Abstract:
A wind generator assembly for driving an electric generator having an inlet air riser having an upper end disposed to capture portions of roof level wind currents and a lower end. The lower end of the inlet air riser extends upward from and is in communication with an air box that houses a rotator assembly. An air inlet turret is mounted for rotation by roof currents to be directed to gather and pass a portion of the roof currents into the inlet air riser. The rotator assembly has a rotor supported on a support arbor that is rotated in a predetermined rotational direction by roof level wind currents. The support arbor is connectable to an electric power generator.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims domestic priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/203,219 filed Dec. 19, 2008, entitled “Wind Generator For Roof Wind Currents.” 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     In the past, wind power has been harnessed in widespread areas of useful work, such as transportation (sailing the oceans), fluid mechanics (14th century Dutch windmills drained delta lowlands) and food processing (grinding mills powered by windmills). In the United States, windmills have long dotted farmlands, converting wind energy to draw water from wells; and by the early 1930s windmills for electricity were in common use on such farms, largely where electricity power lines had not yet reached. Recent years has seen the establishment of commercially operated wind farms that produce electricity fed to electrical power grids. 
     While the conversion of the kinetic energy of wind currents to produce useful work as just mentioned, wind power has not seen the magnitude of efforts directed to develop other energy sources, such as the exploration and use of hydrocarbon fuel and nuclear power sources. However, recent years have seen increased attention and development efforts to make wind power conversion economically feasible. 
     The prior art is replete with wind generator motors, and there are increasing numbers of both commercial and domestic wind generators in use in this country. The technology has developed to a state of advance sophistication insofar as the mechanical and electrical designs go, but challenges remain in providing wind generators that are acceptable to society from both environmental and aesthetic concerns. 
     It is to this need that embodiments of the present invention are directed, providing wind power conversion for domestic and commercial applications. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides embodiments of a wind generator assembly for use to drive an electric generator. The wind generator assembly has an inlet air riser that is positioned so that the upper end thereof is disposed in proximity to the roof of a building structure to capture portions of roof level air currents. The lower end of the inlet air riser is connected to an air box that houses a rotator assembly. 
     An air inlet turret is mounted at the upper end of the air inlet riser and is rotatable by roof level air currents, an opening of the air inlet turret being positioned by wind currents to face into such currents to gather and pass a portion of the wind currents into the wind inlet riser. 
     The rotator assembly has a rotor supported on a support arbor that is rotated in a predetermined rotational direction by passing wind currents. The support arbor is connectable to an electric power generator. 
     The features and benefits that characterize embodiments of the present invention will be apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and review of the associated drawings and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a semi-diagrammatical view of a wind generator constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a semi-detailed end view of the wind generator of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the rotor of the wind generator of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the circular support rail of the wind generator of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partially detailed, enlarged view, in cross section taken at  5 - 5  in  FIG. 5A , of the support rail of  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 5A  is a partially detailed view taken at  5 A- 5 A in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a wind generator assembly  10  is disposed in or near a building structure  12  having a vertical structure or wall  14 A, a roof structure  14 B and a foundation  14 C. The wind generator assembly  10  can be located within the interior of the building structure or can be located external thereto. In the embodiment shown, the wind generator  10  is depicted within the structure  12 , though only a portion of such structure is shown. It will be understood that certain details of construction, such as mechanical and electrical systems, are not herein described as the construction and installation of such will be obvious to one skilled in the art and need not be described in further detail to enable the practice of the embodiments of the present invention. 
     An inlet air riser  16 , or wind intake conduit, extends from within the interior of the building structure  12  along the wall structure  14 A and through an appropriately sized hole in the roof  14 B (if external to the building structure, the inlet air riser  16  can extend along an outer wall to extend above the eave of the roof  14 B). A rotary air intake turret  18  is supported at the upper end of the inlet air riser  16  to direct a portion of roof level wind currents into the inlet air riser  16 . A directional vane  20 , supported atop the air intake turret  18 , serves to position the intake of the air intake turret  18  to be impinged by the wind currents. 
     The inlet air riser  16  communicates with an air box  22  through which high velocity wind currents pass to an air or wind outlet end  24  that preferably has a plurality of vent louvers  26 . Preferably, a wind shield  27  is disposed a short distance from the outlet end  24  and extending as necessary about the outlet end  24  to prevent wind from back flowing into the air box  22 . If desired, the wind shield  27  can be supported by, and attached to, the foundation  14 C. The wind shield  27  can be shaped as may be required to direct the air current exhaust from the air box  22  in an environmentally friendly manner; that is, it may be desirable to direct the exhausting air stream from the air box  22  in an upward direction so that things located in close proximity will not be subjected to the force of the exhausting air stream. 
     Set within and surrounded by the air box  22  is a rotor assembly  28 . The rotor assembly  28  has a rotatable rotor  30  (best shown in  FIG. 3 ) that has a center core member  30 A and a plurality of spoke members  30 C that extend radially to support a circular rim  30 B. Extending outward from the circular rim  30 B are a plurality of rotor bucket blades  40 , the blades  40  preferably being curvilinearly shaped as depicted. Appropriating curtaining can be added, should such be necessary to minimize back drafting in the air box  22 . 
     The rotor  30  is supported for rotation by a support arbor  32  ( FIG. 2 ) that in turn is supported on appropriate bearings blocks (not separately numbered) that are supported on a yoke of upwardly extending, parallel support stanchions  34  supported on a base  35 . In some installations it may be beneficial to include a clutch mechanism (not shown) attached to the support arbor  32  to restrict the rotation of the rotor  30  in one directional direction  31 . 
     One or more shaft driven electric generators  36  are driven by sheave and belt assemblies  38  connected to the support arbor  32  ( FIG. 2 ). There are many such electric generators available commercially, and the sheave and belt assemblies  38  should be appropriately sized to accommodate the generator to be driven thereby. 
     The rotor bucket blades  40 , preferably distributed evenly about the circular rim  30 B, are positioned such that high velocity wind passing through the inlet air riser  16  will impinge the blades  40  to rotate the rotor  30  as the directed wind stream passes through the air box  22  and out the outlet end  24 . A hinged damper plate  42  is supported in the inlet air riser  16  as depicted, and an extendible cylinder of a damper motor assembly  44  is connected to the damper plate  42  for rotating and setting the damper plate  42  between an open mode and a closed mode whereby the opening of the inlet air riser  16  can be selectively moved between being fully open to being fully closed and to positions in between. An appropriate electrical or air control (not shown) of the damper motor  44  is provided as appropriate. 
     The air inlet turret  18  has a substantially cylindrically shaped body portion  46  with an air intake opening  48 , an opening screen  50  extending over the air intake opening  48 . The air intake opening  48  communicates with the inlet air riser  16 . The directional vane  20  is supported atop the body portion  46 . The rotatable air intake turret  18  includes a stationary circular rail  52  that extends about the body portion  46  and which can be supported either by the building structure  12  or by the inlet air riser  16  by support brackets  53  attached to upper end of the inlet air riser  16 . 
     A cross section of the circular rail  52  is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 5A  along with portions of one of the tri-roller assemblies  54  that secure the air intake turret  18  to the rail  52  for rotation about the top end of the inlet air riser  16 . The rail  52  is supported by a plurality of spaced apart support posts  52 A that are supported by, and extend upward from, the upper portion of the inlet air riser  16 . The intake turret  18  is supported by and rotates on the rail  52  by means of a plurality of plate members  53  secured to, and extending radially from, the body portion  46 . The plate members  53  serve to support generally circular shaped brackets  58  that in turn support a plurality of tri-roller assemblies  54  that engage the circular rail  52 . Each bracket  58  has a pair of spaced apart circularly shaped plate members  58 A (one of which is removed in  FIG. 5 ) that are suspended from below one of the support plate  53  and secured thereto by a support posts  58 B,  58 C. Although only partially detailed,  FIG. 5  shows that each tri-roller assembly  54  preferably comprises three rollers  56  angularly disposed and axially supported by support blocks  54 A, to form a channel there between in which the rail  52  is disposed and grasped. The rollers  56  preferably are U-grooved wheels having a polyurethane outer sleeve supported by a steel support hub, such as available from Sunray, Inc. 
     The wind generator assembly  10 , as depicted, provides several advantages over that known in the art of the energy capture and conversion of wind currents. It is generally acknowledged that people must advance the art of converting wind energy into electrical (or other usable) energy, but it seems to be a common objection that people do not want unsightly implements such as wind generators on their own property, often blocking pristine scenery (there have even been objections to off shore located wind generators, even when disposed miles from the shore line). Further, there have been objections that the rotating blades of wind generators are harmful to birds and other wildlife. 
     The wind generator assembly of the present invention (such as the preferred embodiment  10 ) can be mounted in a building structure (such as  12 ) or external to such building structure, having only an air intake portion (such as  18 ) visible from without and disposed in near proximity to the roof line of the building. The exposed intake portion ( 18 ) has means (such as directional vane  20  and the rotational support of the intake portion by the circular rail  52  and attaching tri-roller assemblies  54 ) to keep it facing into the prevailing wind currents passing over the roof structure (such as  14 ). The captured wind stream is directed (such as via the inlet air riser  16 ) to impinge upon and rotate a rotor (such as the bladed rotor  30 ) that in turn rotates a generator (such as by means of the sheave and belt assemblies  38  and generators  36 ), after which the air is directed to an exhaust opening (such as the outlet end  24  of air box  22 ). 
     Being substantially hidden from sight external to the building structure housing, the wind generator assembly of the present invention converts kinetic energy of a roof top wind current while maintaining the integrity of the surrounding environment. Further, as there is no interaction or interference with birds or wildlife, the wind generator assembly of the present invention preserves the integrity of its environmental settings. 
     It is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in varying detail for purposes of the disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in the above text and in the accompanying drawings.