Patent Application
20240361033
The present disclosure relates to a ventilation system facilitating incorporation of an optional auxiliary module for providing functions other than ventilation and lighting. The present disclosure also relates to a control apparatus for controlling a ventilation system and the optional auxiliary module, even for a pre-existing installation having only a single wire. In one embodiment, the auxiliary module is a humidity monitor.
A ventilation system has a ventilation fan including a fan housing, a blower located in the fan housing and configured to ventilate a room, a light coupled to the fan housing and configured to illuminate the room, and an auxiliary device configured to perform a function in the room other than ventilation and lighting; a control module fixed to the ventilation fan and including a light switch configured to activate the light, a blower switch configured to activate the blower, and a communication system including an antenna configured to receive wireless signals and a processor configured to operate the light switch and the blower switch based on the wireless signals, and a wall switch sized to fit within a socket in a wall of a building and connected to a power source, the wall switch including a switch body, a plurality of device operators coupled to the switch body and configured to provide one or more inputs to the control module, and an antenna configured to output signals in response to selection of the device operators. The control module can have an expansion connector configured to removably couple a second auxiliary device to the control module in communication with the processor. The auxiliary device can always be powered.
A ventilation system configured to ventilate a room in a building structure, the ventilation system having a ventilation fan having a blower configured to ventilate the room, a light configured to provide illumination and an auxiliary device; a control module connected to the ventilation fan, the control module having a light switch configured to activate the light, a blower switch configured to activate the blower, an antenna configured to receive wireless signals, and a processor configured to operate the light switch and the blower switch based on the wireless signals, a wall switch sized to fit within a socket in a wall of the building structure and configured to be connected to a power source, the wall switch having a switch body, a plurality of device operators coupled to the switch body and configured to provide one or more inputs to the control module, and an antenna configured to output signals in response to selection of the device operators. The auxiliary device can be configured to perform a function in the room other than ventilation. The auxiliary device can be configured to perform a function in the room other than illumination. The auxiliary device can be configured to perform a function in the room other than ventilation and illumination. The auxiliary device can always be powered. The auxiliary device can be configured to identify the humidity of the air in the room. The wall switch can have an auxiliary device indicator providing information from the auxiliary device. The auxiliary device can be configured to identify the humidity of the air in the room and the wall switch further comprises an auxiliary device indicator configured to indicate a humidity reading from the auxiliary device.
A ventilation system configured to ventilate a room in a building structure, the ventilation system having a ventilation fan having a blower configured to ventilate the room, a light and an auxiliary device; a control module connected to the ventilation fan, the control module having a light switch configured to activate the light, a communication system having an antenna configured to receive wireless signals and a processor configured to operate the light switch based on the wireless signals, a wall switch sized to fit within a socket in a wall of the building structure and configured to be connected to a power source, the wall switch having a switch body, a plurality of device operators coupled to the switch body and configured to provide one or more inputs to the control module, and an antenna configured to output signals in response to selection of the device operators. The auxiliary device can be configured to perform a function in the room other than ventilation. The auxiliary device can be configured to perform a function in the room other than illumination. The auxiliary device can be configured to perform a function in the room other than ventilation and illumination. The auxiliary device can always be powered. The auxiliary device can be configured to identify the humidity of the air in the room. The wall switch can further comprise an auxiliary device indicator providing information from the auxiliary device. The auxiliary device can be configured to identify the humidity of the air in the room and the wall switch further comprises an auxiliary device indicator configured to indicate a humidity reading from the auxiliary device. The control module can further includes an expansion connector configured to removably couple a second auxiliary device to the control module in communication with the processor.
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
A ventilation system 10 includes a ventilation fan 12, a control module 14, and a wireless wall switch 16 as shown in
The control module 14 is connected to the ventilation fan 12 and outputs command signals to operate each of the blower 20, the light 22 and the auxiliary device 24 when a selection is made on the wall switch 16. The control module 14 includes a light switch 26, a blower switch 28 and a communication system 32 configured to communicate with the wireless wall switch 16. The light switch 26 is configured to activate or deactivate the light 22 in response to an input into a light activation/deactivation button 34 included in the wireless wall switch 16. The blower switch 28 is configured to activate or deactivate the blower 20 in response to an input into a blower activation/deactivation button 36 included in the wireless wall switch 16. The control module 14 is configured to operate the auxiliary device 24 at all times. The wireless wall switch 16 includes an auxiliary device indicator 38 to indicate to users that the auxiliary device 24 is included in the ventilation fan 12 and/or operating. Alternatively, the auxiliary device indicator 38 can provide data obtained by the auxiliary device 24. The communication system 32 includes an antenna 40 configured to receive the wireless signals from the wall switch 16 and a processor 42 configured to operate the light switch 26 and the blower switch 28 based on the wireless signals. The antenna 40 included in the communications system 32 may be coupled to or included in one or more transceivers, transmitters, receivers, or any other wireless communication circuitry capable of sending and/or receiving signals.
The wall switch 16 is sized to fit within a socket in a wall of a building and is configured to be connected to a grid power source 44 to continuously relay power to the auxiliary device 24 which is always on as shown in
Some existing building structures include rooms with a ventilation fan that has no lights or only a light. Thus, the existing wiring would typically only provide enough wiring for this one device (i.e. fan or light, but not both) and would have only a single, conventional wall switch to operate the one device. If the room were updated to include a more robust ventilation fan 12 having the light 22, the blower 20, and the auxiliary device 24, the existing wiring would not be sufficient to operate all of these devices individually, which can be undesirable. Instead, the existing wiring would only allow the activation of all of the devices at the same time (i.e. all on or all off). In this situation, more wiring and conventional switches would be required to operate each of the devices individually. The control module 14 and the wireless wall switch 16 of the present disclosure allow for wireless communication of user inputs to multiple devices so that only a single wall switch 16 and its wiring may individually control the blower 20, the light 22 and the auxiliary device 24.
The auxiliary device 24 in the illustrative embodiment is a humidity module that is configured to do one or more of monitor humidity levels in the room serviced by the ventilation fan and remove humidity from the room (e.g. by activating the blower switch 28). The humidity module 24 may always be in a powered on state to continuously monitor the humidity levels in the room and activate as needed.
Another embodiment of a ventilation system 210 is shown in
The inclusion of the expansion connector(s) 262 allows any number of additional devices 264 to be connected to the control module 214 to service the room. These devices 264 can include a humidity sensor, a motion sensor, voice activation capabilities (i.e. a microphone and speaker), etc. The wall switch 216 can also include an expansion connector 270 so that an additional device operator or indicator 272 can be connected to the wall switch 216 to input selections to the one or more additional devices 264.
In one embodiment, the control module 14, 214 can be a discrete unit capable of being connected to the ventilation fan 12, 212. In another embodiment, the control module 14, 214 can plugged into the ventilation fan 12, 212. By making the control module 14, 214 discrete unit, the ventilation fan 12, 212 can optionally include the control module 14, 214 and the functionality the control module 14, 214 provides. The control module 14, 214 and the wireless wall switch 16, 216 can be provided separately from the ventilation fan 12, 212 or as an accessory package to provide functionality to a ventilation fan 12, 212 not having the control module 14, 214 or its functionality.
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. 63/462,831, filed Apr. 28, 2023, which is incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63462831 | Apr 2023 | US |
