U.S. patent application number 10/972631 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-28 for method and apparatus for delivering heated or conditioned air to a remote room in a structure.
Invention is credited to Ruise, Dennis.
Application Number | 20050087614 10/972631 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34526923 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050087614 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ruise, Dennis |
April 28, 2005 |
Method and apparatus for delivering heated or conditioned air to a
remote room in a structure
Abstract
The invention provides an integrated blower, motorized damper,
and thermostat apparatus comprising an area-specific booster unit
incorporated into selected locations of the ventilation ductwork of
a building, which facilitates rapid delivery of heated or
conditioned air to remote rooms in structures having a central
source of forced air.
Inventors: |
Ruise, Dennis; (Napa,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JOHNSON & STAINBROOK, LLP
3558 ROUND BARN BLVD., SUITE 203
SANTA ROSA
CA
95403
US
|
Family ID: |
34526923 |
Appl. No.: |
10/972631 |
Filed: |
October 25, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60513905 |
Oct 23, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
236/49.3 ;
62/186 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 1/00075 20190201;
F24F 7/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
236/049.3 ;
062/186 |
International
Class: |
F24F 007/00; F25D
017/04 |
Claims
What is claimed as invention is:
1. An apparatus for delivering heated or conditioned air to a
remote room in a building structure, the building structure having
ventilation ductwork and a central source of forced air, the
apparatus comprising: a section of ductwork having a first end and
a second end; a booster fan portion disposed at said ductwork first
end; a motorized damper portion disposed at said ductwork second
end; and a thermostat portion positioned in the remote room and
electrically connected to said booster fan portion and said
motorized damper portion, wherein said thermostat operates to
selectively activate said booster fan portion and open said
motorized damper portion to boost the flow of direct heated or
cooled air into the remote room, and to deactivate said booster fan
portion and close said motorized damper portion when the desired
temperature in the remote room is reached.
2. The apparatus for delivering heated or conditioned air to a
remote room in a building structure of claim 1 further including a
housing for circuitry to drive said booster fan portion and said
motorized damper portion.
3. The apparatus for delivering heated or conditioned air to a
remote room in a building structure of claim 2 wherein said housing
is electrically coupled to a residential electrical circuit.
4. The apparatus for delivering heated or conditioned air to a
remote room in a building structure of claim 1 wherein said
ductwork is connected to a room register.
5. The apparatus for delivering heated or conditioned air to a
remote room in a building structure of claim 1 wherein said booster
fan portion comprises a blower impeller and a blower motor.
6. A method for delivering heated or conditioned air to a remote
room in a building structure, the building structure having
ventilation ductwork and a central source of forced air, said
method comprising the steps of: providing a section of ductwork
having a first end and a second end; providing a booster fan at the
ductwork first end; providing a motorized damper at the ductwork
second end; providing a thermostat in the remote room and
electrically connected to the booster fan and the motorized damper;
operating the thermostat to selectively activate the booster fan
and open the motorized damper to boost the flow of direct heated or
cooled air into the remote room, and to deactivate the booster fan
and close the motorized damper when the desired temperature in the
remote room is reached.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of the filing
date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/513,905,
filed 23 Oct. 2003.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0004] The present invention relates generally to residential and
commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
systems, and more particularly to an improved method and apparatus
for delivering heated and/or conditioned air to a remote room in a
building structure.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART
[0005] Residents of multi-story dwellings routinely have a problem
with the proper distribution of heated and cooled air, especially
to rooms on upper stories. Generally, forced air systems move
heated or cooled air from a furnace or air conditioning unit
through a system of ductwork to rooms in various parts of the
structure. As the ducts rise or move significant distances
laterally, pressure differentials develop in the duct system
causing the air to flow at different rates into different rooms.
Air will flow most easily in ducts with little back pressure or
resistance; conversely, air will move with difficulty in risers and
other ducts with higher pressure and high resistance. As a result,
spaces are heated and cooled at different rates.
[0006] A well known solution to this problem is to tailor the size
of the ductwork to offset pressure differentials caused by ductwork
geometry and gravity. Small air supply ducts are provided for rooms
proximate the furnace or air conditioning unit, and larger ducts
are provided for more remote rooms. Dampers may be combined with
the ductwork to provide a measure of mechanical control over air
flow through the ducts.
[0007] Typically, residential heating and air conditioning systems
are controlled by a single thermostat, generally located on the
ground or main floor of the house. Paradoxically, the thermostat is
usually located in a room having few of the problems of the rooms
in the upper story or stories of the house. In the wintertime,
heated air moves easily and quickly to the are surrounding the
thermostat, and in the summertime, cool air moves easily and
relatively quickly to the thermostat. In consequence, the rooms in
the upper floors often fail to get heated or cooled air as needed.
Furthermore, sun location and other ambient differences in the
several rooms served by the system can give rise to temperature
variations that cannot be appropriately addressed through the use
of a single thermostat. For example, a cold room upstairs might
necessitate running the furnace long beyond the time it is
comfortable in a room on the main floor of the house.
[0008] Several solutions have been proposed to resolve the
foregoing problems, among which are those disclosed in the
following patents.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,958, to Whitney, discloses an apparatus
for controlling the air flow from a register of a forced air
heating system. The apparatus includes walls forming a housing or
cover adapted to be fastened to and enclose an air outlet register.
The walls also form an outlet opening, and a pivotable flapper
valve or wall is provided that is movable to close the opening. The
valve is pivotable between an open position where the opening is
not closed, and a closed position where the opening is obstructed,
the valve being biased to the open position. The valve is located
to be subjected to the force of air moving out of the register and
through the housing, this force being such as to urge the valve to
the closed position. The apparatus further includes a latch for
holding the valve in the open position against the force of the
moving air, and an electric control for disabling the latch in the
presence of the flow of air. The electric control may be manually
operated or it may be responsive to the ambient temperature
conditions.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,418, to Leemhuis, teaches a ductstat in
the bonnet of the source of heated or cooled air which controls the
source according to an ideal narrow desired temperature range in
the bonnet. Ductwork radiates from the bonnet to various rooms in
the building. A blower at the central source forces the air in the
bonnet through the ducts and out into the various rooms. A dual
mode constant volume fluid flow controller in each duct regulates
the flow of fluid through the duct according to the temperature in
the room to be conditioned and to air flow changes in the duct as
measured by a vane in the duct. A baffle rotated by an electric
motor opens or closes as determined by the controller.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,381, to McCormick, shows a vent assembly
for controlling flow of air into a room. The assembly comprises a
housing and a damper mounted within the housing. The housing is
mounted to a surface of the room such that air passing through an
air duct pass through a passageway defined by the housing. Air
flowing through the passageway causes the damper to rotate into an
open position; when no air is flowing through the passageway,
gravity or another force (such as a return spring) causes the
damper to remain in a closed position. A controller may be provided
to allow the damper member to placed into a locked closed
configuration, a locked open configuration, or an open
configuration.
[0012] The foregoing patents reflect the current state of the art
of which the present inventor is aware. Reference to, and
discussion of, these patents is intended to aid in discharging
Applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information
that may be relevant to the examination of claims to the present
invention. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of the
above-indicated patents disclose, teach, suggest, show, or
otherwise render obvious, either singly or when considered in
combination, the invention described and claimed herein.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for
delivering heated or conditioned air to a remote room in a building
structure. The inventive apparatus includes an integrated blower,
motorized damper, and thermostat apparatus comprising an
area-specific booster unit incorporated into selected locations of
the ventilation ductwork of the building, which facilitates rapid
delivery of heated or conditioned air to remote rooms in structures
having a central source of forced air.
[0014] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a new and improved heating and air conditioning
apparatus.
[0015] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
new and improved method for delivering conditioned air throughout a
building structure.
[0016] A further object or feature of the present invention is a
new and improved blower, motorized damper, and thermostat for HVAC
systems.
[0017] An even further object of the present invention is to
provide a novel booster unit for delivering ventilation air to a
remote room.
[0018] Other novel features which are characteristic of the
invention, as to organization and method of operation, together
with further objects and advantages thereof will be better
understood from the following description considered in connection
with the accompanying drawing, in which preferred embodiments of
the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be
expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for illustration
and description only and is not intended as a definition of the
limits of the invention. The various features of novelty which
characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in
the claims annexed to and forming part of this disclosure. The
invention resides not in any one of these features taken alone, but
rather in the particular combination of all of its structures for
the functions specified.
[0019] There has thus been broadly outlined the more important
features of the invention in order that the detailed description
thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that
the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
There are, of course, additional features of the invention that
will be described hereinafter and which will form additional
subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the
art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure
is based readily may be utilized as a basis for the designing of
other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several
purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that
the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the
present invention.
[0020] Further, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and
especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art
who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to
determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence
of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is
neither intended to define the invention of this application, which
is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to
the scope of the invention in any way.
[0021] Certain terminology and derivations thereof may be used in
the following description for convenience in reference only, and
will not be limiting. For example, words such as "upward,"
"downward," "left," and "right" would refer to directions in the
drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated.
Similarly, words such as "inward" and "outward" would refer to
directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center
of a device or area and designated parts thereof. References in the
singular tense include the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise
noted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The invention will be better understood and objects other
than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration
is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0023] FIG. 1 is perspective view of an integrated assembly of an
apparatus of the present invention, showing interior elements in
phantom; and
[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a typical installation of
the inventive apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein like reference numerals
refer to like components in the various views, there is illustrated
therein a new and improved apparatus for delivering heated or
conditioned air to a remote room. The inventive apparatus,
generally denominated 10 herein, comprises a section of ductwork
12, typically ten or twelve inches in diameter, having a blower
impeller 14 and blower motor 16 (collectively a booster fan 17,
preferably 120V) disposed at one end 12a thereof, and a damper 18
driven by a damper motor 20 (preferably 24V) disposed at the other
end 12b. Collectively, the apparatus comprises an area-specific air
booster unit. The actual physical configuration and proximity to
the duct section ends is not critical to system functioning. In
fact, although it is preferable that the booster fan be more
proximate the central air supply (with respect to air flow) than
the damper, even that positioning is not imperative.
[0026] Both the damper motor and the blower motor are electrically
wired via wires 22, 24, to a housing 26 which contains a
double-pole, double throw relay and a 24/120V transformer (not
shown) electrically coupled to a residential electrical circuit,
and operated by thermostat 28, which is located in a room to
register ambient air temperature.
[0027] In this configuration, the inventive apparatus is adapted
for installation in the upper story or remote room ductwork of
residential HVAC systems. The heated or cooled air reaching the
upper floors or remote rooms from most such systems is generally
driven by blowers in the lower floors and possibly by booster fans
in risers. However, there is no known integrated combination of
blower, damper, and thermostat that allows for room-specific
control of increased or decreased air flow. For a particular room,
the occupant may set the thermostat to a desired level, and the
blower will turn on and the damper open to boost the flow of direct
heated or cooled air into the room--and to reverse the process to
turn the blower off and close the damper when the desired
temperature is reached. In this manner, as air movement becomes
impeded by increasing resistance and/or pressure, the booster fan
and damper provide means to overcome the resistance and/or pressure
and rapidly move air in limited regions of the ductwork.
[0028] FIG. 2 shows a possible installation of the present
invention. In this view the central source of forced air 100 is
either a furnace or an air conditioning unit (or both). A first
floor supply air duct 110 terminates in a register or a vent 120
located in the first floor 130. The main thermostat 140 has
complete control of the central source 100. As is customary in
many, if not most, residential installations, the second floor
supply air duct 150 rises from a basement or crawl space 160 to the
attic 170 and then delivers conditioned or heated air to second
floor 180 through a ceiling or wall vent or register 190. Air
traveling and rising this substantial distance is impeded in its
movement by gravity, friction, and by bends in the ductwork. Thus,
to facilitate movement of sluggish air, an area-specific booster
unit 10 of this invention is placed in the attic space proximate
the vent or register 190. The damper motor and booster fan are
under the control of a secondary thermostat 200, which allows an
occupant in the upper floor area 180 to bring greater air flow into
the space without having to adjust the thermostat 140 on the first
floor.
[0029] The advantages of the inventive system are manifold: it
provides local temperature sensing; local air flow boosting; and
local air flow control. In conventional forced air systems, it can
increase air flow to a room by at least 600 cfm or more, depending
upon the specifics of the system and ductwork.
[0030] Accordingly, the invention may be characterized as an
apparatus for delivering heated or conditioned air to a remote room
in a building structure, the building structure having ventilation
ductwork and a central source of forced air, the apparatus
including a section of ductwork having a first end and a second
end; a booster fan portion disposed at the ductwork first end; a
motorized damper portion disposed at the ductwork second end; and a
thermostat portion positioned in the remote room and electrically
connected to the booster fan portion and the motorized damper
portion, wherein the thermostat operates to selectively activate
the booster fan portion and open the motorized damper portion to
boost the flow of direct heated or cooled air into the remote room,
and to deactivate the booster fan portion and close the motorized
damper portion when the desired temperature in the remote room is
reached.
[0031] Alternatively, the invention may be characterized as a
method for delivering heated or conditioned air to a remote room in
a building structure, the building structure having ventilation
ductwork and a central source of forced air, the method comprising
the steps of providing a section of ductwork having a first end and
a second end; providing a booster fan at the ductwork first end;
providing a motorized damper at the ductwork second end; providing
a thermostat in the remote room and electrically connected to the
booster fan and the motorized damper; and operating the thermostat
to selectively activate the booster fan and open the motorized
damper to boost the flow of direct heated or cooled air into the
remote room, and to deactivate the booster fan and close the
motorized damper when the desired temperature in the remote room is
reached.
[0032] The above disclosure is sufficient to enable one of ordinary
skill in the art to practice the invention, and provides the best
mode of practicing the invention presently contemplated by the
inventor. While there is provided herein a full and complete
disclosure of the preferred embodiments of this invention, it is
not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction,
dimensional relationships, and operation shown and described.
Various modifications, alternative constructions, changes and
equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may
be employed, as suitable, without departing from the true spirit
and scope of the invention. Such changes might involve alternative
materials, components, structural arrangements, sizes, shapes,
forms, functions, operational features or the like.
[0033] Therefore, the above description and illustrations should
not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is
defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *