Ventilating exhaust fan
First Claim
1. A ventilating exhaust fan comprising:
- a fan housing having a base wall and four sidewalls attached thereto;
a centrifugal fan scroll contained within the fan housing and extending from the base wall to define a fan wheel chamber in the fan housing;
an exhaust outlet formed in one of the sidewalls of the fan housing, the exhaust outlet being in communication with the fan wheel chamber formed by the fan scroll;
a receptacle panel including at least one electric receptacle, the receptacle panel pivotally coupled to the fan housing, the receptacle panel pivotable between an open and a closed position within the fan housing;
a fan wheel rotatably positioned within the fan wheel chamber; and
a motor supported within the fan wheel chamber and coupled to the fan wheel, the motor being operable to rotate the fan wheel in the fan wheel chamber to direct a flow of air out of the exhaust outlet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An exhaust fan for use in bathrooms or similar areas has a generally rectangular fan housing formed from two independent structural members to reduce manufacturing waste and decrease production cost. The fan housing includes a receptacle panel that can be installed and removed from within the housing without additional tools. The fan housing includes two series of spaced view holes formed in its back wall such that during installation of the exhaust fan, the installer can view the ceiling joist to correctly position the fan housing relative to the bottom surface of the joist. The back wall of the fan housing also includes a pair of bend down tabs that can be placed in contact with the bottom surface of the joist to correctly position the bottom edge of the fan housing the required distance from the joist to accommodate the most common drywall thickness. The fan wheel contained within the fan housing includes a mounting hub having an expanded diameter insertion portion formed on its central bore to receive drive shaft of driving motor of the exhaust fan.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A ventilating exhaust fan comprising:
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a fan housing having a base wall and four sidewalls attached thereto;
a centrifugal fan scroll contained within the fan housing and extending from the base wall to define a fan wheel chamber in the fan housing;
an exhaust outlet formed in one of the sidewalls of the fan housing, the exhaust outlet being in communication with the fan wheel chamber formed by the fan scroll;
a receptacle panel including at least one electric receptacle, the receptacle panel pivotally coupled to the fan housing, the receptacle panel pivotable between an open and a closed position within the fan housing;
a fan wheel rotatably positioned within the fan wheel chamber; and
a motor supported within the fan wheel chamber and coupled to the fan wheel, the motor being operable to rotate the fan wheel in the fan wheel chamber to direct a flow of air out of the exhaust outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A ventilating exhaust fan, comprising:
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a fan housing;
a fan within the fan housing;
a fan scroll in the fan housing, the fan located within the fan scroll, the fan scroll having a first side substantially facing the fan and a second oppositely facing side;
a removable panel coupled within the fan housing to at least one wall in the fan housing;
an electrical receptacle coupled to the removable panel and removable with the panel from the fan housing; and
an electrical enclosure at least partially defining a space between the removable panel, the fan housing, and the second side of the fan scroll. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of wiring a ventilating exhaust fan to power supply wire, comprising:
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providing an electrical receptacle connected to a receptacle panel;
connecting at least one wire of the electrical receptacle to at least one electrical power supply wire;
inserting the receptacle panel and the electrical receptacle into a fan housing;
removably coupling the receptacle panel to at least one wall within the fan housing; and
enclosing a space between the receptacle panel, a fan scroll within the fan housing, and at least one wall of the fan housing, the fan scroll separating the fan on one side of the fan scroll from the space on an opposite side of the fan scroll. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
de-coupling the receptacle panel from within the fan housing; and
removing the receptacle panel from within the fan housing.
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23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein de-coupling and removing the receptacle panel includes a user grasping a tab of the receptacle panel.
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24. A method of mounting a ventilating exhaust fan to surrounding structure including a structural member and a wall having a thickness, the method comprising:
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positioning a housing of the ventilating exhaust fan adjacent to the structural member;
coupling the housing to the structural member;
bending a resilient tab on a wall of the housing to a position out of plane with respect to the wall of the housing; and
positioning the wall of the surrounding structure adjacent to the bent tab, the bent tab being located a distance from an edge of the housing wall that is substantially the same as the thickness of the wall of the surrounding structure.
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25. A ventilating exhaust fan adapted for installation in a wall having at least one planar wall member with a thickness, the ventilating exhaust fan comprising:
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a fan housing, the fan housing having a sidewall; and
an edge defined by the sidewall;
a centrifugal fan scroll contained within the fan housing; and
an exhaust outlet in the fan housing;
a tab located in the sidewall, the tab bendable to a position out of plane with respect to the sidewall, whereby the position of the tab is located a distance that is substantially the same as the thickness of the at least one planar wall member.
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Specification