Patent ID: 8388423

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a blower including a blower housing having an air inlet and an air exhaust outlet; and an inlet recirculation device disposed at said air inlet of the blower, the inlet recirculation device comprising: a housing defined by a wall extending away from a base in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the blower, said base extending radially inward from the wall toward the axis of rotation of the blower and defining an aperture therethrough receptive to alignment with an inlet of the blower; and a plurality of flaps each pivotally extending radially outwardly from a center pivot to another corresponding pivot disposed about a perimeter of said wall, said center pivot coaxial with a center of said aperture, wherein said each flap moves to an open position due to air pressure from the blower causing a substantially unimpeded airflow to pass through the air inlet wherein said each flap pivotally rotates about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot, and a closed position allowing substantially no airflow when air pressure from the blower ceases wherein a space between contiguous flaps is eliminated when said each flap pivotally rotates to said closed position about said center pivot and said corresponding pivot to prevent reverse airflow through the blower and wherein said base and said wall form a pocket inducing recirculation of incoming air.