Abstract:
A fanned vent cover insert, and an air handing system having such a fanned vent cover insert, for increasing air flow from an air vent. The fanned vent cover insert includes a battery and a direct current motor-generator having a rotor. A fan is attached to the rotor. A blower switch selectively connects the battery to the motor-generator so as to selectively cause the fan to move air. A battery charger is connected to the motor-generator and to the battery. The battery charger charges the battery when air moves the fan when the motor is not turning the fan.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The presently disclosed subject matter is directed towards a fanned vent cover insert for assisting air flow from an air duct into a room. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Forced air heating and cooling has been successfully used for many years in many different applications. Such systems incorporate fanned blower motors that blow hot air from a furnace or cold air from an air conditioner through an air duct and out an air vent into a room. By adding numerous air duct branches to the system multiple areas can be heated and cooled from a central furnace/air conditioner. 
         [0003]    Forced air heating and cooling works particularly well when the air ducting system does not include too many duct branches and when all air vents are close to the blower motor. But, if the blower output splits into multiple ducts or if an air vent is a long way from a blower motor significant pressure drops can occur which can seriously reduce the air output. 
         [0004]    A prior art approach to obtaining sufficient air flow from an air vent is to increase the air flow output of the blower motor. However, that can involve significant additional costs for a larger blower motor as well as any additional electrical power that would be required to drive the blower motor. Larger blower motors also tend to be noisier than smaller blower motors. Furthermore, simply increasing the blower motor output may cause air flow imbalances given that air vents close to the motor will still output most of the moving air. 
         [0005]    Problems of multiple air ducts branches and air vents located a long way from a blower motor also occur in many existing systems. Retrofitting such systems can be extremely difficult and costly, particularly if additional electrical power requirements are required. Therefore, a technique for increasing air flow from an air vent without requiring a larger blower motor would be beneficial. Even more beneficial would be a technique of increasing air flow from an existing air vent without increasing the size of the existing blower motor and without requiring modifications to existing electrical power distributions. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The principles of the present invention provide for a fanned vent cover insert for increasing air flow from an air vent. The principles of the present invention further provide for a fanned vent cover insert for increasing air flow from an air vent without increasing the size of a blower motor and without requiring modifications to existing electrical power distribution. 
         [0007]    Those principles of the present invention are incorporated in a fanned vent cover insert having a battery and a direct current motor-generator having a rotor attached to a fan. The fanned vent cover insert further includes a blower switch that selectively connects the battery to the motor-generator so as to drive the motor-generator to cause the fan to move air. A battery charger is also connected to the motor-generator and to the battery. The battery charger charges the battery when air moves the fan when the motor-generator is not turning the fan. 
         [0008]    The principles of the present invention further provide for an air handling system having a fanned vent cover insert for increasing air flow. The air handling system includes an air processing unit, such as a furnace or an air conditioner, which processes air and blows the processed air out. An air duct receives the processed and passes it to its air exhaust. The fanned vent cover insert receives air from the air exhaust and increases its flow. The fanned vent cover insert includes a battery and a direct current motor-generator having a rotor attached to a fan. The fanned vent cover insert further includes a blower switch that selectively connects the battery to the motor-generator so as to drive the motor-generator to cause the fan to move air. A battery charger is also connected to the motor-generator and to the battery. The battery charger charges the battery when air moves the fan when the motor-generator is not turning the fan. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an air ducting system that is in accord with the principles of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view a wall having an air vent; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an perspective view of an air duct exhaust when the air vent of  FIG. 2  is removed; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a fanned vent cover insert that is in accord with the principles of the present invention and which is inserted between the air vent of  FIG. 2  and the air duct exhaust of  FIG. 3 , and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the fanned vent cover insert of  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an electrical schematic of the fanned vent cover insert of  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    The presently disclosed subject matter now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is shown. However, it should be understood that this invention may take many different forms and thus should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein. In the figures like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0017]    The present invention is described herein with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 6 . Specifically, the present invention is described as a fanned vent cover insert that is suitable for insertion between an air vent and an air duct exhaust. The fanned vent cover insert is for increasing air flow from an air ducting system without increasing the size of a given blower motor and without requiring modification to existing electrical power distribution. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  illustrates an air handling system  10  that is in accord with the principles of the present invention. The air handling system  10  includes an air processing unit  15  such as a furnace, an air conditioner, or a heat pump. The air processing unit  15  processes air and blows the processed air into an air duct  20 . The air handling system  10  further includes air return ducting  25  that feeds air into the air processing unit  15 . Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the air duct  20  splits into various branches, each of which terminates in an air exhaust  30 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows an external view of a typical air exhaust  30  suitable for use with the present invention. As shown, the air exhaust  30  includes an air vent  35  against a surface such as a wall  40 . Turning now to  FIG. 3 , when the air vent  35  (see  FIG. 3 ) is removed an air duct exhaust  45  of the air duct  20  is exposed. Currently, in the United States the air duct exhaust  45  is usually 10¼″ long×4¼″ wide. Additionally, the air duct exhaust  45  typically includes 4 screw receptacles  47  (two on one side (top) and two on the other (bottom) that are spaced 3 and 15/16″ apart. Those screw receptacles  47  are used to retain the air vent  35  on the air duct exhaust  45  via screws  48  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0020]    Turning now to the partial side view of  FIG. 4 , the principles of the present invention provide for a fanned vent cover insert  50  that is disposed between the air duct exhaust  45  of the air duct  20  and the air vent  35 . On one side of the fanned vent cover insert  50  is a rubber gasket  60  for mating with the air duct exhaust  45 , while on the other side of the fanned vent cover insert  50  is a rubber gasket  65  for mating with the air vent  35 . Those two rubber gaskets form a seal to prevent air flow  87  from the air processing unit  15  from bypassing the fanned vent cover insert  50 . 
         [0021]    Still referring to  FIG. 4 , the fanned vent cover insert  50  include two fans  70  and  75  (shown in more detail in  FIG. 5 ) that are respectfully located in two air channels  80  and  85 . Disposed between the air channels is a battery compartment  90 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 5  illustrates a “bottom view” of the fanned vent cover insert  50 . Bottom view is a view looking at the fanned vent cover insert  50  side that contacts the air duct exhaust (see  FIG. 4 ). As shown,  FIG. 5  illustrates the two fans  70  and  75 , the two air channels  80  and  85 , and the battery compartment  90  in more detail. Also shown, is an air flow switch  95  (described in more detail subsequently) which senses the air flow  87  (see  FIG. 4 ) through the fanned vent cover insert  50 . As shown, the two fans  70  and  75  are respectfully attached to the rotors  100  and  105  of DC motors-generators  110  and  115 . 
         [0023]    The motor-generators  110  and  115  are of the type of DC electromagnetic devices that can operate both as a motor when electrical power is applied and as a generator when their rotor is turned by an external force. Such motor-generators are usually brushed permanent magnetic devices and are well known. However, it should be understood that separate DC motors coupled to separate DC generators can also be used. 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  illustrates the electrical operation of the fanned vent cover insert  50  (see  FIG. 5 ). Additionally, several elements not shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  are also illustrated. Those elements are not visible from an external inspection of the fanned vent cover insert  50  (see Figures and  5 ). As shown, the fanned vent cover insert  50  (see  FIG. 5 ) includes a rechargeable battery  130  and a battery charger  135 , both of which are located inside the battery compartment  90  (see  FIG. 5 ). Also shown in more detail is the air flow switch  95 , which is a dual double pole double throw switch. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the battery charger  135  connects to the rechargeable battery  130 , and, via two poles of the air flow switch  95 , to the DC motor-generators  110  and  115 . Furthermore, the rechargeable battery  130  connects to the DC motors-generators  110  and  115  via two other poles of the air flow switch  95 . 
         [0026]    In operation, when the air flow  87  (see  FIG. 4 ) is high (that is, over a predetermined threshold that depends on the specific application and specific air flow switch) the air flow switch  95  connections between the battery  130  and the motor-generators  110  and  115  are open while those between the battery charger  135  and the motor-generators  110  and  115  are closed. The air flow  87  (see  FIG. 4 ) passes through the air channels  80  and  85  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) and rotate the fans  70  and  75 , respectively (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). The output of the motor-generators  110  and  115  are then applied to the battery charger  135 , which, in turn, charges the battery  130 . 
         [0027]    However, when the air flow  87  (see  FIG. 4 ) is low, the air flow switch  95  connections between the battery  130  and the motor-generators  110  and  115  are closed, while those between the motor-generators  110  and  115  and the battery charger  135  are open. Then, electrical power from the battery  130  powers the -generators  110  and  115 , which in turn rotate the fans  70  and  75  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). This increases the air flow  87  (see  FIG. 4 ) through the fanned vent cover insert  50  (see  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0028]    It should be understood that while the fanned vent cover insert  50  illustrated in  FIGS. 4 through 5  show two fans, this is simply an embodiment of the present invention. While at least one fan is required, more than two can be used in some applications. Furthermore, while the air flow switch  95  (see  FIG. 6 ) is shown with four poles, this also is not a requirement, but will depend on the application. It simply depends on how the battery charger  135 , motor-generators  110  and  115 , and battery  130  are implemented. 
         [0029]    Therefore, it is to be understood that while the figures and the above description illustrate the present invention, they are exemplary only. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Others who are skilled in the applicable arts will recognize numerous modifications and adaptations of the illustrated embodiments that remain within the principles of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims.