Louvered fan grille for a shrouded floor drying fan

• US 7,201,563 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Legend Brands, Inc. (RPM International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Studebaker Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Studebaker, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ninh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/951,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 415/211.2, 415/191, 415/209.3, 416/247.R
• US Class Current: 415/209.3
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/7092 Temporary mechanical ventilation of damp layers, e.g. insulation of a floating floor
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/002 Axial flow fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/325 for axial flow fans blade mountings F04D29/34, blades F04D29/38
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/541 Specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps F04D29/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/601 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/703 specially for fans, e.g. fan guards
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/001 Drying-air generating units, e.g. movable, independent of drying enclosure

Abstract

A method and apparatus for drying floors and carpets using a louvered grille with a shrouded floor drying fan for generating a pressurized air stream within a vertical cylindrical shroud that is spaced two to five inches away from the floor on a set of legs such that an opening is formed between the shroud and the floor. The air stream is directed along the cylindrical shroud vertically toward the floor. By means of the louvered grille at least a peripheral portion of the air stream is exhausted from the shroud in a substantially laminar flow at an angle that is inclined from the vertical and the air stream is exhausted radially into ambient air as a substantially laminar air stream.

Claims

1. A fan grille, comprising:

an open substantially cylindrical tubular center baffle having a plurality of substantially concentric cylindrical tubular baffles;

an open outwardly inclined peripheral baffle comprising a plurality of substantially concentric inclined grooves formed between opposing adjacent inclined baffle surfaces;

means for coupling the center baffle to the peripheral baffle; and

means for coupling one of the center baffle and the peripheral baffle to a fan.

2. The fan grille of claim 1 wherein the plurality of concentric cylindrical tubular baffles are further structured for generating air streams directed along a longitudinal axis of the concentric cylindrical tubular baffles.

3. The fan grille of claim 2 wherein the plurality of concentric cylindrical tubular baffles are further structured for generating air streams directed along a longitudinal axis of the concentric cylindrical tubular baffles when operated in close proximity with a fan having an impeller of approximately twenty inches diameter.

4. The fan grille of claim 1 wherein an outermost one of the plurality of concentric cylindrical tubular baffles is approximately eleven and one quarter inches diameter.

5. The fan grille of claim 1 wherein the inclined peripheral baffle further comprises a plurality of concentric inclined peripheral baffles.

6. The fan grille of claim 5 wherein the plurality of concentric inclined peripheral baffles further comprises a plurality of concentric peripheral baffles each inclined in the range of thirty to sixty degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the tubular center baffle.

7. The fan grille of claim 5 wherein, the plurality of concentric inclined peripheral baffles further comprises a plurality of concentric peripheral baffles each inclined approximately forty-five degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the tubular center baffle.

8. The fan grille of claim 1 wherein the inclined peripheral baffle further comprises a plurality of concentric inclined peripheral baffles;

and each of the cylindrical tubular baffles and the inclined peripheral baffles is constructed having a length that is elongated relative to its thickness.

9. The fan grille of claim 1 wherein the center baffle further comprises a plurality of radial baffles that are angularly inclined relative to the cylindrical tubular baffles.

10. A fan grille, comprising:

a center baffle structured for directing an air stream into a central zone directly adjacent to the center baffle and in substantial axial alignment therewith, the center baffle comprising a plurality of substantially concentric tubular baffles that are substantially aligned with the central zone directly adjacent to the center baffles;

a peripheral baffle substantially surrounding the center baffle and being outwardly inclined from the center baffle at an angle in the range of thirty to sixty degrees and being structured for directing an air stream outwardly away from the central zone, the peripheral baffle further comprising a plurality of substantially concentric inclined grooves formed between opposing adjacent inclined baffle surfaces;

a plurality of crosswise members coupling the center baffle together with the peripheral baffle; and

a plurality of means for securing the peripheral baffle to a fan shroud with the center baffle substantially centered over a longitudinal axis of an outlet orifice of the fan shroud and with the peripheral baffle positioned adjacent to a peripheral portion of the fan shroud.

11. The fan grille of claim 10 wherein the center baffle, the peripheral baffle, and the plurality of crosswise members coupling the center baffle together with the peripheral baffle further comprise an integral whole.

12. The fan grille of claim 10 wherein the peripheral baffle further comprises a peripheral baffle outwardly inclined from the center baffle at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees.

13. The fan grille of claim 10 wherein the center baffle further comprises a plurality of radial baffles that are angularly inclined relative to the center zone directly adjacent to the center baffle.

14. A fan grille, comprising:

a means for directing a central portion of an air stream generated by a rotational fan impeller into a central zone directly downstream of a rotational axis of the fan impeller and within close proximity of the fan impeller;

a means for deflecting outwardly of the central zone a peripheral portion of the air stream directly downstream of a peripheral portion of the fan impeller simultaneously with the means for directing the central portion of an air stream, the means for deflecting the peripheral portion of the air stream further comprising a means for imparting a substantially laminar flow character to the peripheral portion of the air stream;

a means for coupling together the means for directing the central portion of the air stream with the means for deflecting peripheral portion of the air stream; and

a means for securing the means for directing the central portion of the air stream and the means for deflecting peripheral portion of the air stream to a fan shroud having the fan impeller residing therein.

15. The fan grille of claim 14 wherein the means for deflecting the peripheral portion of the air stream further comprises directing the peripheral portion of the air stream through a plurality of outwardly inclined grooves.

16. The fan grille of claim 15 wherein the plurality of outwardly inclined grooves further comprises a plurality of outwardly inclined grooves formed between opposing walls of adjacent angularly inclined louvers.

17. The fan grille of claim 16 wherein the opposing walls of adjacent angularly inclined louvers are substantially parallel.

18. The fan grille of claim 14 wherein the means for directing a central portion of an air stream generated by a rotational fan impeller into a central zone directly downstream of a rotational axis of the fan impeller and within close proximity of the fan impeller further comprises a means for directing the central portion of the air stream substantially in alignment with the rotational axis of the fan impeller.

19. The fan grille of claim 14 wherein the means for directing a central portion of an air stream generated by a rotational fan impeller into a central zone directly downstream of a rotational axis of the fan impeller and within close proximity of the fan impeller further comprises a means for imparting a circular motion to the central portion of the air stream about the rotational axis of the fan impeller.

20. A fan grille, comprising:

a substantially open center baffle having a plurality of individual baffle surfaces spaced-apart within the center baffle;

an open outwardly inclined peripheral baffle comprising a plurality of inclined grooves formed between opposing adjacent inclined baffle surfaces;

means for coupling the center baffle to the peripheral baffle; and

means for coupling one of the center baffle and the peripheral baffle to a fan.

21. The fan grille of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of individual spaced-apart baffles within the center baffle, the plurality of individual spaced-apart baffles being substantially aligned with a central zone directly adjacent to the center baffle and in substantial axial alignment therewith.

22. The fan grille of claim 21 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of the plurality of individual spaced-apart baffles within the center baffle further comprises a plurality of substantially concentric individual tubular baffles.

23. The fan grille of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of individual spaced-apart baffles within the center baffle, the plurality of individual spaced-apart baffles being angularly inclined relative to a central zone directly adjacent to the center baffle and in substantial axial alignment therewith.

24. The fan grille of claim 23 wherein at least one or more of the plurality of individual angularly inclined baffles further comprising a radial baffle.