U.S. patent application number 14/786400 was filed with the patent office on 2016-03-10 for ventilation system for a room.
The applicant listed for this patent is ELICA S.P.A.. Invention is credited to Fabrizio Crisa'.
Application Number | 20160069580 14/786400 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48628787 |
Filed Date | 2016-03-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160069580 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Crisa'; Fabrizio |
March 10, 2016 |
VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR A ROOM
Abstract
The present invention relates to a ventilation system for a room
which comprises a hood for domestic use located in said room, a
wall fan located in said room, a plurality of transducers
configured to detect a respective plurality of characteristic
parameters of the gases in said room; processing and control means
in signal communication with said plurality of transducers and in
signal communication with said first control means, processing and
control means electrically connected with said plurality of
transducers and in signal communication with said first control
means, said processing and control means comprising firmware
configured to process said detected characteristic parameters and
to transmit a first control signal to control said hood for
domestic use. The characterizing feature is that said hood for
domestic use is in signal communication with said wall fan via a
first transmitter module, located in said hood, and configured to
transmit a second signal, said wall fan comprising a first receiver
module configured to receive said second signal; said second radio
frequency signal being generated by said hood according to said
first signal to instruct said second control means to turn on said
wall fan and keep it in this state for a first predetermined
ON-time when one or more of said characteristic parameters detected
by said plurality of sensors exceed respective predetermined
threshold values.
Inventors: |
Crisa'; Fabrizio; (Fabriano,
IT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ELICA S.P.A. |
Fabriano (AN) |
|
IT |
|
|
Family ID: |
48628787 |
Appl. No.: |
14/786400 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
April 17, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2014/060803 |
371 Date: |
October 22, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/299D ;
454/343; 454/354 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 2110/00 20180101;
F24F 11/30 20180101; F24C 15/2021 20130101; F24C 15/2042 20130101;
F24F 7/013 20130101; F24F 11/0001 20130101; F24F 2110/50
20180101 |
International
Class: |
F24F 11/00 20060101
F24F011/00; F24F 7/013 20060101 F24F007/013; F24C 15/20 20060101
F24C015/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 26, 2013 |
IT |
MI2013A000689 |
Claims
1. A ventilation system for a room comprising: a hood for domestic
use located in said room and having first control means; a wall fan
located in said room and having second control means; a plurality
of transducers configured to detect a respective plurality of
characteristic parameters of the gases in said room; processing and
control means electrically connected with said plurality of
transducers and in signal communication with said first control
means, said processing and control means comprising firmware
configured to process said characteristic parameters detected by
one or more of said plurality of transducers and to transmit a
first control signal to control said filter hood; wherein: said
hood for domestic use is in signal communication with said wall fan
via a first transmitter module, located in said hood, and
configured to transmit a second signal, said wall fan comprising a
first receiver module, located in said wall fan, and configured to
receive said second signal; and said second signal being generated
by said hood according to said first signal to instruct said second
control means to turn on said wall fan and keep it in this state
for a first predetermined ON-time when one or more of said
characteristic parameters detected by said plurality of sensors
exceed respective predetermined threshold values.
2. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said first signal also instructs to turn on said hood for domestic
use and keeps it in said ON-state for a second predetermined
ON-time according to said first signal.
3. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said first transmitter module is a radio frequency transmitter
module and said first receiver module is a radio frequency receiver
module.
4. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said processing and control means comprise a second radio frequency
transmitter module configured to transmit said first radio
frequency signal to the first control means of said hood, the
latter comprising a second radio frequency receiver module
configured to receive said first radio frequency signal, said
second radio frequency signal being generated by said processing
means to turn on said first control means when one or more of said
detected characteristic parameters exceed respective predetermined
threshold values.
5. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said processing and control means are external to said hood for
domestic use and/or said wall fan.
6. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said processing and control means are incorporated in said hood for
domestic use and/or said wall fan.
7. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said plurality of transducers are external to said hood, said wall
fan, and/or said processing and control means.
8. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
one or more of said plurality of transducers are incorporated in
said hood for domestic use, said wall fan and/or said processing
and control means.
9. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said first and second radio-frequency transmitter modules and said
first and second radio-frequency receiver modules comply with
Bluetooth, IR or Zigbee specifications.
10. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said plurality of transducers are selected from the group of
smoke-, odor-, temperature-sensing transducers.
11. A ventilation system for a room as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said hood for domestic use is a filter hood.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a ventilation system for a
room as defined in the preamble of claim 1.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Hoods can be divided into two large classes: filter hoods
and extractor hoods.
[0003] As compared with filter hoods, extractor hoods have the
characteristic of exhausting gases from the room in which the hood
is installed.
[0004] Particularly, in extractor hood designs, air is extracted by
an electric fan located above the cooktop, flows through a filter
system and is finally exhausted out of the room through a duct.
[0005] Nevertheless, these extractor hoods may not always be
installed in existing rooms, as they may require masonry works for
gas exhaust duct installation.
[0006] In view of obviating this drawback, filter hoods exist in
the art which have achieved satisfactory filtering efficiency, but
do not provide the gas treatment results that may be achieved with
extractor hoods.
[0007] Wall fans are also known, i.e. those types of fans that can
extract gases from a room and exhaust them outside.
[0008] Particularly, these wall fans include an electric motor that
drives an impeller such that air is exhausted out of the room
through a duct that extends through the thickness of the wall or
the thickness of a window pane or the like.
[0009] These wall fans require low-impact masonry works, that may
be easily carried out by unskilled personnel.
[0010] Furthermore, the extraction efficiency of these fans is
comparable to that obtained by an extractor hood.
[0011] Nevertheless, hoods and fans as described above are
stand-alone devices, i.e. designed for autonomous operation.
[0012] Therefore, the user is required to learn the operation of
two distinct apparatuses, and control two devices according to
particular requirements, which will involve obvious and imaginable
consequences.
[0013] One object of the present invention is to provide a
ventilation system for a room, such as a kitchen, that allows
efficient filtering of the substances contained in the gases
derived from preparation/cooking of food and the like.
[0014] One task of the present invention is to provide a
ventilation system for a room that does not require costly masonry
works for installation.
[0015] Another task of the present invention is to provide a
ventilation system for a room that has a low cost and may be easily
used by the user.
[0016] According to the present invention, these and other objects,
as better understood hereinafter, are achieved by a ventilation
system for a room that has the characteristic of comprising a
filter hood and a wall fan as defined by the features of claim
1.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The accompanying figures show exemplary embodiments of the
present disclosure by way of illustration and without limitation,
in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the ventilation system
for a room according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the ventilation system of
FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Referring to the accompanying figures, the present
disclosure relates to a ventilation system 1 for a room 2,
comprising a hood for domestic use 3, preferably a filter hood,
located in the room, and a wall fan 4, also located in such
room.
[0021] The room 2 may be, for example, the kitchen of a home or a
public space, such as a coffee bar, a restaurant, and the like.
[0022] As used herein, the term filter hood 3 will designate an
apparatus having a frame that contains the devices required for:
[0023] extracting the gases in the room, [0024] filtering them and
[0025] reintroducing them into the room, once they have been
filtered.
[0026] Particularly, the filter hood 3 comprises control means 3A
that are suitably controlled to change the operating state of the
filter hood 3.
[0027] For example, the control means 3A may actuate particular
features of the hood 3 and/or switch from an ON state (in which the
hood extracts gases, filters them and reintroduces them into the
room, once they have been filtered) to an OFF state, or vice
versa.
[0028] For example the control means 3A consist of an electrically
controllable switch.
[0029] Otherwise, the switch may be manually controlled.
[0030] As used herein, the term wall fan 4 will designate an
apparatus having a frame that contains the devices required
for:
[0031] - extracting the gases in the room,
[0032] - exhausting them out of the room through an appropriate
exhaust duct which extends, for instance, through the thickness of
a perimeter wall of the room 2 or a window pane or the like of the
room 2.
[0033] Particularly, the wall fan 4 comprises control means 4A that
are suitably controlled to change the operating state of the fan
4.
[0034] For example, the control means 4A are configured to switch
the fan 4 from an ON state (in which the fan extracts gases from
the room 2 and exhausts them out of the room 2, or vice versa) to
an OFF state or vice versa.
[0035] For example the control means 4A consist of an electrically
controllable switch.
[0036] It shall be noted that the wall fan 4 may also be of
reversible type, i.e. adapted to withdraw air from outside and
introduce it into the room 2.
[0037] In case of reversible operation, an appropriate filter 4B is
provided to filter the incoming air, e.g, a HEPA.
[0038] The ventilation system 1 comprises a plurality of
transducers 5, which are configured to detect a respective
plurality of characteristic parameters of gases in said room 2.
[0039] For example, the plurality of transducers 5 comprises
transducers (or sensors) able to detect temperature, humidity,
smoke, odors and the like.
[0040] These transducers are of known type and will not be
described in detail.
[0041] The ventilation system 1 comprises processing and control
means 6, which are in signal communication with the plurality of
transducers 5.
[0042] Preferably, the processing and control means 6 are
electrically connected with the plurality of transducers 5, e.g. by
means of a cable connection.
[0043] For example, the processing and control means 6 consist of
an electronic processing device such as a microcontroller.
[0044] The processing and control means 6 comprise a memory 6A
which contains firmware.
[0045] The firmware comprises one or more algorithms, i.e.
sequences of operations coded by an appropriate program code and
developed to accomplish particular tasks, as described in greater
detail below.
[0046] These processing and control means 6 are configured to
receive the values of the plurality of characteristic parameters as
detected by the plurality of transducers 5 and to process such
values to determine whether the hood 3 only, the fan 4 only or both
have to be actuated, and the operating time of the fan 4 and/or the
hood 3.
[0047] The processing and control means 6 are also in signal
communication via an electric signal S1 that can be transmitted via
cable or radio frequency using the control means 3A of the hood
3.
[0048] Particularly, the algorithms implemented in the firmware
allow the values of the characteristic parameters as detected by
the transducers 5 to be assessed against appropriate threshold
values Vth. This comparison provides ON-times (or ON-time
intervals) for the fan 4 and/or the hood 3.
[0049] For this purpose, the hood 3 is in signal communication with
the wall fan 4 via a cable or radio frequency transmitter module 3B
included in such hood 3, and configured to transmit a signal S2 via
cable or radio frequency.
[0050] Advantageously, the wall fan 4 comprises a first cable or
radio frequency receiver module 4C, which is configured to receive
the cable signal S2 or the radio frequency signal S2 generated by
the transmitter module 3B of the hood 3.
[0051] The cable or radio frequency signal S2 is particularly
generated by the hood 3 to control the control means 4A when one or
more of said characteristic parameters as detected by the
transducers 5 exceed a respective predetermined threshold value
Vth.
[0052] In other words, the signal S2 is generated according to the
information contents in the signal S1 generated by the processing
and control means 6.
[0053] Therefore, the signal S2 is representative of the ON/OFF
information for the fan 4 and the information about the ON-time
interval T1 for the wall fan 4 and/or the hood 3.
[0054] It shall be noted that the ON-time T1 for the fan 4 is
determined by the processing and control means 6, which process the
values detected by the transducers 5.
[0055] In other words, when the transducers 5 assess that one or
more characteristic parameters exceed respective threshold values,
the processing and control means 6, based on firmware algorithms,
actuate the control means 3A, which in turn instruct the
transmitter module of the hood 3 to emit the signal S2. This signal
S2 is received by the receiver means 4C of the fan 4, such that the
control means 4A switch the fan 4 on for the time period T1. For
example, if the transducers detect odors, the processing and
control means 6, based on firmware algorithms, determine the
ON-time interval for the fan 4 and instruct to turn on the control
means 3A of the hood 3. The latter instruct in turn the transmitter
module of the hood 3 to emit the signal S2. This signal S2 is
received by the receiver means 4C of the fan 4, such that the
control means 4A switch the fan 4 on for the time period T1.
[0056] When the value/s detected by the transducers 5 fall back
below their respective predetermined threshold values, the control
means 6 instruct the control means 3A of the hood 3 to emit the
signal S2 to turn off the fan 4.
[0057] However, when the values of the characteristic parameters as
detected by the transducers 5 (such as odors, odors and smoke, or
smoke and temperature, or any combination of smoke, odor and
temperature) exceed one or more of their respective threshold
values, in addition to turning on the fan 4, the firmware of the
control means 6 may also instruct the control means 3A to turn on
the filter hood 3 and keep it in this state for a predetermined
ON-time T2.
[0058] By this arrangement, the filter hood 3 and the wall fan 4
will join their filtration and extraction features for maximized
operational efficiency in terms of comfort, consumption and air
quality.
[0059] Once again the ON-time T2 is determined by the processing
and control means 6, which process the values detected by the
transducers 5.
[0060] It shall be noted that the ON-time T1 for the fan 4 may
differ in duration from the ON-time T2 for the hood 3.
[0061] Advantageously, with the present ventilation system, the
hood 3 will act as a hub or handling center for the ON/OFF signals
for the fan 4 and/or the hood.
[0062] Furthermore, with the present ventilation system, the user
is not required to separately control the filter hood 3 and the
wall fan 4 for filtration and extraction of the gases in the room
2, but either or both (i.e. the fan 4 only, the filter hood 3 only
or both the hood 3 and the fan 4) will be actuated for respective
predetermined intervals T1, T2 according to the particular
conditions of the gases in the room 2, as detected by the
transducers 5
[0063] According to preferred embodiments, one, more or all of the
plurality of transducers 5 may be placed outside and/or inside the
hood 3, the wall fan 4 and/or the processing and control means 6,
which means that they may be placed remote from and/or incorporated
in each respective frame of the fan 4, the hood 3 or the processing
and control means 6.
[0064] The processing and control means 6, as shown in FIGS. 1 and
2, may be also disposed as a remote or built-in device relative to
the frames of the hood 3, the fan 4 and/or a cooktop 7.
[0065] If the processing and control means 6 are placed remote from
the frame of the hood 3, then these processing and control means 6
may comprise a radio frequency transmitter module 6B which is
configured to transmit the signal S1, i.e. a radio frequency
signal, to the control means 3A of the hood 3.
[0066] For this purpose the hood 3 comprises a radio frequency
receiver module 3C, which is configured to receive such second
radio frequency signal S1.
[0067] This radio frequency signal S1 is always generated by the
processing and control means 6 to control the change of the
operating states of the hood 3 when one or more of said detected
characteristic parameters exceed respective predetermined threshold
values.
[0068] According to a preferred embodiment, the radio frequency
transmitter modules 3B, 3C, 4B and 6B comply with the
specifications of Bluetooth, IR, Zigbee standards or the like.
[0069] Those skilled in the art will obviously appreciate that a
number of changes and variants may be made to the arrangements as
described hereinbefore to meet incidental and specific needs. All
of these variants and changes fall within scope of the invention,
as defined in the following claims.
* * * * *