Patent Application
20250188949
Conventional ventilation fans comprise fan blades defining chords that remain uniform along the length of the blade. Conventional ventilations fans also secure the blades only at a hub located at an end of the fan blades that is opposite to the air inlet of the fan. The present disclosure relates to a ventilation fan having blades defining chords that change along their length and comprise a plate capping the end of the fan blades located adjacent the air inlet of the fan.
The present disclosure relates to a ventilation fan having blades defining chords that change along their length and comprise a plate capping the end of the fan blades located adjacent the air inlet of the fan.
A ventilation fan comprising a fan housing formed to define an interior space, an inlet opening, and an outlet opening spaced apart from the inlet opening; a fan wheel arranged to lie within the interior space defining an axis of rotation about which the fan wheel is configured to rotate, the fan wheel comprising a hub, a plurality of fan blades having a hub end secured to the hub and an opposing inlet end configured to be located adjacent to the inlet opening, and a plate extending over the fan blade inlet ends. The ventilation fan can have a scroll and the fan wheel located within the scroll. The plate can define an annulus. At least one of the fan blades can define an inner edge and an outer edge and the plate can have an inner edge aligned with the blade inner edge at the blade inlet end. At least one of the fan blades can define an inner edge and an outer edge and the plate outer edge can be aligned with the blade outer edge at the blade inlet end. At least one of the fan blades can define an inner edge and an outer edge and the fan blade inner edge can be angled with respect to the axis of rotation. At least one of the fan blades can define an inner edge and an outer edge and the fan blade outer edge can be parallel with the axis of rotation. At least one fan blade can extend beyond an outer perimeter of the hub. The hub end of at least one of the fan blades can define a secured portion secured to the hub and a free portion, which extends radially beyond the hub. The hub end of the at least one fan blade can define a secured portion secured to the hub and a free portion, which extends radially beyond the hub.
A fan wheel for a ventilation fan, the fan wheel comprising a hub, a plurality of fan blades having a hub end secured to the hub and an opposing inlet end configured to be located adjacent to an inlet opening of a ventilation fan, and a plate extending over the fan blade inlet ends. The plate can define an annulus. At least one of the fan blades can define an inner edge and an outer edge and the plate can have an inner edge aligned with the blade inner edge at the blade inlet end. At least one of the fan blades can define an inner edge and an outer edge and the plate outer edge can be aligned with the blade outer edge at the blade inlet end. At least one of the fan blades can define an inner edge and an outer edge and the fan blade inner edge can be angled with respect to the axis of rotation. At least one of the fan blades can define an inner edge and an outer edge and the fan blade outer edge is parallel with the axis of rotation. At least one fan blade can extend beyond an outer perimeter of the hub. The hub end of at least one of the fan blades can define a secured portion secured to the hub and a free portion, which extends radially beyond the hub. The hub end of the at least one fan blade can define a secured portion secured to the hub and a free portion, which extends radially beyond the hub.
A fan wheel comprising a hub, a plurality of fan blades having a hub end secured to the hub and an opposing inlet end configured to be located adjacent to an inlet opening of a ventilation fan, and a plate extending over the fan blade inlet ends.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying certain modes of carrying out the disclosure.
In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.
A ventilation fan 10 is configured to be mounted to a building and is configured to ventilate at least one room of the building. The ventilation fan 10 includes a fan housing 12, a scroll 13 located within the housing and a fan wheel 14 arranged to lie within an interior space 16 defined by the scroll 13 as shown in
The fan wheel 14 is located within the scroll 13 and is configured to be driving by a motor or the like to displace air through the inlet 18 and into the interior space 16. The air is then expelled through the outlet 20 and may be directed away from the ventilation fan 10 by, for example, a duct. In one example, the ventilation fan 10 is mounted above a ceiling or behind the wall of the building and is configured to draw air from the at least one room through an opening in the ceiling and exhaust that air from the room to, for example, an exterior of the building.
The fan wheel 14 includes a hub 24 configured to be secured to a rotational shaft (not depicted) at a shaft aperture 24a for driving rotation of the fan wheel about an axis of rotation 22. Other drive systems are contemplated. The hub 24 extends radially outward from the shaft aperture 24a to a hub outer perimeter 24b. In the depicted embodiment, the hub outer perimeter 24b has a circular form, but other forms of the hub outer perimeter 24b are contemplated. A plurality of fan blades 26 extend from the hub 24 at the hub outer perimeter 24b upward generally parallel with the axis of rotation 22.
In the illustrative embodiment, each of the fan blades 26 defines an inner edge 26a, an outer edge 26b. The inner edge 26a and outer edge 26b define an airfoil chord there between. Each of the fan blades 26 also define a hub end 26c located at or adjacent to the hub and an inlet end 26d opposite to the hub end 26c and configured to be positioned adjacent to the air inlet 18. The outer edge 26b of each fan blade 26 defines a straight line parallel to the axis of rotation 22. In the illustrative embodiment, the inner edge 26a of each fan blade is a straight line angled with respect to the outer edge 26b and the axis of rotation 22. More particularly, the inner edge 26a of each blade 26 is angled inward so that the inner edge 26a extends closer to the axis of rotation 22 (thus increasing the chord length) as the blade extends from the inlet end 26d to the hub end 26c. In the depicted embodiment, the inner edge 26a extends inward at an angle of 2.25 degrees from the outer edge 26b and the axis of rotation 22. Other angles are contemplated.
As depicted in the various figures, only a portion of the blade hub ends 26c are attached to the hub 24. As best depicted in
In one embodiment, the chord length of the fan blade inlet end 26d is the same length as the free portion 26f of the fan blade hub end 26c. In this embodiment, the magnitude of the fan blade secured portion 26s is created by the inward angle of the fan blade inner edge 26a. But for the inward angle of the inner edge 26a, the inner edge would be co-located with the hub outer perimeter 24b. Other configurations are also contemplated. For example, only a portion of the additional chord length created the inward angle of the inner edge 26a could overlap with the hub 24. Additionally, or alternatively, the fan blade inner edges 26a could extend inward in a curvilinear or step manner to create the desired secured portion 26s between the fan blades 26 and the hub 24.
In another embodiment, only some of the blades 26 have an inner edge 26a that is extends inward while the inner edge of other blades run parallel to the rotational axis 22. For example, the blades 26 could alternate between blades with an inner edge 26a extending inward and blades with an inner edge running parallel to the axis of rotation 22. In yet another alternative, every third blade could have an inner edge 26a extending inward in the manners described above, while others have an inner edge running parallel to the rotational axis. Various other combinations of blades extending inward mixed with blades running parallel to the rotational axis are also contemplated.
The fan wheel 14 further comprises a plate 28 extending across the tops of the fan blade inlet ends 26d to form an annulus shaped plate 28 defining an inner edge 28a and an outer edge 28b. In the depicted embodiment, the plate inner edge 28a is aligned with the fan blade inner edge 26a and the plate outer edge 28b is aligned with the fan blade outer edge 28b such that the plate 28 does not extend fan blade 26. In other embodiments, the plate 28 extends radially inward past the fan blade inner edge 26a and/or radially outward past the fan blade outer edge 26b.
As can be seen in
As depicted in the figures, the exemplary embodiment of the plate 28 defines an annulus with the inner edge 28a defining a circle with a radius equal to the radius between the axis of rotation 22 and the inner edge 26a of the fan blade 26. Similarly, the plate 28 has the outer edge 28b defining a circle with a radius equal to the radius between the axis of rotation 22 and the outer edge 26b of the fan blade 26. In this configuration, the plate 28 covers the space between the fan blades 26 at the inlet ends 26d thereof.
In one embodiment, the plate 28 is secured to the inlet end 26d of each of the fan blades 26. In alternative embodiments, the plate 28 can be secured to less than all of the fan blades 26.
It should be noted that the various components and features described above can be combined in a variety of ways, so as to provide other non-illustrated embodiments within the scope of the disclosure. As such, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation.
Although the present disclosure has been described in the foregoing description by way of illustrative embodiments thereof, these embodiments can be modified at will, without departing from the spirit, scope, and nature of the subject disclosed.
Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the invention. The word exemplary is used to mean serving as an example or illustration. To the extent that the term include, have, or the like is used, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term comprise as comprise is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.
Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases.
All numbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range are specifically disclosed. In particular, every range of values (of the form, “from about a to about b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth every number and range encompassed within the broader range of values. In addition, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles “a” or “an,” as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it introduces. If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and one or more patent or other documents that may be incorporated herein by reference, the definitions that are consistent with this specification should be adopted.
A phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list. The phrase “at least one of” does not require selection of at least one item; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, each of the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” refers to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.
In one aspect, a term coupled or the like may refer to being directly coupled. In another aspect, a term coupled or the like may refer to being indirectly coupled. Terms such as top, bottom, front, rear, side, horizontal, vertical, and the like refer to an arbitrary frame of reference, rather than to the ordinary gravitational frame of reference. Thus, such a term may extend upwardly, downwardly, diagonally, or horizontally in a gravitational frame of reference.
The title, background, brief description of the drawings, abstract, and drawings are hereby incorporated into the disclosure and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples and the various features are grouped together in various implementations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and “said” and similar references in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. An element proceeded by “a,” “an,” “the,” or “said” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional same elements. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosure.
Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.
This Application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/607,166, filed Dec. 7, 2023, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63607166 | Dec 2023 | US |
