Abstract:
Apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speakers in bathroom ventilation exhaust fans mounted in ceilings and walls. A main housing can house both the ventilation fan and the speaker separately from one another. The wireless speaker can use the same power source as the fan, and can be separately controlled. Wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi Fi and Zigbee can be used.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/874,689 filed Sep. 6, 2013, the subject matter of which is incorporated by reference in its&#39; entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates ventilation exhaust fans, and in particular to apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speakers in bathroom ventilation exhaust fans mounted in ceilings and walls. 
     BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART 
     Various types of bathroom ventilation fans have been proposed over the years. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,640 to Penlesky et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,851 to Sarnosky et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,175 to Larson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,579 to Larson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,770 to Larson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,416 to Craw et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,654,495 to Adrian et al. 
     Often there is a need to have a speaker system in bathrooms for so that music and/or communication purposes. However, it can be difficult to retrofit a bathroom to include a speaker system. For example, the added speaker may have to be surface mounted and as a result can be unsightly. Additionally, speaker systems generally require hardwiring to a sound source. Additionally, speakers may require a separate power source that also requires separate hardwiring to power source. Adding wiring can add additional labor and material expense and can result in unsightly wire connections. 
     Adding a speaker system to an existing bath fan can be difficult since there is little or no space in the housings of the bath fan. Additionally, noise from the ventilation fan itself can cause distortion to the speaker sound system. Still further problems would include being able to activate the speaker system separately from the ventilation fan since the fans have one switch, and it would be undesirable to constantly turn the speaker system on and off with the fan. 
     Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speakers in bathroom ventilation fans mounted in ceilings and walls, that uses wireless technologies such as but not limited to Wi-FI, Bluetooth and Zigbee. 
     A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speaker mounted inside of bathroom ventilation fans. 
     A third objective of the present invention is to provide apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speaker system in bathroom ventilation fans that uses the same power source as a bathroom ventilation fan so that no new outside power source wiring is needed. 
     A fourth objective of the present invention is to provide apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speaker for bathroom ventilation fans that only requires a single installation of the bathroom ventilation fan as opposed to two separate installations. 
     A fifth objective of the present invention is to provide apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speaker systems for bathroom ventilation fans with the speaker located in front of the ventilation fan removing risk of sound distortion by fan blade movement. 
     A sixth objective of the present invention is to provide apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speaker system for bathroom ventilation fans having separate controls that active the speaker and fan separately. 
     A seventh objective of the present invention is to provide apparatus, devices, housings, systems and methods for providing wireless speaker systems for bathroom ventilation fans that can be connected to public address (PA) systems. 
     An embodiment of a ceiling mounted ventilation fan with speaker system can include a single housing closed sides, closed top and an open bottom, a fan inside of the housing for drawing air through the open bottom into the housing and exhausting out of a side exhaust port through one of the closed sidewalls of the housing, a motor for operating the fan, a wireless speaker inside of the housing in front of the ventilation fan, and a single power source for providing power to both the motor and the wireless speaker so that the fan and the speaker are being powered by the same power source, and the fan is useful as a ceiling ventilation fan. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include a main grill covering the open bottom. The main grill can include a separate speaker grill covering an opening in the main grill for protecting the speaker. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include an enclosure for the speaker. The wireless speaker can include a transmitter and receiver operating with a wireless technology, selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include a control for operating the wireless speaker separately from the fan. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include a remote control for operating the wireless speaker separately from the fan. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include a home entertainment system remotely supplying music to the speaker. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include a public address (PA) system remotely providing messages to the wireless speaker. 
     The wireless speaker can include a speaker enclosure having an opening for supporting a rear end of a speaker by a speaker mount; and a separate speaker grill in the main grill for the speaker, wherein the speaker enclosure and speaker mount prevents incoming air through the grill from passing about the speaker. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include a single power supply for supplying power to both the fan and wireless speaker inside the single housing. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include an enclosure inside the single housing for enclosing both a wireless receiver module and a power converter. 
     The ceiling mounted ventilation fan can include a junction box for connecting the supplied power to both the fan and the wireless speaker. The junction box can include male and female plugs for attaching and detaching the supplied power to both the fan and the wireless speaker. 
     The housing can include a top chassis and a bottom chassis attached to one another. The top chassis can include a first side wall, a second side wall spaced opposite to and parallel to the first side wall, and a top wall for attaching the first side wall to the second side wall. The bottom chassis can include a first side wall, a second side wall spaced opposite to and parallel to the first side wall, a first support beam for attaching one side edge of the first side wall to one side edge of the second side wall, and a second support beam for attaching another side edge of the first side wall to another side edge of the second side wall. 
     The ventilation fan can be a bath fan. 
     The speaker can be located between the grill and the fan, and the fan can include a blower wheel. 
     Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments which are illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is exploded view of the ceiling mounted ventilation fan with wireless speaker. 
         FIG. 2  shows the circuitry used in the ventilation fan with wireless speaker of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an upper front perspective view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a lower perspective view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 8A  is a rear view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 8B  is a cross-sectional ghosted rear view of the assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 8A . 
         FIG. 9  is a left side view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 10A  is a right side view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 10B  is a cross-sectional ghosted right side view of the assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 10A . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applications to the details of the particular arrangements shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
     In the Summary above and in the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally. 
     In this section, some embodiments of the invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime notation is used to indicate similar elements in alternative embodiments. 
     A list of components will now be described.
       1  bath fan with wireless speaker     10  top chassis (housing)     12  first side wall     14  second side wall     16  top wall     20  bottom chassis     22  first side wall     24  second side wall     25  exhaust vent     26  first support beam     28  second support beam     30  Blower wheel     35  Motor     40  Junction box     50  Speaker enclosure     52  Speaker     54  Speaker mount     56  Speaker grill     60  Main grill     62  Spring clip     70  Enclosure for BT module and power converter     72  Wireless module (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee)     74  Power converter     100  smart phone     200  entertainment center   

       FIG. 1  is exploded view of the ceiling mounted ventilation fan  1  with wireless speaker  52 . A top chassis  10  and bottom chassis  20  can fit together by fasteners, such as screws and bolts to form a housing can. The top chassis can include a first side wall  12 , a second side wall  14 , attached to one another by a top wall  16 . The bottom chassis  20  can include a first side wall  22  with first support beam such as telescoping legs with bent end flanges, and a second side wall  24  with a second support beam  28  such as telescoping legs with bent end flanges, the support beams  26 ,  28  for attaching the housing to support type joists in a ceiling above the ceiling fan  1 . 
     A grill  60  can be attached to the housing chassis  10 ,  20  by a spring clip  62  The housing can pull air through vents in the grill  60  by the blower wheel  30  which is rotated by a rotatable axle portion of a motor  25 , and exhaust air out of the housing by an exhaust vent  25 . 
     The horizontally mounted blower wheel  30  with motor  35  extending partially out from underneath top chassis  10  and bottom chassis  20  of the housing and exhaust vent  25  with spring clip attached vented grill  60 , can include components shown and described in related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/042,992 filed Mar. 8, 2011 now U.S. Pat. No. 9,175,874; Ser. No. 13/168,112 filed Jun. 24, 2011 now U.S. Pat. No. 9,022,846; Ser. No. 13/219,326 filed Aug. 26, 2011; Ser. No. 13/233,700 filed Sep. 15, 2011 now U.S. Pat. No. 9,097,265; Ser. No. 13/237,544 filed Sep. 20, 2011 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,961,126; Ser. No. 13/269,171 filed Oct. 7, 2011 now U.S. Pat. No. 9,103,104; and Ser. No. 13/289,312 filed Nov. 4, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,028,212, which are all assigned to the same assignee as the subject patent application, and which are all incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
       FIG. 2  shows the circuitry  100  used in the ventilation fan  1  with wireless speaker  52  of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the assembled bath fan  1  includes a wireless speaker system  52  integrated into a bathroom ventilation fan  1 . Combining these two systems together will save space in often small rooms. Also, the combination will only require a single installation as opposed to two separate installations. The speaker  52  can use the same power source 120 volt AC that can be split into a power source for both the ventilation fan motor  35  and blower wheel  30  and wireless receiver  72  so that no new wiring is required by consumer. The speaker  52  can be located in front of the ventilation fan blower wheel  60 , removing risk of sound distortion by blade movement of the blower wheel  60 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , on a horizontal plane, the speaker  52  and enclosure  50  below (in front of) the blower wheel eliminating any distortion covered by the blower wheel. In essence, the speaker generates sounds downward in to the room below, without the sounds passing through the blower wheel. Although  FIG. 1  shows the speaker enclosure to one side corner of the grill  60 , the speaker enclosure can be in any location in the grill  60  such as other corners, or in the middle of the grill  60 , as long as the speaker enclosure  50  is between the blower  30  and the grill  60   
     The speaker unit  52  can include a wireless receiver  72 , amplifier, and at least one speaker  52 , and a remotely located transmitter  100 / 200 . A wireless transmitter  100 / 200 , such as but not limited to a Bluetooth transmitter can be remotely located on an entertainment system  200 , or portable electronics device  100 , such as but not limited to a smart phone, which sends wireless signals to the receiver  72 , which then transmits the signals through the speaker  52 . 
     A smaller speaker grill  56  can be mounted to one side corner of the main grill  60 . A speaker mount  54  can support a speaker  52  in a speaker enclosure  50  such as a cylindrical container. An enclosure  70  having a lid covering an open end of a box portion can enclose a Bluetooth module  72 , a power converter  74 , along with a junction box  40 . 
     The junction box can include male and female plugs for attaching and detaching power from a single power source to both the ventilation fan motor  35  and Bluetooth module  72  and wireless speaker  52 . 
     The speaker enclosure  50  can be cylindrical container having closed top, closed sides and bottom opening for supporting a rear end of a speaker  52  by a speaker mount  54  with a separate speaker grill  56  in the main grill  60  for the speaker. Enclosure  50  can be other shapes, such as but not limited to box shaped, and the like. The speaker enclosure  50 , and speaker mount  54  prevents incoming air through the grill  60  from passing about the speaker  52 . 
       FIG. 3  is an upper front perspective view of an assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker  52  behind grill  60  of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 4  is a lower perspective view of an assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker  52  behind grill  60  of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 5  is a bottom view of an assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker  52  behind grill  60  of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 6  is a top view of an assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 7  is a front view of an assembled ventilation fan with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 8A  is a rear view of an assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker  52  of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 8B  is a cross-sectional ghosted rear view of the assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker  52  in grill  60  of  FIG. 8A . 
       FIG. 9  is a left side view of an assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 10A  is a right side view of an assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker  52  of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 10B  is a cross-sectional ghosted right side view of the assembled ventilation fan  1  with speaker  52  of  FIG. 10A . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-10B  invention allows a consumer to use a wireless speaker  52  configured for use with bathroom ventilation fan  1 . Combining these two systems together will save space in often small rooms. Also, the combination will only require a single installation opposed to two separate installations. 
     The speaker can use the same household 120 volt AC power source as ventilation fan  1  so no new wiring is required by consumer. 
     The speaker  52  can be located in front of the ventilation fan  1 , removing risk of sound distortion by blade movement. Incoming air passing through the vented grill  60  is to the side of the speaker enclosure  50  with speaker  52 . The speaker unit includes a wireless receiver  72 /transmitter, amplifier, and at least one speaker  52 . 
     Although the wireless technology references Bluetooth, the invention can work with other wireless technology such as but not limited to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee. 
     The invention can use separate controls such as such as a separate remote control for operating the wireless speaker separately from the ventilation fan in the bath fan. 
     Although the invention generally describes generating music through the speaker(s)  52 , the novel invention can work with a public address (PA) system remotely providing messages to the wireless speaker  52 . For example, a home/building having separate wireless speakers in different bathrooms and other rooms can be interconnected with a public address system. 
     While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.