Speaker fan system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054127-B2
Application number	US-201715720505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Nov 5, 2013
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A ventilation assembly having a main housing that can be pre-installed in a wall or ceiling aperture. A fan assembly can be inserted through the aperture and releasably mounted within the main housing. The fan assembly can be removed from the main housing and replaced without removing the main housing from the wall or ceiling. An accessory component can be releasably mounted to the fan assembly either through the aperture when the fan assembly is mounted or prior to installation of the fan assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ventilation assembly, comprising:
a main housing having a plurality of housing walls defining an interior space, an inlet opening, and at least one of the plurality of housing walls defining an outlet opening and the inlet opening corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the interior space defined by the housing walls;
a fan assembly in the interior space, the fan assembly comprising a fan and a plate, the plate positioned to partition the inlet opening from the fan, the plate defining a fan opening providing a fluid path between the inlet opening and the fan such that the fan assembly is configured to draw air through the inlet opening and the fan opening in the plate and expel air through the outlet opening;
a positioning mount located on the plate, the positioning mount defining a receptacle; and
an acoustic device having a housing and at least one sound emitting device, the acoustic device configured to be releasably secured to the plate between the plate and the inlet opening,
wherein the positioning mount is configured to releasably secure the acoustic device to the plate.

2. The ventilation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic device has an accessory mount including at least one hook element.

3. The ventilation assembly of claim 2 , one or more of the at least one hook element is insertable into a receptacle of the positioning mount to position the acoustic device proximate the plate.

4. The ventilation assembly of claim 3 , wherein the acoustic device is configured to receive at least one fastener to mount the accessory component to the plate;
wherein the engagement of the accessory mount and the positioning mount maintain the position of the acoustic device during insertion of the fastener.

5. The ventilation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic device is configured to be releasably secured to the plate.

6. The ventilation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plate is a motor mount plate.

7. The ventilation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic device is configured to be releasably secured to the fan assembly by at least one hook element.

8. The ventilation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic device is shaped to not block the fan opening of the plate.

9. The ventilation assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the plate defines a substantially planar surface and the acoustic device is secured to the plate at the substantially planar surface portion.

10. The ventilation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic device housing is releasably secured to the plate such that the entirety of the housing is recessed from the inlet opening.

11. The ventilation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic device does not block the fan opening in the plate.

12. A ventilation assembly kit, comprising:
a main housing having a plurality of housing walls defining an interior space, an inlet opening, and at least one of the plurality of housing walls defining an outlet opening and the inlet opening corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the interior space defined by the housing walls;
a fan assembly in the interior space, the fan assembly comprising a fan and a plate, the plate positioned to partition the inlet opening from the fan, the plate defining a fan opening providing a fluid path between the inlet opening and the fan such that the fan assembly is configured to draw air through the inlet opening and the fan opening in the plate and expel air through the outlet opening; and
an acoustic device having a housing and at least one sound emitting device, the acoustic device housing configured to be releasably secured to the plate between the plate and the inlet opening such that the entirety of the housing is recessed from the inlet opening.

13. The ventilation assembly kit of claim 12 , wherein the acoustic device has an accessory mount including at least one hook element.

14. The ventilation assembly kit of claim 13 , further comprising a positioning mount located on the plate and one or more of the at least one hook element is insertable into a receptacle of the position mount to position the acoustic device proximate the plate.

15. The ventilation assembly kit of claim 14 , wherein the acoustic device is configured to receive at least one fastener to mount the accessory component to the plate;
wherein the engagement of the accessory mount and the positioning mount maintain the position of the acoustic device during insertion of the fastener.

16. The ventilation assembly kit of claim 12 , wherein the acoustic device is configured to be releasably secured to the plate.

17. The ventilation assembly kit of claim 12 , wherein the plate is a motor mount plate.

18. The ventilation assembly kit of claim 12 , wherein the acoustic device is configured to be releasably secured to the fan assembly by at least one hook element.

19. The ventilation assembly of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the plate defines a substantially planar surface and the acoustic device is secured to the plate at the substantially planar surface portion.

20. The ventilation assembly of claim 12 , wherein the acoustic device does not block the fan opening in the plate.

21. The ventilation assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a positioning mount located on the plate, the positioning mount defining a receptacle and the positioning mount configured to releasably secure the acoustic device to the plate.

22. A ventilation fan assembly, comprising:
a main housing having a plurality of housing walls defining an interior space, an inlet opening, and at least one of the plurality of housing walls defines an outlet opening and the inlet opening corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the interior space defined by the housing walls;
a fan assembly in the interior space, the fan assembly comprising:
a fan,
a plate defining a fan opening providing a fluid path between the inlet opening and the fan such that the fan assembly is configured to draw air through the inlet opening and the fan opening in the plate and expel air through the outlet opening, and

a positioning mount on the fan assembly between the fan and the inlet opening, the positioning mount defining a receptacle; and
an acoustic device having a housing and at least one sound emitting device, the acoustic device having an accessory mount including at least one hook element insertable into the receptacle to position the acoustic device proximate the plate and the acoustic device is configured to be releasably secured to the receptacle between the fan and the inlet opening.

23. The ventilation assembly of claim 22 , wherein at least a portion of the plate defines a substantially planar surface and the acoustic device is secured to the plate at the substantially planar surface portion.

24. The ventilation assembly of claim 22 , wherein the acoustic device does not block the fan opening in the plate.

25. A ventilation assembly kit, comprising:
a main housing having a plurality of housing walls defining an interior space, an inlet opening, and at least one of the plurality of housing walls defining an outlet opening and the inlet opening corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the interior space defined by the housing walls;
a fan assembly in the interior space, the fan assembly comprising a fan and a plate, the plate positioned to partition the inlet opening from the fan, the plate defining a fan opening providing a flui

Assignees

• Broan Nu Tone Llc
• Broan Nu Tone Llc

Inventors

• Karst Daniel L
• Puffer Benjamin Thorpe
• Coffey Brent Elliott

Classifications

• F04D29/703

  specially for fans, e.g. fan guards · CPC title

• F04D25/166

  using fans · CPC title

• F04D29/282

  the leading edge of each vane being substantially parallel to the rotation axis · CPC title

• F24F7/013

  using wall or window fans, displacing air through the wall or window · CPC title

• F04D25/088

  Ceiling fans · CPC title