Air exhausting apparatus with draining passage

• US 7,677,964 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chien Luen Industries Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Chien Luen Industries Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Bucher, John C., Wang, Shooupyng
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister; Steve
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kosanovic; Helena
• Application Number:
  US11/601,123
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 454/18, 454/19, 454/41, 454/240, 454/242, 454/243, 454/260, 454/356
• US Class Current: 454/356
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/025 with forced air circulation by means of a built-in ventilator

Abstract

An air-exhausting apparatus, device, method of assembly and use for an attic and rooftop fan, which prevents water intrusion into the housing. The fan can include a tubular base having a bottom side mounted on a roof of a room, and an upper end portion converging toward a top side of the base. A coupling sleeve unit has a first coupling end portion sleeved fixedly on the base and cooperating with the base to define an annular draining passage therebetween, and a second coupling end portion opposite to the first coupling end portion. A fan unit is mounted in the coupling sleeve unit, and is operable so as to exhaust air outwardly of the room via air holes in the second coupling end portion of the coupling sleeve unit. A cover unit includes a cover body disposed on the second coupling end portion of the coupling sleeve unit, and a supporting frame interconnecting fixedly the cover body and the coupling sleeve unit. Wear and/or sound absorbers can also be included.

Claims

1. An air-exhausting apparatus adapted to be mounted on a roof of a structure for exhausting air outwardly of the structure, the air-exhausting apparatus comprising:

a tubular base having a top side, a bottom side adapted to be mounted on the structure, a lower end portion being cylindrical, the top side having an upper perimeter end portion converging inwardly, the lower end portion having an opening thereto with a diameter being substantially larger than a diameter in an opening through the upper end portion, and a spider platform covering the upper opening through the upper end portion;

a fan mounted on top of the spider platform covering the upper opening of the tubular base;

a coupling sleeve unit having a generally cylindrical shape with a first coupling end portion forming a first generally cylindrical sleeve that is wrapped outside the base, the sleeve having a lower end with a lower diameter, a middle portion with a middle diameter, and an upper end with an upper diameter, wherein the lower diameter of the lower end of the sleeve is substantially identical to the upper diameter of the upper end of the sleeve, and the middle diameter of the middle portion being larger than both the lower and the upper diameters, and an annular space between the sleeve and the base forming a draining passage therebetween completely about the base, with an enlarged annular space between the middle portion and the base, and the middle portion of the first sleeve being substantially below the upper opening of said base, and a coupling sleeve unit having a second coupling end portion opposite to said first coupling end portion, the second coupling end portion forming a second cylindrical sleeve that extends above and about the base, the second cylindrical sleeve having a continuous diameter substantially identical to the lower and the upper diameters of the first sleeve, the second cylindrical sleeve formed with a plurality of air holes, said first coupling end portion of said coupling sleeve unit cooperating with said base to define the annular draining passage therebetween, wherein said draining passage has a lower passage section being a cylindrical shaped passage defined between said lower portion of the first sleeve and said lower end portion of said base so as to drain water onto the roof structure, and a middle passage section defined between the middle portion of the first sleeve and the base having an outer concave curved ring shaped passage, and an upper passage section defined between said upper portion of the first sleeve and said upper end portion of said base and having a funnel shaped passage with a top portion having a substantially wider passage thereto than a bottom portion;

the mounted fan in said coupling sleeve unit operable so as to exhaust air outwardly of the structure via said air holes in said second coupling end portion of said coupling sleeve unit, the mounted fan being positioned above the funnel shaped passage and the concave curved ring shaped passage and the cylindrical shaped passage; and

a cover unit including a cover body disposed on the second cylindrical sleeve of said second coupling end portion of said coupling sleeve unit, and a supporting frame interconnecting fixedly said cover body and said coupling sleeve unit.

2. The air-exhausting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sponge member disposed solely in the funnel shaped passage of said upper passage section of said draining passage, the sponge member for absorbing water passing through the funnel shaped passage.

3. The air-exhausting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of resilient buffering members solely disposed in the cylindrical shaped passage in said lower passage section of said draining passage and clamped between said first coupling end portion of said coupling sleeve unit and said lower end portion of said base, the resilient buffering members for absorbing and dampening unwanted sound and noise from the apparatus.

4. The air-exhausting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said openings in the second sleeve includes:

a plurality of meshes constituting said air holes.

5. A method for preventing water intrusion into a roof mounted air exhaust apparatus comprising the steps of:

mounting a covered air exhaust apparatus by a cylindrical enclosed base on a roof surface;

attaching a second enclosed base being generally cylindrical about the enclosed base; and

forming a peripheral space between the second enclosed base and the mounting base, the peripheral space forming an annular passage completely about the base;

forming a funnel shaped annular passage in an upper portion of the annular passage from trapping water between the second base and the enclosed base to pass therethrough;

passing the water from the funnel shaped passage through a ring shaped concave curved annular passage; and

passing the water from the ring shaped concave curved passage through a cylindrical annular passage, wherein the water is able to drain between the mounting base and the cylindrical annular passage of the second enclosed base onto the roof surface; and

absorbing the water in the funnel shaped annular passage between the mounting base and the second enclosed base by an absorbing member solely located in the funnel shaped annular space.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

dampening unwanted sound and noise in the cylindrical annular passage between the mounting base and the second enclosed base, with dampening members solely located in the cylindrical annular passage.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

clamping the second enclosed base to the mounting body solely through the dampening members with bolts therethrough.

8. An air-exhausting apparatus adapted to be mounted on a roof of a structure for exhausting air outwardly of the structure, the air-exhausting apparatus comprising:

a tubular base having a top side, a bottom side adapted to be mounted on the structure, a lower end portion being cylindrical, the top side having an upper perimeter end portion converging inwardly, the lower end portion having an opening thereto with a diameter being substantially larger than a diameter in an opening through the upper end portion, and a spider platform covering the upper opening through the upper end portion;

a fan mounted on top of the spider platform covering the upper opening of the tubular base;

a coupling sleeve unit having a generally cylindrical shape with a first coupling end portion forming a first generally cylindrical sleeve that is wrapped outside the base, the sleeve having a lower end with a lower diameter, a middle portion with a middle diameter, and an upper end with an upper diameter, wherein the lower diameter of the lower end of the sleeve is substantially identical to the upper diameter of the upper end of the sleeve, and the middle diameter of the middle portion being larger than both the lower and the upper diameters, and an annular space between the sleeve and the base forming a draining passage therebetween completely about the base, with an enlarged annular space between the sleeve and the base, and the middle portion of the sleeve being substantially below the upper opening of the tubular said base, and a coupling sleeve unit having a second coupling end portion opposite to said first coupling end portion the second coupling end portion forming a second cylindrical sleeve that extends above and about the base, the second cylindrical sleeve having a continuous diameter substantially identical to the lower and the upper diameters of the first sleeve, the second cylindrical sleeve formed with a plurality of air holes, said first coupling end portion of said coupling sleeve unit cooperating with said base to define the annular draining passage therebetween, wherein said draining passage has a lower passage section being a cylindrical shaped passage defined between said lower portion of the first sleeve and said lower end portion of said base so as to drain water onto the roof structure, and a middle passage section defined between the middle portion of the first sleeve and the base having an outer concave curved ring shaped passage, and an upper passage section defined between said upper portion of the first sleeve and said upper end portion of said base and having a funnel shaped passage with a top portion having a substantially wider passage thereto than a bottom portion;

the mounted fan in said coupling sleeve unit operable so as to exhaust air outwardly of the structure via said air holes in said second coupling end portion of said coupling sleeve unit, the mounted fan being positioned above the funnel shaped passage and the concave curved ring shaped passage and the cylindrical shaped passage;

p1 a cover unit including a cover body disposed on the second cylindrical sleeve of said second coupling end portion of said coupling sleeve unit, and a supporting frame interconnecting fixedly said cover body and said coupling sleeve unit;

a water absorbing member disposed solely in the funnel shaped passage of said upper passage section of said draining passage, the water absorbing member for absorbing water passing through the funnel shaped passage; and

a plurality of resilient buffering members solely disposed on the cylindrical shaped passage in said lower passage section of said draining passage and clamped between said first coupling end portion of said coupling sleeve unit and said lower end portion of said base, the resilient buffering members for absorbing and dampening unwanted sound and noise from the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

bolt fasteners for clamping the second enclosed base to the mounting base solely through the dampening members.