Patent Application
20080057852
The present invention is a attic heat reclaimer intended for the recovery of heated air in the attic of houses and other such structures. The unit works on differential air pressure. The present invention specifically comprises a vertically operational barometric air reclaimer unit. Turning to
The air reclaimer unit 1 is mounted into the ceiling wallboard 7 such that the most of unit 1 is above the wallboard 7. The unit 1 is held into place by any means known in the art for such purposes, such as screws, nails, adhesive, clips, etc. Preferably the unit is held in place by spring clips 6. The spring clips are resilient and are squeezed out of the way as the unit is slid into the opening in the wallboard 7. Once the spring clips 6 have passes through the wallboard 7, they snap back into their original shape and lock the unit 1 into place. Alternatively, the unit can be held in place by spring type straps attached to all four sides which exert tension on the ceiling wallboard 7 opening to hold the air reclaimer unit 1 in place. The air relcaimer unit 1 further includes a ceiling grating 8 which covers the opening to the air reclaimer unit and provides it with the proper aesthetics for installation in a home environment. Further the grating 8 can be a fire damper grating such as a Hart & Cooley model 661 fusible link fire damper grating. The fire damper grating uses a fusible link. The fusible link includes a set of overlapping metal tabs with holes at each end for attachment purposes. The overlapping metal tabs will separate into two pieces at a preset temperature. These overlapping tabs are held together with precision solder that melts at a specific temperature. A fusible-link damper is the result of mounting a fusible link to the damper of a register. The end result is a register damper that is fully operational as one would expect, but has the added benefit of closing if the temperature becomes too hot. Specifically, Hart & Cooley's fusible link is about an inch long with a standard temperature rating of 165° F. or an optional link with a 212° F. rating. The unit further can include an air filter 9 which is useful to keep contaminants from the attic space from entering the house. Further, the surfaces of the of the air reclaimer unit 1 which come into contact with the damper plate 3 may be covered with sound dampening materials such as stick-on sound insulation.
The barometric damper unit 1 can be formed from typical materials used for home building, such as metals and plastics. Preferably the outer enclosure 2 of the unit and the damper plate 3 are formed from galvanized sheet metal which is more preferably 30 gage thick. In a specific embodiment, the physical dimensions of the enclosure are 8 inches by 14 inches and 24 inches tall. This provides 112 square inches of free air opening for air movement.
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The present invention reclaims available heat within the attic space and this warm air is used to ventilate the living space and to eliminate negative pressures within, re-using heat that would have been lost. The invention operates on the principle of pressure differential allowing the attic air to equalize the pressure in the space below. Unlike U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,608 to Jackson, which attempts to extract exhaust heat from the furnace and water heater vent pipes, the present invention reclaims heat from the attic where it will be eventually lost to the environment if not reused.
The present invention works when there is no furnace or water heater. While letting fresh air into the living space, the present invention eliminates the negative pressures that causes incomplete combustion and poor stack action on fireplaces and wood/coal stoves. It also eliminates the drafts and air seepage around doors and windows due to negative pressures. With fireplaces and wood/coal burners much air is needed immediately to insure proper ratio of air to flame. The present invention can supply the needed air by the function of the vertical barometric damper with it's one way action of letting the proper amount of air in, but letting none out. The barometric damper is not unique in and of it self, but with the present design it is made to operate in the vertical plane and allowing air to travel in only one direction. The overall operation of the unit is solely controlled by the damper which determines the exact amount of air needed. When the pressure equalizes in the living space below the damper closes and air movement stops. Unlike other devices, the present invention air reclaimer unit is not controlled by a furnace or any other appliance which means it needs no outside power to make it function. Its operation is automatic and self adjusting.
The disclosure and discussion set forth herein is illustrative and not intended to limit the practice of the instant invention. While there have been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the instant invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications that fall within the full scope of the invention. It is the following claims, including all equivalents, in combination with the foregoing disclosure and knowledge commonly available to persons of skill in the art, which define the scope of the instant invention.
