US20010014284A1 - Intake and exhaust damper with movable motor fan assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

An intake and exhaust damper assembly has a motor and fan assembly pivotally mounted for movement toward and away from a louvered rotatable blade damper.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior co-pending patent application Ser. No. 09/368,370, filed Aug. 4, 1999, entitled INTAKE AND EXHAUST AIR DAMPER WITH MOVABLE MOTOR FAN ASSEMBLY, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Technical Field[0002]
• This invention relates to a motorized fan and air damper assembly preferably for use to exhaust air flow out of a building or suck air into a building. More particularly, it relates to such a device in which the motor driving the fan is movable toward and away from the damper.[0003]
• 2. Background Art[0004]
• In the prior art, it is known to have louvered dampers with pivotally movable blades. These dampers are amounted in the wall of a building to exhaust the air from the interior of the building or to draw air into the interior of the building. Typically, these dampers are air flow operated or have a motorized actuating device to pivot the laterally disposed slats or blades of the damper in order to permit the intake or outflow of air. Typically, out flow air energy (which robs from flow performance) is employed to open the damper. Intake air assemblies must be motorized. When the fan propeller thrust is employed instead of air flow energy, the air moving energy is not reduced for damper operation, thereby significantly improving fan performance and eliminating the need for motorized damper actuation.[0005]
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTIONSummary of the Invention
• My invention comprises a number of improvements in this type of apparatus which enhance its functioning. In particular, I provide a motor and fan assembly mounted on a pivotable frame connected to a damper. The fan acts as a propeller and rotates the motor/fan assembly toward and away from the blades of the damper in accordance with the preferred embodiments. The assembly is so connected and arranged that the thrust of the air flow in response to the rotation of the blades of the fan actuates the blades in the damper to open the damper, and moves the motor and fan assembly.[0006]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a motorized fan and multi-blade damper box in accordance with my invention;[0007]
• FIG. 2 shows a right side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1;[0008]
• FIG. 3 shows a right side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 2, with certain parts in a different position;[0009]
• FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a motorized fan and multi-blade damper box in accordance with another embodiment of my invention;[0010]
• FIG. 5 shows a right side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 4;[0011]
• FIG. 6 shows a right side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 5, with certain parts in a different position.[0012]
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Referring to the Figures, a fan damper box motor assembly is shown in accordance with my invention for use as an exhaust fan means. This comprises a multi-blade damper designated generally[0013]10 having a plurality of horizontally disposedblades12 pivotally mounted therein so as to be actuated to swing to an open position (shown) in FIGS. 1 and 2 or to a closed position shown in FIG. 3. The blades may be conveniently mounted to perform this function attached to stationary blade hangers fixed to the frame (as is known in the art). Attached at one end of each blade, by any suitable means, is ablade bracket16. Each bracket is pivotally mounted to ablade bar18. As thebar18 is raised and lowered vertically (when viewed as in FIG. 2), the blades will either swing closed or opened, respectively.
• To cause this is occur, a[0014]drag link20 is provided pivotally connected at one end to theblade bar18 and at the other end to a pivotally mountedlever arm22. Thelever arm22 has three holes to pivot about. One of these holes receives thepin24 which is fixedly mounted toframe25. The vertical movement aforesaid is provided when thelever arm22 is pivoted about thepin24 in thehole23. Another of theholes27 provides a means to pivotally connect thelever arm22 to thedrag link20 at one end thereof; thus causing movement thereof in response to movement of saidlever arm22. The other end of thelever arm22 is pivotally connected to anarm26 mounted in such a manner that it can pivot about therod28. Therod28 is fixedly mounted to theupstanding bracket29 which is pivotally mounted to theframe25. Amotor32 is fixedly mounted to ayoke30 which is pivotally mounted to atie rod34 which is mounted in theframe25 through thebracket29. The motor has ashaft36 upon which is mounted afan38 for rotation therewith.
• When the apparatus is in the position shown in FIG. 3, and the[0015]motor32 is turned on, thefan blades38 rotate clockwise and the air generated by them automatically forces themultiple blades12 of the damper to the open position (FIG. 2). The air flow is to exhaust air from the building, as the motor and fan assembly pivots backwardly from the position shown in FIG. 3, to the position shown in FIG. 2. The pivotally mountedparts30,26,22,20,18 and16 cause the blades of the damper to open. The backward travel of the fan and motor assembly is limited by this linkage of parts. The assembly travels only so far back to a position in which its center of gravity (CG) is forward of itspivot point31. (See FIG. 2.) Thus, when the motor is turned off, the weight of the motor/fan assembly pivots it forward in the direction of the arrow AA to close the damper. The forward bottom corner of thebracket29 is provided to inhibit the motor assembly from traveling too far forward and engaging the rear of the blades or their mountings.
• The motor may be directly connected to the fan or may operate through a belt and pulley drive if, for example, a slower speed is desired.[0016]
• Referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and[0017]6, a fan damper box motor assembly is shown in accordance with another embodiment of my invention for use as an intake fan means. In these Figures, like numbers are used for parts which are the same as parts shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. This embodiment comprises a multi-blade damper designated generally10 having a plurality of horizontally disposedblades12 pivotally mounted therein so as to be actuated to swing to an open position (shown) in FIGS. 4 and 5 or to a closed position shown in FIG. 6. The blades may be conveniently mounted to perform this function by attaching them to stationary blade hangers fixed to the frame (as is known in the art). Attached at one end of each blade, by any suitable means, is ablade bracket16. Each bracket is pivotally mounted to ablade bar18. As thebar18 is raised and lowered vertically (when viewed as in the Figures), the blades will either swing to a closed or opened position, respectively.
• To cause this is occur, a[0018]drag link20 is provided pivotally connected at one end to theblade bar18 and at the other end to a pivotally mountedangled lever arm22. Thelever arm22 has three holes to pivot about. One of these holes receives thepin24 which is fixedly mounted toframe25. The vertical movement aforesaid is provided when thelever arm22 is pivoted about thepin24 in thehole23. Another of theholes27 provides a means to pivotally connect thelever arm22 to thedrag link20 at one end thereof; thus causing movement thereof in response to movement of saidlever arm22. The other end of thelever arm22 is pivotally connected to anarm26 mounted in such a manner that it can pivot about therod28. Therod28 is fixedly mounted to theupstanding bracket29 which is pivotally mounted at31 to theframe25. Amotor32 is fixedly mounted to a hingedsupport bracket40. Theother part42 of the hinge of thebracket40 is fixed toyoke30 which is pivotally mounted to atie rod34 which is mounted in theframe25 through thebracket29. The motor has ashaft36 upon which is mounted apulley44 for rotation therewith. On the top of theyoke30 is mounted a block/bearing/shaft means designated generally46. The shaft means supports alarger pulley48 which is fixedly mounted to afan having blades38. Abelt50 is positioned in contact with thepulleys44 and50 to drive the fan upon rotation of the motor shaft.Spring52 attached to theyoke30 and thehinge40 maintains the tension on thebelt50.
• When the apparatus is in the position shown in FIG. 6, and the[0019]motor32 is turned on, thefan blades38 rotate clockwise and the air generated by them automatically forces themultiple blades12 of the damper to the open position (FIGS. 4 and 5). The fan sucks air into the building, as the motor and fan assembly pivots forwardly from the position shown in FIG. 6, to the position shown in FIG. 5. The pivotally mountedparts30,29,26,22,20,18 and16 cause this action. The forward travel of the fan and motor assembly is limited by this linkage of parts. The center of gravity (CG) of the motor/fan assembly remains rearward of its pivot point31 (See FIG. 5.) Thus, when the motor is turned off, the weight of the motor/fan assembly pivots it backward (as shown by the arrow BB) to close the damper (FIG. 6). The rear lower corner of thebracket29 is relieved at55 to permit this rearward travel.
• From what has been described, it will be noted that I have provided a means for automatically opening and closing an exhaust damper without the need for a separate motor to open the louvered blade portion of the damper.[0020]

Claims (7)

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor/fan damper assembly, said damper comprising a frame with a plurality of blades pivotally mounted therein to move between an open and closed position, the improvement comprising:

actuating means connected to said blades move said blades to an open and to a closed position;

motor/fan means pivotal mounted to said frame;

means to actuate said motor/fan means to turn the motor/fan means ON or OFF;

linkage means connected to the motor/fan means and to the actuating means to cause said actuating means to move said blades to an open or a closed position depending upon whether the motor/fan means is ON or OFF.

2. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein the linkage means is constructed and arranged to move said blades to the open position when the motor is turned ON and force air therethrough in a direction away from the motor/fan means; and

said motor/fan means is pivoted in said frame in a direction to move it away from said blades when said motor/fan means is turned ON.

3. The apparatus of

claim 2

wherein said motor/fan means moves towards said blades, and said blades are actuated to move to a closed position when said motor/fan means is turned OFF.

4. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein the linkage means is constructed and arranged to move said blades to the open position when the motor is turned ON and draw air therethrough in a direction toward the motor/fan means; and

said motor/fan means is pivoted in said frame in a direction to move it toward said blades when said motor/fan means is turned ON.

5. The apparatus of

claim 4

wherein said motor/fan means moves away from said blades, and said blades are actuated to move to a closed position when said motor/fan means is turned OFF.

6. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said motor/fan means comprises a motor attached to a fan by a pulley/belt drive.

7. The apparatus of

claim 6

wherein said motor is mounted to a hinge connected to a spring which is connected to a frame and is arranged to pivot said motor away from said fan, such that tension is maintained on said belt.

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