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Exhaust fan assembly having flexible coupling

  • US 7,320,636 B2
  • Filed: 12/03/2004
  • Issued: 01/22/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A fan assembly configured to exhaust contaminated air from a building, the fan assembly comprising:

  • an outer fan body having open top and bottom ends and defining a cavity therebetween extending from an air inlet formed at the bottom end to an air outlet at the top end, the air inlet and the air outlet receiving the contaminated air;

    an inner fan body fastened to the outer fan body and positioned in the cavity to divide it into a central chamber isolated from the contaminated air, and a surrounding annular space for communicating the contaminated air from the air inlet to the air outlet;

    a fan disposed in the cavity and coupled to a fan shaft to draw exhaust air in through the air inlet and blow it upward through the annular space to the air outlet;

    a motor mounted in the central chamber, the motor having a motor shaft that drives the fan shaft; and

    a coupling located in the central chamber connecting the fan shaft to the motor shaft, wherein the coupling is compliant with respect to misalignment between the motor shaft and the fan shaft in at least one orientation;

    wherein the motor is pivotally mounted in the central chamber to be pivotable between a first engaged position in which the shaft is coupled to the fan shaft via the coupling and a second disengaged pivoted position in which the motor shaft is uncoupled from the fan shaft.

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