U.S. patent application number 14/150436 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-10 for ventilation device for buildings equipped with a valve for opening and closing an aperture for the passage of an airflow.
This patent application is currently assigned to THESAN S.P.A.. The applicant listed for this patent is THESAN S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Aimone BALBO DI VINADIO.
Application Number | 20140190662 14/150436 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47722456 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140190662 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BALBO DI VINADIO; Aimone |
July 10, 2014 |
VENTILATION DEVICE FOR BUILDINGS EQUIPPED WITH A VALVE FOR OPENING
AND CLOSING AN APERTURE FOR THE PASSAGE OF AN AIRFLOW
Abstract
Air exchange device for buildings, comprising: a casing having
an internal inlet opening, an internal outlet opening, an external
inlet opening and an external outlet opening, a heat exchanger
housed within said casing and having a first inlet in communication
with the internal inlet opening, a first outlet in communication
with the external outlet opening, a second inlet in communication
with the external inlet opening and a second outlet in
communication with the internal outlet opening, a first fan unit
arranged for generating a first airflow directed from the internal
inlet opening towards the external outlet opening and a second fan
unit arranged for generating a second airflow directed from the
external inlet opening towards the internal outlet opening.
Inventors: |
BALBO DI VINADIO; Aimone;
(Chiusa San Michele (Torino), IT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
THESAN S.p.A. |
Torino |
|
IT |
|
|
Assignee: |
THESAN S.P.A.
Torino
IT
|
Family ID: |
47722456 |
Appl. No.: |
14/150436 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/96 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02B 30/563 20130101;
Y02B 30/56 20130101; F24F 13/105 20130101; F24F 13/10 20130101;
F24F 12/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/96 |
International
Class: |
F24F 13/10 20060101
F24F013/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 9, 2013 |
IT |
TO2013A000009 |
Claims
1. Air exchange device for buildings, comprising: a casing having
an internal inlet opening, an internal outlet opening, an external
inlet opening and an external outlet opening, a heat exchanger
housed inside said casing and having a first inlet in communication
with the internal inlet opening, a first outlet in communication
with the external outlet opening, a second inlet in communication
with the external inlet opening and a second outlet in
communication with the internal outlet opening, a first fan unit
arranged for generating a first airflow directed from the internal
inlet opening towards the external outlet opening and a second fan
unit arranged for generating a second airflow directed from the
external inlet opening towards the internal outlet opening, wherein
the first and second airflows are in a relationship of mutual heat
exchange in said heat exchanger; and a valve device including
respective valve elements for opening and closing the external
inlet opening and the external outlet opening, wherein each of said
valve elements comprises: a fixed crown gear; a rotatable crown
gear; a flexible sleeve having a first end fastened to the fixed
crown gear and a second end fastened to the rotatable crown gear;
and an actuator for controlling the rotation of the rotatable crown
gear with respect to the fixed crown gear between an open position
wherein the flexible sleeve has essentially an annular shape and a
closed position wherein the flexible sleeve has essentially a
diaphragm shape.
2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed crown gear and
the rotatable crown gear are interconnected by means of a threaded
coupling.
3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the ends of said flexible
sleeve are anchored to respective o-rings that are inserted within
respective grooves of the fixed crown gear and the rotatable crown
gear.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of Italian patent
application number TO2013A000009, filed Jan. 9, 2013, which is
herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a ventilation device
equipped with a valve for opening and closing an aperture for the
passage of an airflow.
[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0005] Ventilation devices for buildings are normally equipped with
a first fan unit that generates a first airflow directed from the
inside outwards and a second fan unit that generates a second
airflow directed from the outside inwards. The two airflows are
usually arranged in a relationship of mutual heat exchange within a
heat exchanger, for the recovery of the thermal energy of the
airflow directed outwards.
[0006] Air exchange devices of this type can be equipped with valve
devices to close one or both of the apertures communicating with
the outside of the building. The valve devices may envisage the use
of movable partitions for the opening and closing of the apertures
in communication with the external environment
[0007] The solutions that envisage a movable partition for opening
and closing the apertures have a large footprint due to the need to
provide a free space equal to the opening stroke of and closing the
movable partitions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention aims to provide a ventilation device
with a valve for opening and closing an aperture for the passage of
an airflow, having a smaller footprint.
[0009] According to the present invention, this object is achieved
by a device having the features forming the subject of claim 1.
[0010] The claims form an integral part of the disclosure provided
in relation to the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The present invention will now be described in detail with
reference to the attached drawings, given purely by way of
non-limiting example, wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a ventilation
device according to the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a valve device indicated by
the arrow II in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating the valve
device of FIG. 2 in a partially closed and fully closed condition,
respectively;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the valve element indicated by
the arrow V in FIG. 2; and
[0016] FIG. 6 is an exploded cross-section of the valve element of
FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, numeral 1 indicates an air
exchange device for buildings according to the present invention.
The device 1 comprises a casing including a base 2 and a lid 3,
which can be made of rigid injection-molded plastic material.
[0018] The device 1 is intended to be mounted in an internal
environment of a building in order to carry out air exchange with
recovery of the airflow energy delivered to the outside. The device
1 is intended to be fixed on a perimetrical wall and communicates
with the external environment by means of a pair of holes formed in
the perimetrical wall.
[0019] The base 2 comprises an internal inlet opening 4, an
internal outlet opening 5, an external inlet opening 6 and an
external outlet opening 7. The external inlet opening 6 and the
external outlet opening 7 communicate with the holes formed in the
perimetrical wall.
[0020] The external inlet opening 6 and the external outlet opening
7 are associated with a valve device 8 configured to hermetically
close the openings 6, 7.
[0021] The base 2 contains a heat exchanger 11 having a first inlet
12 in communication with the internal inlet opening 4, a first
outlet 13 in communication with the internal outlet opening 5, a
second inlet 14 in communication with the external inlet opening 6
and a second outlet 15 in communication with the external outlet
opening 7.
[0022] The air exchange device 1 comprises a first fan unit 16 that
generates a first airflow F1 directed from the internal inlet
opening 4 towards the external outlet opening 7 and a second fan
unit 17 that generates a second airflow F2 directed from the
external inlet opening 6 towards the internal outlet opening 5. The
first and second airflows F1, F2 are in a relationship of mutual
heat exchange in the heat exchanger 11. In winter when the
temperature of the internal environment is greater than the
temperature of the external environment, the outwardly directed
airflow F1 transfers heat to the inwardly directed airflow F2. In
summer when the internal environment is conditioned and is at a
lower temperature than the external temperature the outwardly
directed airflow F1 cools the inwardly directed airflow F2.
[0023] In the illustrated example, the first and the second fan
units 16, 17 are housed in an elastic support 18 in the form of
cushion, equipped with seats for housing the fan units 16, 17 and
ducts for the passage of the airflows F1 and F2.
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 2 to 6, the valve device 10
comprises a plate 9, for example of sheet metal, fixed to a bottom
wall 10 of the base 2 (FIG. 1).
[0025] The plate 9 has two openings 6, 7 for the passage of the
airflows F1 and F2. A respective valve element 19 is associated
with each opening 6, 7.
[0026] With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, each valve element 19
comprises a fixed crown gear 21, a rotatable crown gear 20 and a
flexible sleeve 22. The fixed crown gear 21 and the rotatable crown
gear 20 have respective openings 24, 26 aligned with each other and
arranged alongside the respective openings 6, 7 of the plate 9. In
the illustrated example the fixed crown gear 21 is fastened to a
support 28 (FIGS. 2-4) in turn fastened to the plate 9. Preferably,
the fixed crown gear 21 and the rotatable crown gear 20 are
connected together by means of a threaded coupling 30, in such a
way so that following the rotation of the rotatable crown gear 20
about the axis A, a relative axial displacement between the gears
21, 20 is also obtained.
[0027] The flexible sleeve 22 is constituted of a thin
tubular-shaped film of flexible and elastic material, such as latex
or the like. The sleeve 22 has two opposite ends, which are
attached, respectively, to the fixed crown gear 21 and the
rotatable crown gear 20. Preferably, the opposite ends of the
flexible sleeve 22 are fixed to two o-rings 32, 34 that are
inserted within the respective grooves 36, 38 formed in the fixed
crown gear 21 and the rotatable crown gear 20.
[0028] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, each valve device 19
comprises an actuator 40 for controlling the rotation of the
respective rotatable crown gear 20 about the axis A. In the example
illustrated in the figures, the actuator 40 is an electric motor,
which rotationally drives a worm screw 42 that engages with a
helical gear 44 of the rotatable crown gear 20. However, other
mechanisms for controlling the rotation of the rotatable crown gear
20 may be used. Position sensors associated with the rotatable
crown gear 20 may also be provided and configured to stop the
actuator 40 when the rotatable crown gear 20 reaches the open
position and the closed position.
[0029] In the open position, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, the
flexible sleeve 22 has an annular shape and is adjacent to the
edges of the openings 24, 26. In this condition the opening 6, 7 is
open and allows the transit of an airflow.
[0030] To close the opening 6, 7, the rotatable crown gear 20 is
rotationally driven about the axis A by means of the actuator 40.
During the rotation of the rotatable crown gear 20, the two
opposite ends of the flexible sleeve 22 rotate relative to one
another. The flexible sleeve 22 consequently assumes a diaphragm
shape as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 illustrates a partially
closed position and FIG. 4 illustrates the fully closed position of
the valve device 19.
[0031] The worm screw and helical gear transmission system is
unidirectional so that the rotatable crown gear 20 is retained in a
stable manner in the position that is reached. This also partially
closed stable positions of the valve device 19.
[0032] The valve device 19 according to the present invention can
be used in air exchange devices for buildings and in any other
application where there is the need to completely or partially
close a duct for the passage of an airflow.
[0033] Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the
invention, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary
widely with respect to those described and illustrated without
departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims
that follow.
* * * * *