Abstract:
A diffuser for a ceiling allows a ceiling fan to be mounted directly below the diffuser so that the fan may distribute the air being delivered out of the diffuser. The diffuser includes an upper box section mounted on a lower section that mounts the diffuser on the ceiling. The down rod of the ceiling fan is connected to the diffuser to support the ceiling fan. The down rod may be supported above the upper section so that the electrical connections between the ceiling fan and an electrical source may be positioned outside of the diffuser.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/172,265 filed Dec. 17, 1999, and from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/226,163 filed Aug. 18, 2000; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention generally relates to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning air distribution equipment and, more particularly, to a ceiling diffuser that includes a ceiling fan to more thoroughly distribute the air flowing through the diffuser. 
     2. Background Information 
     Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning duct work in commercial buildings is typically disposed above the ceiling. Air is distributed into the rooms of the building through vents located in the ceiling. Diffusers are used in the vents to evenly distribute the air flowing out of the vent. 
     Ceiling fans are also used to distribute air. Ceiling fans hang below the ceiling of a room. One problem in the prior art is that ceiling fans must be hung away from the vents because the ceiling fans must be connected to a support structure. The removed position of the ceiling fan often creates cold or warm spots in the room. The art thus desires a structure that allows a typical ceiling fan to be mounted directly below a diffuser in a ceiling vent. Another problem in the art is that rooms have limited panels in which to install lights, vents, fans, sprinklers, speakers, etc. The art desires devices that combine these elements to limit the number of ceiling panels used in a room. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a diffuser for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system that allows a ceiling fan to be centered directly below the diffuser. The invention provides this combination by providing a diffuser box having a mount that receives a standard ceiling fan. The invention provides the combination diffuser and ceiling fan while allowing the electrical connection between the ceiling fan and electrical service to occur outside of the diffuser box. 
     The invention provides the above combination in further combination with a light to minimize the number of ceiling panels filled in a given room. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view, partially in section, of the first embodiment of the combination diffuser and ceiling fan of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional front view of the connection between the ceiling fan and the top of the diffuser box. 
     FIG. 2A is a sectional view of a collar insert for use with a smaller diameter down rod. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a room using two combined diffuser and ceiling fans of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing an alternative upper section. 
     FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a second embodiment of the combination diffuser and ceiling fan. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of FIG.  5 . 
     Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the specification. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The first embodiment of the combined diffuser and ceiling fan combination of the present invention is indicated generally by the numeral  10  in the accompanying drawings. Combination  10  is depicted in FIG. 3 as being installed in a typical drop ceiling  12  in a room  14 . Combination  10  functions to evenly distribute air within room  14  by immediately distributing air exiting the diffuser  16  with the fan  18 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, ceiling  12  includes a plurality of ceiling panels  20  supported by a plurality of frame members  22 . Various types of ceiling panels  20  and frame members  22  are known in the art and combination  10  of the present invention is intended to work with a wide variety of ceiling panels  20  and frame members  22 . Frame members  22  are typically supported by supports  24  from a fixed roof (not shown) of the building. In addition, combination  10  is intended to work with other ceilings  12  other than the drop ceiling disclosed in the drawings. Combination  10  decreases the number of ceiling panels used to support items in a room. 
     Ceiling fan  18  is any of a variety of ceiling fans known in the art that includes a plurality of blades  30  extending from a hub  32  that is rotatingly driven by a motor  34 . Fan  18  may also include one or more lights  35 . Motor  34  is supported by a down rod  36 . Down rods  36  known in the art are typically ½ inch or ¾ inch outside diameter and include a hollow channel  38  that receives wire  39  that provides power to motor  34 . Fan  18  may be rotated in either direction and the speed of rotation is typically controlled by the user. 
     Diffuser  16  includes a plurality of concentrically-disposed vanes  40 . Vanes  40  may be square as depicted in FIG. 3, triangular, round (FIG.  6 ), or any of a variety of other shapes as is known in the art. Vanes  40  are connected together and supported from a diffuser box  42  by supports  44 . Diffuser box  42  includes a lower section  46  and an upper section  48 . Lower section  46  of diffuser box  42  is configured to be supported by support members  22  and is typically the same size as one ceiling panel  20  so that lower diffuser section  46  replaces a ceiling panel  20  as shown in FIG.  3 . Box  42  thus rests on four supports  22 . Section  46  may include feet  50  that rest on support members  22  and may be connected to support members  22  by connectors such as screws, bolts, rivets, adhesive, etc. In past diffusers, the air inlet tube  52  connected directly to section  46  so that the air flowing through tube  52  was directed immediately into vanes  40  and into room  12 . In the present invention, air inlet tube  52  is connected to upper section  48  of box  42 . In the preferred embodiment, air inlet tube  52  is connected to a side wall  54  of upper section  48 . 
     Side wall  54  is angled with respect to vertical so that the air flowing into box  42  is directed downwardly toward vanes  40 . In an alternative embodiment, the opposite wall is angled (FIG. 4) to strengthen upper wall  56  and to direct air downwardly. 
     Diffuser box  42  includes an upper wall  56 . Upper wall  56  supports an electrical box  58  that contains the electrical connection  60  between wire  39  and electrical supply wire  62 . Electrical box  58  also supports down rod  36  in a position where rod  36  is centered with respect to vanes  40 . 
     Down rod  36  is supported by electrical box  58  with a collar  70  that includes an upper section  72  and a threaded lower section  74 . Threaded lower section  74  threadedly receives a nut  76  that clamps against a support plate  78 . Support plate  78  engages wall  56 . Collar  70  has a shoulder  80  that rests inside electrical box  58 . Upper section  72  includes a hole that receives a pin  82  that  20  extends through collar  70  and through down rod  36  to prevent down rod  36  from rotating with respect to electrical box  58  and moving downwardly or upwardly with respect to electrical box  58 . Collar  70  is preferably connected to electrical box  58  by a secondary connector  84  to prevent collar  70  from rotating with respect to electrical box  58 . Connector  84  may be any of a variety of connectors suitable for holding collar  70  stationary with respect to electrical box  58 . For instance, connector  84  may be a pin, a screw, a bolt, an adhesive, a nut and bolt combination, a protuberance that interferes with the rotation of collar  70 , etc. 
     Down rod  36  extends through the center of vanes  40  and is connected to the bottom wall  90  of vanes  40  by a grommet  92 . Grommet  92  prevents down rod from rattling with respect to vanes  40  and dampens vibration. 
     When down rod  36  is reduced in diameter, grommet  92  is increased in size to make up the difference. In addition, a collar insert  94  (FIG. 2A) is fitted within collar  70  to accept the smaller diameter down rod  36 . 
     The second embodiment of the combined diffuser and ceiling fan combination of the present invention is indicated generally by the numeral  100  in FIGS. 5 and 6. Combination  100  is depicted in FIG. 5 as being installed in a typical drop ceiling  12  in a room similar to room  14  depicted in FIG.  3 . Combination  100  functions to evenly distribute air within the room by immediately distributing air exiting the diffuser  16  with fan  18 . 
     Combination  100  includes many of the same elements described above described above with respect to combination  10  and the same numbers are used to refer to these elements. Combination  100  includes a support assembly  102  that supports down rod  36  from diffuser box  42 . In the embodiment of the invention depicted in the drawings, support assembly  102  is connected to lower section  46  of diffuser box  42 . 
     Support assembly  102  includes a plurality of support rods  104  that extend from box  42  to a collar  106  that surrounds down rod  36 . Collar  106  prevents down rod  36  from shaking or rattling if fan  18  becomes unbalanced. Each support rod  102  is adjustable through the use of adjustment nuts  108  disposed on both inner and outer ends of support rods  104 . Support assembly  102  allows combination  100  to be used without grommet  92 . 
     Combination  100  also includes a support frame  120  that supports diffuser box  42  from the structural elements  122  of the building in which combination  100  is being installed. Support frame  120  includes at least two vertical risers  124  that are connected to the sides of box  42 . An upper horizontal support  126  extends across the top ends of vertical risers  124 . An intermediate horizontal support  128  extends between vertical risers  124  and is positioned above electrical box  58 . Intermediate horizontal support  128  supports the top of electrical box  58  and thus provides support to fan  18  that is connected to support structure  122 . 
     The outside of box  42  is preferably insulated with an insulating material that prevents box  42  from gathering condensation. Down rod  36  is also preferably covered with a foam insulation to prevent down rod  36  from gathering condensation. 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. 
     Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.