Abstract:
This invention relates to a ceiling mounted air circulating apparatus comprising, in combination: a motor; an essentially centrally located radial or axial air impeller; air guiding means; optional airflow enhancement by means of air amplification means; an optional centrally located wiring path from an electrical power source to a wiring enclosure suitable for hanging a lighting fixture or chandelier; and decorative embellishments, all of which are arranged to blend with the architectural style of a space in a manner similar to a decorative ceiling medallion, the planform of which, when viewed from below may be circular, rectangular, or polygonal. Optionally, the apparatus of the present invention may embody any of the following; heating, cooling, filtration means, positive ion generation means, and/or air sterilization means.

Description:
REFERENCE 
       [0001]    This application encompasses, extends and continues Provisional Application 61/652,242 filed on May 8, 2012 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This relates to the field of Ceiling Mounted Fans used to circulate air to provide convective cooling of the occupants of a space and to provide better temperature distribution during heating season and to a lesser extent, the general field of heating, ventilating and air conditioning. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The common bladed ceiling fan was invented in 1887 by Philip Diehl. Over the years, many improvements in function were made and there have been many variations in style, but the general form of a motor suspended from the ceiling, directly or at the end of a downrod, driving a plurality of pitched blades commonly referred to as paddles has remained the same. 
         [0004]    For a discussion of existing ceiling fans of this type see, for example, Pearce, U.S. Design Pat. 297,456 issued Aug. 30, 1988; Gajewski, U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,626 B2, Issued Jan. 27, 2009; Wing Hang Chan, U.S. Design Pat. D680,210 S. 
         [0005]    Before the advent of mechanical air conditioning, ceiling fans were ubiquitous in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, but they lost popularity with the increased penetration of central air conditioning. Recently residential ceiling fans have experienced a resurgence, with many new homes often being equipped with multiple fans. The popularity or even necessity of ceiling fans has grown steadily with the cost of air conditioning and heating. 
         [0006]    Some concerns or drawbacks persist however. For example, bladed ceiling fans will cause flickering shadows if light passes through the rotating blades and flickering reflections in eyeglasses. These can cause headaches in people who are trying to focus their vision as in reading or doing close work such as hand assembly. It also believed that such flickering light could possibly trigger an epileptic seizure in some individuals. 
         [0007]    Bladed fans by nature of their design cause a pulsating air flow that some people find objectionable. 
         [0008]    Low ceilings present a problem, even to those considering a close mounted fan, because the rotating blades pass too close to the occupant&#39;s heads. 
         [0009]    The primary direction of airflow from a common ceiling fan is axial to the rotation. When such a fan is mounted over a dining table, food is cooled too quickly. Many interior designers consider a typical ceiling fan to be contrary to the aesthetic design intent of a living space and would prefer an attractive pendant, chandelier or other type of lighting fixture. As a result, existing fans are often replaced with such a fixture during remodeling. 
         [0010]    Alternative designs have emerged to address some of these concerns for example, Hiner, U.S. Design Pat. D676543 S, Feb. 19, 2013, and D676952 S, 
         [0011]    Feb. 26, 2013, disclose a clever bladeless fan comprising a plurality of parallel, vertically spaced co-radial rings concentrically disposed and driven to rotate about the shaft of a driving motor. Frictional drag acting on the air disposed between the horizontal rings causes said air to rotate and be slung out by centrifugal force. Of similar form and function are those U.S. patents disclosed by Fiacco in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,365, Dec. 21, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,005, Apr. 17, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,304 B2 Feb. 4, 2003. These similar disclosures comprise an essentially circular assembly that is rotationally driven by a motor but differ from Hiner in the means by which air is accelerated and expelled, Fiacco using a plurality of curved blades which are coupled with and extend from a rotated plate similar to a traditional radial fan. 
         [0012]    Fiacco also incorporates peripherally mounted filtration means, which rotate with the impeller, for the purpose of removing particulate such as pollen, dust and tobacco smoke from the discharged air. However, accumulated particulate in said rotating filters effects balance, causing the rotating assembly to wobble. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,304 B2, Fiacco also discloses an assembly that is driven by a traditional ceiling fan motor that provides a wiring path and a means to attach a lighting fixture to the underside. The design intent of these fans is to create air flow across the ceiling and down the walls of the living space. 
         [0013]    This will more evenly distribute the temperature of the air within a living space but will provide little convective cooling since the air is not directed toward the occupants. 
         [0014]    Convective airflow over the skin of occupants has been shown to cause evaporation of a small amount of perspiration, allowing them to feel significantly cooler at higher temperatures. (Analysis of Standards Options For Ceiling Fans, PG&amp;E May 2004) 
         [0015]    Another attempt to solve some of the stated problems can be seen in Seccareccia, WO 2011/054093 A1. May 12, 2011, in which a Centrifugal Ceiling Fan is disclosed. This design comprises an upper, bowl shaped, housing with intake ports and a lower, bowl shaped, housing with outlet ports. The upper housing encloses a motor which drives a centrifugal impeller housed in the lower housing. 
         [0016]    Air is drawn in through the intake ports and passes into the lower housing where it is expelled through the outlet ports. This design solves the problems caused by external rotating blades but still hangs from the ceiling similar to a common ceiling fan and does not posses the potential benefits further represented by the present invention. 
         [0017]    Ceiling Medallions are used to add additional style to a ceiling, usually central to a room. They can be created to reflect any architectural period and taste. A lighting fixture, chandelier or ceiling fan is commonly mounted central to the medallion. They are also useful in relocating the hang point of a fixture within the perimeter of the medallion without the need to relocate wiring or patch the ceiling. This invention is intended to serve the same functions as a ceiling fan without the stated disadvantages but to resemble, to some degree, a ceiling medallion. 
         [0018]    Any device that circulates air will also stir up dust and pollen and other particulate matter which can be inhaled by the occupants of a space and settle on furnishings. 
         [0019]    A static electrical charge will collect on the blades of most fans, which will cause an accumulation of said particulate on these blades. It is an optional intent-of the invention to provide means to filter said particulate from the airstream. 
         [0020]    In an energy conscious society, it is advisable to leverage methods that may decrease the amount of energy consumed while maintaining an equal amount of work achieved. It is an optional object of the present invention to incorporate airflow amplification means, also known as fluid amplification, common to the art, to achieve these increased efficiencies. For a discussion of such amplification means see: De Lisio U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,467 Nov. 15, 1949; Davenport U.S. Pat. No. 2,544,379 Mar. 6, 1951; Coanda U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,208 Jul. 31, 1962; Fitton U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,449 Apr. 26, 2011. It is also advisable in such a society to provide heating or cooling only to those rooms of a building where it is needed. The south and west facing areas of a building may need to be cooled while the north and east facing areas may still require heat. It is also an optional intent of the invention to embody heating or cooling means that will be part of a central heating/cooling distribution system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is an overall view of a preferred embodiment of the invention with a lighting fixture mounted. (Lighting fixture is shown in phantom.) 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is an embodiment in which the impeller is a centrifugal type common to the trade. 
           [0023]      FIG. 2A  is a bottom side plan view showing the location of Section Line A which Section is further detailed in Section A. 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . in cooling season. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3A  is a detail of the embodiment of  FIG. 2  in warming season configuration. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 2   
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  where the impeller is a radial turbine fan and incorporates cooling means. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of the embodiment in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a cutaway view of an embodiment wherein the impeller is a radial turbine fan and in which air discharged from said fan is collected in a plenum from where it is discharged through an air amplification means thus increasing the total airflow. 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is an airflow diagram of the embodiment of  FIG. 7 . detailing reversed airflow. 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 7   
           [0032]      FIG. 10  is an optional embodiment of the embodiment in  FIG. 1   where  the housing is square and with an attached pendent light (Shown in phantom.) 
           [0033]      FIG. 11  is an air flow diagram of the embodiment in  FIG. 10 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 12  is an exploded view of the embodiment in  FIG. 10   
       
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0035]    The primary object of the present invention is to provide a quiet, attractive, energy efficient alternative to the common ceiling fan while providing a solution to some of the stated shortcomings of the prior art. 
         [0036]    It is a further object of the invention to provide an attractive ceiling mounted, axially short, air circulating device that blends into the architectural style of space in an approach similar to a ceiling medallion. 
         [0037]    It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device from which a lighting fixture or chandelier may be mounted as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0038]    It is a further object of some embodiments of the invention to optionally embody a means to filter dust, pollen and other particulate matter from the circulating airstream. 
         [0039]    It is a further object of some embodiments of the invention to optionally embody, any of the following; heating, cooling, positive ion generation means, and/or air sterilization means. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0040]    According to a broad aspect of the present invention there is provided an air circulating device comprising a ceiling plate to which is mounted a motor the driven, portion of which drives an impeller; an enclosure which is comprised of all or some of the following: impeller shroud; internal airflow channeling means; primary air inlet; airflow discharge outlet and means to direct the airflow in the direction intended. All of the forgoing is intended to blend into the architectural style of a space in a manner similar to a ceiling medallion. 
         [0041]    It is within the scope of the invention that said enclosure may be generally circular, rectangular or polygonal and may have decorative embellishment about the perimeter and on the downward facing surfaces. 
         [0042]    In the simplest embodiment, the enclosure and ceiling plate are mounted to the ceiling, proximate to an electrical supply run within the ceiling and rigidly to a ceiling supporting frame member. Additional toggle bolts or similar fastening means may be required peripherally to hold the housing tightly to the ceiling sheeting material. The static part of the motor is fixedly mounted, in preferred embodiments, centrally within the enclosure and an impeller is driven by the driving part of the motor. The motor drives the impeller rotationally causing air to be drawn inthrough an opening central and for peripheral to the enclosure and expelled through an air discharge opening. Air deflecting means proximate to said air discharge opening distribute discharged air about the room to provide the desired level of comfort. Said air deflecting means may be modified to distribute outflow air in a direction more or less downward and outward from the axis of rotation in cooling season and an outward, horizontal direction across the ceiling in heating season. 
         [0043]    According to a further aspect of the present invention, a wiring path is provided from the electrical entrance on top of the enclosure to a wiring box on the bottom side of the enclosure which is provided for the optional mounting of a lighting fixture or chandelier. 
         [0044]    According to a further optional aspect of the invention filtration means are mounted at the primary airstream inlets such that air drawn into the inlet must pass though said filtration means before it enters the impeller area. 
         [0045]    It is fully within the scope of this aspect of the invention that the filtration means be either or both mechanical or electrostatic. 
         [0046]    According to a further optional aspect of the invention, primary air airflow discharged by an impeller is pressurized within a plenum chamber and is further discharged at high velocity through an opening coincident with a cambered surface such as to cause consistent fluid wall attachment of said discharged air. Said fluid wall attachment is well known to the art as the Coanda Effect, said cambered surface is known as a Coanda surface and the attached fluid flow is also known as a wall jet. A significant amount of adjacent ambient air becomes entrained in the flow of the wall jet to create a secondary airflow. An opposing cambered surface may be positioned a short distance adjacent to the said Coanda surface to act as a guide for said secondary airflow. The opposing surfaces converge near their mid-plane, normal to the chord of the cambered surfaces, and diverge at both the inlet and outlet of secondary flow, thereby funneling ambient air into the area of convergence and causing an area of low pressure at the discharge, thereby drawing additional ambient air into the secondary airflow. 
         [0047]    In the present invention a unique coanda flow reversing is provided by a section of the cambered surface that may be repositioned so as to close the slotted opening through which said wall jet is generated and to open a second slotted opening in the opposing direction, causing a reversal of the wall jet and secondary airflow. This allows of overall airflow from the fan to be directed from ceiling to floor in the cooling season and floor to ceiling in the heating season. 
         [0048]    According to a further optional aspect of the invention, filtration means may be either or both mechanical or electrostatic. 
         [0049]    According to a further optional aspect of the invention, primary air airflow discharged by an impeller is pressurized within a plenum chamber and is further discharged at high velocity through an opening coincident with a cambered surface such as to cause consistent fluid wall attachment of said discharged air. Said fluid wall attachment is well known to the art as the Coanda Effect, said cambered surface is known as a Coanda surface and the attached fluid flow is also known as a wall jet. A significant amount of adjacent ambient air becomes entrained in the flow of the wall jet to create a secondary airflow. An opposing cambered surface may be positioned a short distance adjacent to the said Coanda surface to act as a guide for said secondary airflow. The opposing surfaces converge near their mid-plane, normal to the chord of the cambered surfaces, and diverge at both the inlet and outlet of secondary flow, thereby funneling ambient air into the area of convergence and causing an area of low pressure at the discharge, thereby drawing additional ambient air into the secondary airflow. 
         [0050]    In the present invention a unique coanda flow reversing means is provided by a section of the cambered surface that may be repositioned so as to close the slotted opening through which said wall jet is generated and to open a second slotted opening in the opposing direction, causing a reversal of the wall jet and secondary airflow. This allows overall airflow from the fan to be directed from ceiling to floor in the cooling season and floor to ceiling in the heating season. 
         [0051]    According to a further optional aspect of the invention, discharged air may be further conditioned by positive ion generation means or ultra violet radiation. 
         [0052]    According to a further optional aspect of the invention, heating or cooling means may be mounted in the airstream. 
         [0053]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 2A ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the motor  1  has a centrally located stator IA and an external, peripheral rotor IB on which an air accelerating means  2 , that in this embodiment is a centrifugal impeller of a design common to the trade, is affixed. Air is drawn in by Impeller  2 , enters through Filter Cover  3  and passes through Filtration Means  4 . After passing through the impeller  2 , air is guided to the discharge area by flow guide  5 , where it is directed in a generally downward direction by diverter guides  6  and  7 . A hollow conduit though motor stator IA, provides a pathway for a wiring harness  8  from the power source to an electrical wiring box  9 , which is provided for the optional mounting of a light or chandelier. A cover  10  may be provided if no lighting fixture is to be mounted. A ceiling plate  12  provides a frame and support for the preceding and foregoing assembly and also provides the means to affix the said assembly to the ceiling. 
         [0054]    In this embodiment of the present invention, peripherally mounted air deflection means may be adapted to direct effluent air downward for summer cooling or horizontally across the ceiling to improve heat distribution during the heating season. In  FIG. 2A , a plurality of positioning devices  11 , which in this embodiment are of a snap-over-center spring type, allow diverter guide  7  to be positioned to direct air flow downward for cooling or across the ceiling for improved distribution of warm air during heating season. 
         [0055]    In other embodiments of the present invention the air acceleration means is a radial turbine impeller. See  FIGS. 5 and 6 . It is fully with in the scope of this invention that a plurality of stationary blades, peripheral to the turbine fan, known to the trade as stators be arrayed at angles more or less tangential to turbine axis of rotation to improve efficiency but at such an to angle and quantity as to reduce resonance and consequential noise. 
         [0056]    In another embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 , the air acceleration means is a radial turbine impeller and further to this embodiment, heat exchanging means is optionally mounted in the air flow path. Said heat exchanging means may be of a tubular radiator type common to the trade and supplied with a flow of heated or chilled liquid or evaporating refrigerant to provide additional heating or cooling. In  FIG. 5 , the motor  1  is affixed to the Ceiling plate  2 , which is mounted to a ceiling, proximate to an electrical power source, and the Impeller  3  is affixed to the rotatable body of the motor  1 . 
         [0057]    The rotating impeller causes air to be drawn in through filter cover  4  and through filtration means  5 , after which it is directed by turbine shroud  6  to be discharged through cooling/heating means  7 . Air discharged through heating I cooling means  7  is then directed in a generally downward direction by diverters  8  and  9 . In this embodiment, the curved surfaces of diverters  8  and  9  perform as foils to disperse effluent air about the room. It is within the scope of the present invention that other diverting means, such as louvers, fixed or adjustable, may be used to disperse effluent air.  10  is a decorative cover. Electrical wiring box  11  is attached to the non-rotating body of motor  1  and wiring harness  12  passes, from said electrical power source, through said non-rotating body of motor  1  to electrical wiring box  11 , to provide power to an optionally attached lighting fixture. 
         [0058]    It is It is within the scope of the present invention that said heating means be of another type such as electric resistive heating. 
         [0059]    It is also within the scope of the present invention that said heating or cooling means be either totally integrated within the present invention or be part of a heating or cooling system central to a building. 
         [0060]    In a further embodiment,  FIG. 7 ,  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , further embodies an airflow amplification means which in this embodiment comprises a reversible coanda effect air amplifier. Air enters a radial turbine impeller in a fashion similar to the foregoing descriptions but is then discharged into a plenum chamber where it becomes pressurized before it is discharged through a slot, at accelerated velocity, as a primary airflow in essentially tangential relationship to the curve of a wall of said plenum chamber, where it remains in fluid attachment as a wall jet Said wall may be one of a pair of opposing, cambered surface features. Ambient air is drawn in and entrained by the primary wall jet and by the low pressure zone, created by the wall jet, at the divergence of the two cambered surfaces. This significantly multiplies the total volume of air flow for a given motor size. The cambered surface of the plenum chamber is comprised of first and second fixed sections and a repositionable portion that defines the position and direction of the primary discharge slot and thus the direction of both primary and secondary airflow. 
         [0061]    In  FIG. 7 , Impeller  2  is driven by Motor  3  and draws primary air in through Filter Cover  9  and Filter  7  and is driven through a narrowing section formed by the Turbine Shroud  4  and the Ceiling Plate  1  until it enters the plenum chamber formed by first and second plenum sections  12 ,  10  and repositionable section  11 , where it remains pressurized until discharged through a slot defined by First Plenum Section  12  and Repositionable Plenum Section  11 . The cambered surfaces of  11  and  10  form the Coanda surface for the primary wall jet flow. 
         [0062]    The outwardly facing surfaces of Plenum sections  10 ,  11  and  12 , and the inward facing surface of Flow Guide  13 , together form a pair of opposing cambered surfaces, converging at the entrance of airflow and diverging at the discharge. Entrainment of ambient air establishes a secondary airflow coincident with the primary wall jet flow. An area of low pressure is formed near the point of discharge as air exits the flow path between said diverging walls causing additional ambient air to be entrained. 
         [0063]    The flow of entrained ambient air shrouds the high velocity air flow from the plenum and acts as a barrier to attenuate sound created by said high velocity air flow. 
         [0064]    In  FIG. 8  repositionable plenum section  11  has been repositioned for flow reversal. The slot through which the primary wall jet flow was generated between first 
         [0000]    plenum section  12  and repositionable section  11  in  FIG. 7  has closed and a slot is now open between second plenum section  10  and repositionable plenum section  11 . 
         [0065]    This new geometry mirrors, to some extent, the geometry of this area revealed in  FIG. 7 . The wall jet now flows in the opposite direction, as does the secondary flow of entrained ambient air, causing total airflow to be directed from floor to ceiling as would be most advantageous during the heating season. 
         [0066]      FIG. 9  is provided to better understand the general arrangement of components where the stator of motor  3  is fixedly mounted to the ceiling plate  1  and the impeller  2  is mounted to the driven rotatable body of motor  3 . The rotating impeller causes air to be drawn in through intake grating  9  and through filtration means  7  which is supported by filter support  5 , after which it is guided by turbine shroud  4 , to where it enters a plenum chamber, which comprises plenum sections,  10  and  12  and repositionable plenum section  11  and is pressurized. 
         [0067]    Said pressurized air is then discharged through a slot between either plenum sections  10  and  11  or  11  and  12  depending on the position of repositionable plenum section  11 , coincident with a coanda surface formed by the outward facing surfaces of either Plenum sections  12  and  11  or  10  and  11 , depending on the position of repositionable plenum section  11 . The outwardly facing combined surfaces of said plenum chamber form one of a pair of opposing cambered surfaces. 
         [0068]    Flow guide  13  is positioned adjacent the plenum chamber, the inwardly facing cambered surface of which essentially mirrors the camber of the combined surfaces of said plenum chamber. 
         [0069]    The converging surfaces funnel ambient air into the area influenced by the wall jet and cause an area of low pressure where these surfaces diverge. Item  6  is a decorative cover,  8  is a wiring box providing means to connect and support a lighting fixture and is the wiring harness to provide electrical power to said lighting fixture. 
         [0070]    In another embodiment of the device revealed in  FIG. 10 ,  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12 , the plan form of the device, as viewed from below, is non-circular and as illustrated in this embodiment is rectangular. It is, however, fully within the scope of this embodiment that said plan form could be polygonal. 
         [0071]      FIG. 10  is an illustration of this embodiment with a pendant fixture attached. (Shown in phantom) In  FIG. 11  the motor, Item  1 , is mounted to the Ceiling plate, Item  2 , and the Impeller, Item  3 , is mounted to the rotatable body of the motor, Item  1 . 
         [0072]    The rotating impeller causes air to be drawn in through intake grating, Item  4 , and through filtration means, Item  5 , after which it is directed by turbine shroud, Item  6 , into plenums, Items  7 , from which it is discharged and distributed about the room by diverters, Items  8 . 
         [0073]      FIG. 12  is provided to better understand the general arrangement of components where the motor, Item  1 , is mounted to the Ceiling plate, Item  2 , and the Impeller, Item  3 , is mounted to the rotatable body of the motor. Item  4  is the intake grating, Item  5  is filtration means, Item  6  and Item  9  are the turbine shrouds, Items  7  are the plenums and Items  8 , are the diverters. Item  10  is a filter support Items  11  are decorative blocks and Item  12  is a wiring box to supply electrical power to and provided attachment means and support for an attached lighting fixture per  FIG. 12 .