51 is directly mounted to one of the guiding bars 22 of the frame unit 2 by the hinges 513. The window 51 has two opposite ends that engage respectively the indented portions 224 of the guiding bars 22 with a top surface of the window frame 511 being flush with top surfaces of the top plates 222 of the guiding bars 22.
Referring back to FIGS. 4 and 6, the interior of the building 9 fluidly communicates with the exterior of the building 9 through the first venting pathway (F1) whenever the window 51 is in a closed position. In other embodiments, the ventilation device may include only one vent unit 3. During a fire, a user may operate the driving member 52 via the control 53 to move the window 51 from the closed position to the open position, such that the outlet 202 is unblocked for clearing smoke out of the building through the second venting pathway (F2), in addition to the first venting pathway (F1). As previously noted, since the area of the opening of the outlet 202 is much greater than that of the vent slots 311, the smoke may be cleared from the interior of the building 9 at a faster rate.
Referring to FIG. 9, a plurality of the ventilation devices in this disclosure may be chained together, and secured to one another via waterproof glue (not shown).
Referring to FIG. 10, in yet another configuration of the embodiment, the ventilating device is adapted to be mounted onto a building 9′. The frame unit 2 includes one guiding bar 22, and the ventilating device includes only one vent unit 3. The building 9′ has three vertical side walls 90′ (only two are visible), and a roof 91′ that interconnects bottom ends of the side walls 90′ and that is formed with an opening 911′. The guiding bar 22 cooperates with the side walls 90′ to surround the opening 911′ and to define the air chamber 200, and the window 51 blocks the outlet 202 of the air chamber 200. This configuration retains the characteristics of two different venting pathways as well.
With the abovementioned description considered, the benefit of the disclosure may be summarized as the following:
1. The ratio between the area of the opening of the outlet 202 to the sum of the area of the opening of the vent slots 311 is greater than 3, such that the air flow rate of the second venting pathway (F2) is much greater than that of the first venting pathway (F1). Given how straightforward the second venting pathway (F2) is, it is optimal for clearing smoke out of the building 9 quickly.
2. The window pane 512 offers natural lighting into the building, reducing the use of mechanical lighting and heat generated therefrom.
3. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7 and 9, with the connecting seat 4 being covered by the window 51, rainwater is prevented from leaking through the gap between the connecting seat 4 and the window 51.
4. During a fire, the window 51 may be changed from the closed position to the open position by using the driving member 52 and the control 53 to quickly open up the second venting pathway (F2) for smoke clearing.
In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.
While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the exemplary embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
Patent Application
20190249889
