Patent Publication Number: US-2018045204-A1

Title: Ceiling pot fan

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to ceiling fans and in particular to a ceiling fan and light combination which may be installed within a common housing above the ceiling without additional ductwork. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In the residential housing industry, ceiling mounted ventilation fans are available in a variety of configurations. However, in such uses ventilation ducts are not commonly installed within the ceiling cavity to discharge the ventilation air, and therefore drop down ceiling fans are typically installed to improve air circulation within a room. These devices may have other functions, as well, including integral illumination. Drop down ceiling fans may not be aesthetically pleasing to all users and intrude into the room, taking space. 
     Alternate ceiling air circulation systems which enclose the fan within a housing in the ceiling have been developed. These devices, however, require the units to be connected to an air duct to provide the air supply for the fan. Examples of such devices are US Patent Nos. 2010/0136897 A1 to Lee et al., 2013/0196588 A1 to Liao and 2013/008/4793 A1 to Yang. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an apparatus for ventilating a room comprising an outer casing having an open bottom and having a central axis extending therethrough and a fan coaxially supported within the outer casing along the central axis, the fan having a plurality of fan blades extending radially from the central axis. The apparatus further comprises an air opening extending into the outer casing around the fan and a ring surrounding the fan and separating the fan from the air opening and defining an air passage from the air opening to the fan. 
     The outer casing may be substantially cylindrical about the central axis. The apparatus may further comprise an inner housing wherein the air passage is defined between the inner housing and the ring. The inner housing may have a substantially semi-toroidal shape. The inner housing may extend from a bottom edge of the outer casing. The inner housing may include an annular wall extending upwardly towards a top of the outer casing sized to receive the fan motor therein. 
     The ring may include an outwardly radially lip extending therefrom. The lip may extend over a portion of the air opening. The lip may be spaced apart from a bottom of the outer casing. The ring includes a light source on a bottom surface thereof. 
     The fan may be supported and rotated by a fan motor supported within the outer casing. The apparatus may further comprise a light suspended from the fan motor within the plurality of fan blades. The fan may be adapted to have a reversible airflow therethrough. 
     The apparatus may further comprise an outer housing adapted to surround the outer casing. The outer housing may be adapted to be secured to a building above the ceiling. 
     According to a further embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a method for forming ventilator for a room comprising the steps of locating an outer casing above a ceiling in the room having an opening extending through the ceiling and positioning a fan within the outer casing so to be coaxial with the opening therearound in the casing. The method further comprises rotating the fan as to draw air in through one of the opening and the fan and discharge the air through the other of the opening or the fan passing through an air passage between the outer casing and a ring located coaxially between the fan and the opening. 
     Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view, 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective cut-away view of an apparatus for ventilating a room and housing installed between two ceiling joists. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  3 - 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus for ventilating a room according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  10 . The apparatus  10  is mounted within a housing  12 . The housing  12  is generally in the shape of a square box and includes mounting brackets  14 , which may be attached to the housing  12  as well as to adjacent joists  8  above a ceiling  6 , using any known means of attachment, such as, by way of non-limiting example, screws, nails, adhesives or the like. The housing  12  extends between bottom and top edges  16  and  18 , respectively. The bottom edge  16  is open and communicates with the inside of a room through a ceiling opening  4  formed in the ceiling  6 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the apparatus  10  is illustrated without the housing  12 .  FIG. 2  illustrates a bottom plan view of the apparatus  10 , whereas  FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the apparatus  10  taken along the line  3 - 3 . The apparatus  10  comprises a cylindrical casing  20 , extending between bottom and top edges  22  and  24 , respectively, with a circular top plate  26  proximate to the top edge  24 , with a common central axis  70 . An inner air chamber housing  30  and an air director ring  40  are positioned within the cylindrical casing  20  defining an air passage  36  therebetween. The air passage  36  extends between a first end  35  proximate to the cylindrical casing  20  and a second end  35  proximate to the axis  70 . Axially aligned within the housing  12  and cylindrical casing  20  is an illuminated fan unit  50 , as will be more fully described below. 
     The cylindrical casing  20  may be sized to fit within the housing  12 . In particular, the cylindrical casing  20  and housing  12  have a height between the top and bottom edges  24  and  22  sufficient to contain the air passage and fan unit  50 . By way of non-limiting example, a height of between 4 and 12 inches (102 and 305 mm) may be used, although it may be appreciated that other heights may be useful, as well. The outer diameter of the cylindrical casing  20  may be selected to correspond to the opening  4  size, or be based upon the air circulation demands in the room, such as, by way of non-limiting example, between 12 and 48 inches (305 and 1220 mm). Optionally the cylindrical casing  20  and housing  12  may be sized to fit between a standard 24 inch (610 mm) joist span, although larger or smaller diameters may be useful, as well, to fit between alternate custom joist spans. The cylindrical casing  20  may have a plurality of bore holes (not shown) through the side to accommodate mounting screws or clips for securing within the housing  12  according to known means. The circular top plate  26  is substantially the same diameter as the cylindrical casing  20  and may be attached by any known means to the top edge  24  of the cylindrical casing  20 . The top plate  26  may include a plurality of bore holes (not shown) to accommodate, such as, by way of non-limiting example, an electrical supply and mounting screws or clips, as are commonly known. 
     The inner air chamber housing  30  is comprised of a toroidal portion  32  and a cylindrical portion  34 . The toroidal portion is generally formed in a toroidal shape, split essentially on the horizontal axis, with the bottom of the toroidal portion  32  open proximate to the bottom edge  22 , forming a top surface to the air passage  36 . The external diameter of the toroidal portion  32  is sized to fit within the cylindrical casing  20 . The height of the inner air chamber housing  30  is sized to fit within the height of the cylindrical casing  20 . The cylindrical portion  34  extends upward from the inner edge of the toroidal portion  32  to the top edge  24 . The diameter of the cylindrical portion  34  is sized to receive an electric motor  60  therein. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , an annular gap  61  surrounds the motor  60  to allow for airflow and heat dissipation around the motor  60 , although it will be appreciated that for some motor selections the annular gap  61  may be eliminated. The inner air chamber housing  30  is attached to the cylindrical casing  20  by any known means, such as, by way of non-limiting example, fasteners, adhesives, welding or the like. It may be appreciated that the inner air chamber housing  30  may be omitted, allowing the air to pass through the cylindrical casing  20 . 
     The air director ring  40  is formed in an annular shape, and is sized such that the cross sectional opening width at the second end  37  to the air passage  36  is essentially the same as the length of a fan blade  54 . An annularly extending air deflector lip  42 , as seen in  FIG. 3 , may optionally be formed on the air director ring  40  to improve room air circulation through the apparatus  10 . A plurality of brackets  44 ,  46  and  48  are attached by any known means to support the air director ring  40  within the inner air chamber housing  30 . Each set of brackets  44 ,  46  and  48  may be aligned, as best seen in  FIG. 3 , but it may be appreciated that other configurations may be useful, as well.  FIG. 2  illustrates the present embodiment of the invention with 8 sets of brackets  44 ,  46  and  48 , evenly distributed around the circumference of the inner air chamber housing  30 , but it may be appreciated that more or less brackets may be useful, as well. It may be appreciated that in the case where the inner air chamber housing  30  may be omitted, the brackets  44 ,  46  and  48  may be attached to the cylindrical casing  20 . An LED light strip may optionally be attached to an annular bottom surface  41  of the air director ring  40 . It will also be appreciated that a grate of any known style may be located across the air passage  36  so as to provide an aesthetically pleasing covering for the air chamber  30 . 
     The fan unit  50  is comprised of an electric motor  60 , an illumination source  62 , a plurality of fan arms  52  supporting a plurality of fan blades  54  therefrom. The motor  60  may be of any conventional type, as are commonly known. The illumination source  62  may be an LED or any other suitable light, and may be operably connected electrically and physically to the motor to be supported therefrom and not rotated with the fan blades in any means, as is commonly known. It may be appreciated that other illumination sources may be useful, as well. The plurality of fan arms  52  are attached to the rotator of the motor  60  and support the plurality of fan blades  54  therefrom as is commonly known. The fan blades  54  are selected to be of a commonly known design and style. An annular gap  64  of not less than ¼ inch (6.35 mm) separates the illumination source  62  and the inner edge of the fan blades  54 . Similarly, an annular gap  56  of not less than ¼ inch (6.35 mm) separates the outer edge of the fan blades  54  and the air director ring  40 . 
     To install the apparatus  10 , the housing  12  is attached to the joists  8  during the construction phase, prior to installation of the ceiling  6 . This is similar to the method used to install recessed lights during construction. Following installation of the ceiling  6 , a circular ceiling opening  4  is cut in the ceiling  6  centred below the housing  12  to fit the cylindrical casing  20  with the fan unit  50 , air deflector ring  40  and inner air chamber housing  30  therein. The cylindrical casing  20  is attached to the housing  12  and electric motor  60  and illumination source  62  are connected to the building electrical supply as is commonly known. An annular trim ring  66  is sized to cover the outer edge of the apparatus  10 , and may be attached to the ceiling  6  using such as, by way of non-limiting example, screws, or it may be attached to the apparatus  10  using such as, by way of non-limiting example, clips or springs or may optionally be permanently connected to or co-formed with cylindrical casing  20 . The annular trim ring  66  surrounds the outer edge of the apparatus  10  and serves to cover a lower periphery and inner circumferential surface of the ceiling opening  4  so as to prevent the ceiling opening  4  from being directly viewed from within the room. 
     When in use, the fan arms and attached blades  52  and  54  are rotated by the motor  60 , when activated by a user. As best seen in  FIG. 3 , the room air is drawn through the ceiling opening  4  to the air passage  36  through the first end  35  thereof in the inner air chamber housing  30  in the general direction  100 , and expelling from the apparatus  10  through the second end  37  downwards past the fan blades  54 . Alternately, the motor may be reversed, and the air may be drawn upwards past the fan blades  54 , through the air passage  36  into the inner air chamber housing  30  with the airflow in the opposite direction to that shown. When the illumination source  62  is turned on, the light is introduced to the room through the ceiling opening  4 . It will be appreciated that the fan and lights may be operated in common or independently. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.