Ventilation apparatus

• US 5,000,081 A
• Filed: 04/23/1990
• Issued: 03/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Breakthrough Concepts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Breakthrough Concepts Incorporated
• Inventors: Gilmer, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US07/512,334
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 98/33.1, 98/35, 98/40.07, 98/62, 165/54, 165/909
• US Class Current: 454/252
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 12/006 using an air-to-air heat exchanger F24F12/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/08 with separate ducts for supplied and exhausted air with provisions for reversal of the input and output systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/56 Heat recovery units

Abstract

An apparatus including a ventilation conduit mounted within a ceiling structure of a dwelling, with an exhaust fan and intake fan arranged at ninety degrees relative to one another, with an intake pipe and exhaust pipe arranged contiguously about their major extent relative to one another to effect heat exchange minimizing cold air entering the dwelling.

Claims

1. A ventilation apparatus for mounting within a dwelling, wherein the dwelling includes a ceiling underlying a roof, the apparatus comprising,

a ventilation housing mounted within the ceiling, the ventilation housing including a convex exterior surface directed exteriorly of the ceiling, and including an intake grid and an exhaust grid, and

an intake fan mounted within the ventilation housing rearwardly of the intake grid, and

an exhaust fan mounted within the ventilation housing rearwardly of the exhaust grid, and

an exhaust conduit and an intake conduit, the exhaust conduit and the intake conduit each including a respective lower terminal end, wherein the lower terminal end of the exhaust conduit is mounted in association with the exhaust fan, wherein the lower terminal end of the intake conduit is mounted in association with the intake fan, and

a "T" shaped fixture mounted through the roof, the "T" shaped fixture including a "U" shaped exhaust duct and a "U" shaped intake duct, the "U" shaped exhaust duct and the "U" shaped intake duct are mounted in contiguous relationship relative to one another along a vertical extent of each "U" shaped exhaust duct and "U" shaped intake duct, and

the "U" shaped exhaust duct including a downwardly directed exhaust port and the "U" shaped intake duct including a downwardly directed intake port, and

a "T" shaped fixture of a generally cylindircal configuration, wherein the "U" shaped exhaust duct and the "U" shaped intake duct are diametrically opposed relative to one another within the "T" shaped fixture, and the downwardly directed exhaust port and the downwardly directed intake port are arranged diametrically opposed relative to one another in alignment with the respective "U" shaped exhaust duct and "U" shaped intake duct, and an upper terminal end of the exhaust conduit is mounted in communication with the "U" shaped exhaust duct and an upper terminal end of the intake conduit is mounted in communication with the "U" shaped intake duct.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ventilation housing is of a cylindrical configuration, and wherein the exhaust grid and the intake grid are diametrically opposed relative to one another, and the exhaust fan and the intake fan are diametrically opposed to one another, and the exhaust grid and the intake grid and the respective exhaust fan and the intake fan define an included angle therebetween of ninety degrees.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the ventilation housing includes a coaxially arranged diffuser panel, and a light bulb mounted rearwardly of the diffuser panel and coaxially of the ventilation housing.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the exhaust conduit and the intake conduit are in contiguous association relative to one another along a major portion of their extent between the ventilation housing and the "T" shaped fixture.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the major portion of their extent defines ninety percent of a defined length of the exhaust conduit and the intake conduit.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the intake conduit is helically wound about the exhaust conduit.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 further including a longitudinally aligned plenum housing, the plenum housing including a lower end surface and a top end surface, and the exhaust conduit and the intake conduit directed through the lower end surface of the plenum housing and contained interiorly of the plenum housing and emerging outwardly of the plenum housing through a top surface of the plenum housing, the plenum housing encompassing seventy to ninety percent of the exhaust conduit and the intake conduit, and a first heating duct directed into the plenum housing, and a second heating duct directed exteriorly of the plenum housing to direct heated air throughout the plenum housing.