AIR OUTLET WITH ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical device provided in or attached to an air duct. The electrical device comprises a housing and an electrical body attached to the housing which extends at least partially into the housing and is adapted to connect a power source to an electrical element. The housing is provided with a passage for allowing air to flow between an end of the housing to be turned towards a room of the building and an end of the housing to be turned towards the air duct and for allowing air to flow in the space between an inner housing side and an outer side of the electrical body.

Claims

1. Electrical device for use in or on an air duct for ventilation of a building, comprising a housing and an electrical body attached to the housing and extending at least partially into the housing and adapted to connect a power source to an electrical element, wherein the housing is provided with a passage for allowing air to flow between an end of the housing to be turned towards a room of the building and an end of the housing to be turned towards the air duct and for allowing air to flow in the space between an inner side of the housing and an outer side of the electrical body.

2. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein, in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the housing, the electrical body is completely surrounded by the passage.

3. The electrical device according to claim 2, wherein, in the surface of the end of the housing to be turned to the room of the building, the electrical body is completely surrounded by the passage.

4. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein, in a first position, the longitudinal direction of the electrical body (B) is parallel to or corresponds with the longitudinal direction of the housing (A), and/or whereby, in a second position, the longitudinal direction of the electrical body (B) is tilted relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing (A).

5. The electrical device according to claim 4, wherein the electrical device is movable between the first position and the second position.

6. The electrical device according to claim 1, comprising fastening means by means of which the housing and the electrical body are fixed to each other, the fastening means being provided deep-set inside the housing.

7. The electrical device according to claim 6, whereby the distance (a) between the end of the housing to be turned towards the room of the building and an end of the fastening means to be turned towards the room of the building is at least 1 cm.

8. The electrical device according to claim 6, wherein the distance (a) between the end of the housing to be turned towards the room of the building and an end of the fastening means to be turned towards the room of the building is at least 10% of an outer diameter of the housing or at least 10% of the diameter of the circumscribed circle of a section of the housing.

9. The electrical device according to claim 1, in which the passage is designed for air flow at a rate of at least 25.sup.m3/h.

10. The electrical device according to claim 1, further comprising flow rate and/or flow control means for regulating the flow rate and/or the air flow through the passage.

11. The electrical device according to claim 10, wherein the flow rate and/or flow control means extend at least partly into the housing or the passage.

12. The electrical device according to claim 11, wherein the flow rate and/or flow control means extend from the inside of the housing to a central axis (A) of the housing.

13. The electrical device according to claim 12, wherein the flow rate and/or flow control means extend from the inside of the housing to the electrical body, in particular wherein the flow rate and/or flow control means extend between the housing and the electrical body.

14. The electrical device according to claim 11, wherein the flow rate and/or flow control means extend in the space extending in axial direction (A) between an end of the electrical body to be turned towards the air duct and the end of the housing to be turned towards the air duct.

15. The electrical device according to claim 14, wherein the flow rate and/or flow control means extend from the inside of the housing to the central axis (A) of the housing for a distance greater than the minimum distance between the inside of the housing and the electrical body.

16. The electrical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the flow rate and/or flow control means and fastening means are integrated in an adjustable valve having adjusting means for adjusting the position of flow control means of the assembly, which valve controls the flow or pressure of air passing through the assembly.

17. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical body is protruding from the end of the housing to be turned towards the room of the building.

18. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein an outer housing side of the housing is adapted to be attached to or to be engaged with the inner side of the air duct and an inner housing side, opposite the outer housing side, which is adapted to receive the fastening means.

19. The electrical device according to claim 1, where the electrical device is of modular design in such a way that the housing and the electrical body are detachable attached to each other in a non-destructive way.

20. Luminaire in the form of a device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical body is configured as a luminaire body adapted to receive and electrically connect to it a light source, e.g. an LED, to provide illumination.

21. The luminaire according to claim 20, where the light source is integrated in the luminaire body.

22. Mechanical ventilation system comprising a ventilation device and an air duct connected to the ventilation device, in which an electrical device or luminaire according to claim 1 is at least partially installed.

23. The mechanical ventilation system according to claim 22, wherein the ventilation device is arranged to allow air to flow from the end of the housing facing a room of the building to the end of the housing facing the air duct.

24. The mechanical ventilation system according to claim 22, wherein the ventilation device is arranged to allow air to flow from the end of the housing facing the air duct to the end of the housing facing a room of the building.

25. Building comprising a ventilation system according to claim 22.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] The invention will be further illustrated below by an example of performance illustrated in the drawing. They are intended solely for illustrative purposes and not to limit the inventive concept defined by the appended claims.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an open view of the electrical equipment shown in FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 3 shows in open view an assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 4A shows in perspective the outer rotor part of the assembly shown in FIG. 3;

[0030] FIG. 4B shows in a cross-sectional view the outer rotor part shown in FIG. 4A;

[0031] FIG. 5A shows in a perspective view the inner rotor part shown in FIG. 3;

[0032] FIG. 5B shows in a top view the inner rotor part shown in FIG. 5A;

[0033] FIG. 6A shows in perspective the stator shown in FIG. 3;

[0034] FIG. 6B shows in a cross-sectional view the stator shown in FIG. 6A;

[0035] FIG. 7A shows a cross-section of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the invention in a first state; and

[0036] FIG. 7B shows the electrical device shown in FIG. 7a in a second state;

[0037] FIG. 8A shows a cross section of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the invention in an open state; and

[0038] FIG. 8B shows the electrical device shown in FIG. 8a in a closed state;

[0039] FIG. 9 shows a cross-section of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the invention mounted in an air duct.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0040] The present invention will be described with reference to certain forms of execution and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited in this respect and is determined solely by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and non-restrictive. In the drawings the size of certain elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The shape, dimensions and relative sizes do not necessarily correspond to actual practical implementations of the invention.

[0041] Moreover, the terms first, second, third and the like are used in the description and in the claims to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily to describe a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the embodiments of the invention may be applied in other sequences than those described or illustrated herein.

[0042] Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for illustrative purposes and not necessarily to describe relative positions. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention described herein may be used in orientations other than those described or illustrated herein.

[0043] Furthermore, the various embodiments, although referred to as “preferred embodiments”, should be understood as examples of how the invention can be carried out rather than as limitations on the scope of the invention.

[0044] The term “comprehensive”, used in the conclusions, should not be interpreted as being limited to the means or steps mentioned thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the listed features, elements, steps or components referred to, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression ‘a facility comprising means A and B’ should not be limited to facilities consisting only of components A and B. The meaning is that with regard to the present invention only the components A and B of the device are enumerated, and the claim should be further interpreted as including equivalents of these components.

[0045] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an electrical device 1 for use in an air duct, or at an end of the air duct, of a mechanical or natural ventilation system of a dwelling or the like. The electrical device 1 shown includes an annular housing 40 in which an assembly 10 of the electrical device 1 is mechanically retained via an annular coil spring 140. The electrical device 1 further includes a fixture portion 20, 23 which is connected to the assembly 10 and extends from a side of the assembly 10 arranged to be directed towards a chamber of the dwelling into which the air duct extends when the housing 40 is inserted into the air duct.

[0046] The housing 40 has an outer housing side 41 that is adapted to be connected to and attached to or near the air duct 2. As shown in FIG. 9, the housing may include one or more attachment elements 46 that are provided in or behind a finish layer of the housing, for example a plaster layer, and one or more sealing elements 47 to connect the portion of the housing extending into the air duct to the air duct 2 and to seal the space between the housing 40 and the air duct 2 in a substantially airtight manner. In particular, the sealing elements 47 are located near the end of the housing to be turned towards the air duct. The fastening elements 46 and the sealing elements 47 may be located at opposite ends of the housing or at the same end of the housing. The housing 40 further has an inner housing side 42, opposite the outer housing side 41, which is adapted to be connected to the assembly 10. The assembly 10 includes an adjustable valve with adjustment means and flow control means for controlling the flow or pressure of air flowing through the housing 40 based on the position of the adjustment means.

The fixture portion 20, 23 includes a luminaire body 20 adapted to be connected to and attached to the assembly 10 such that it is arranged facing the chamber when the housing 40 is inserted into the air duct, and is connected to an inner wall of the air duct. In particular, the luminaire body 20 may be connected to the adjusting means for adjusting the position of the adjusting means, thereby controlling the airflow or pressure of the air flowing through the housing 40 The proximal end 21 of the luminaire body 20 is adapted to be rotatably connected to the adjusting means so that axial rotation of the luminaire body 20 changes the position of the adjusting means and point rotation of the luminaire body 20 changes the direction of the luminaire body B relative to the assembly 10 without changing the position of the adjusting means, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The distal end 22, opposite the proximal end 21, of the luminaire body 20 is adapted to receive and connect a light source 23, e.g., an LED, to an electrical connection adapted to be connected to a power source.
Further, the electrical device 1 may include an annular guide element 30 to conduct air between the to-be-returned end of the housing 40 and the to-be-returned end of the assembly. As with the assembly 10, the guide element 30 may be mechanically retained via an annular coil spring 31.
The annular coil springs 140, 141 are adapted to be inserted into an annular slot 31, 134 of the assembly 10 or the guide element 30 to secure (lock and hold) the respective part to the housing 40. This makes it possible to remove the assembly 10 and the guide element 30 from the housing 40 to allow for easy cleaning of the electrical device 1 and the air duct 2. The coil springs may be, for example, compression springs and/or tilted helical springs. Advantageously, the coil spring 140, 141 produces a radial or axial force so that the coil spring 31, 140 remains in contact with the mating surface and can compensate for large adjustment tolerances, alignment and surface irregularities.

[0047] FIGS. 3, 4A-B, 5A-B and 6A-B show an assembly 100 for attaching the luminaire body 20 to the housing 40 and for controlling the airflow or pressure of air flowing through the housing 40. The assembly 100 includes a stationary portion 130, also called a stator, adapted to be stationary connected to the housing 40 or the air channel, and a rotatable assembly 110, 120, also called a rotor, rotatably connected to said stator 130. The rotatable assembly includes an inner rotor part 120 and an outer rotor part 110.

As shown in FIGS. 4A-B, the outer rotor part 110 is formed by an annular outer rotor element 111 connected to a central bowl-shaped element 113 via a number of spacers 115, preferably positioned symmetrically around the bowl-shaped element 113, at the upper end of the outer rotor element 111. The outer rotor element 111 includes a number of parallel slots 112 extending from the lower end of the annular element 111 arranged to face the stator 130, and said slots 112 are preferably positioned symmetrically around the bowl-shaped element 113. The outer rotor element 111 further comprises a number of recessed surfaces 116 on the outer surface extending in an angular direction between the slots 112 and a number of corrugated surfaces 117 at the lower end of the outer surface extending in an angular direction between the slots 112. The bowl-shaped element 113 may include a connecting element 114 for connecting to an electrical body.
As shown in FIGS. 5A-B, the inner rotor part 120 is formed by an annular inner rotor element 121. At the upper end of the inner rotor element 124, which is arranged to face the outer rotor part 110 and away from the stator 130, the inner rotor part 120 is provided with an annular element 126 extending inwardly from the inner surface 122 of the inner rotor part and having a number of protrusions 125 on the outer surface 123, opposite the inner surface 122, of the inner rotor element 121. The number of projections 125 of the inner rotor part 120 and the number of parallel slots 112 of the outer rotor part 110 are positioned at corresponding angular positions in the angular direction, preferably arranged symmetrically around the respective annular member. As such, when the inner rotor part 120 is inserted into the outer rotor part 110, each protrusion 125 extends through a respective slot 112 to a widened portion of the protrusion 127 provided outside the outer rotor part 110, wherein the width of the widened portion of the protrusion 127 is greater than the width of the respective slot 112. Therefore, the protrusion 125 will prevent movement of the inner and outer rotor elements 111, 121 relative to each other in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction A, e.g., by translation in radial direction or by rotation in angular direction.
As shown in FIGS. 6A-B, the stator 130 is formed by an annular stator member 131 wherein an outer slot 134 is arranged on the outer surface 133 of the stator member 131 to receive the annular coil spring 140, shown in FIG. 3, to mechanically hold the stator 130 in the air channel, and wherein at least an inner slot 135 is arranged on the inner surface 132 of the stator element 131 to receive and guide the number of projections 125 of the inner rotor part 120. At least one inner slot 135 is adapted to guide the number of protrusions 125 and thereby move the inner rotor part 120 axially when the number of protrusions 125 is rotated around the central axis A. At the lower end of the stator 130, which is arranged to be facing a chamber of the housing, the stator 130 further comprises an annular element 136. At a lower end of the annular element 136, the annular element 136 is provided with visual indications regarding the axial position of the at least one inner slot 135 at a predetermined angular position, and, at the opposite upper end, the annular element 136 is adapted to include the lower end of the outer rotor element 111 in an annular recess 137, as shown in FIG. 1.
The stator 130 further includes openings 138a, 138b, of a locking mechanism and a ratchet mechanism respectively, which extend axially from the lower end of the stator element 131 to permit insertion of a complementary element by a user when installed and extend radially across the inner surface 132 to permit interaction between the complementary element and the outer surface of the outer rotor element 111.
By inserting locking means 150 into the aperture 138a, the locking means 150 interact with the corrugated surface 117 of the outer rotor part 110 to lock the relative position between the stator 130 and the rotor parts 110, 120. By inserting pawl means 160 into the opening 138b, the pawl means 160 work in conjunction with the corrugated surface 117 of the outer rotor part 110 to limit rotational movement between the stator 130 and the rotor parts 110, 120 to clockwise or counterclockwise movement.
The stator element 131 further includes a plurality of recessed holes 139 on its outer surface to receive a respective screw or the like 170 extending into a respective recessed surface 116 of the outer rotor element 111 to mechanically hold the outer rotor part 110, and thereby also the inner rotor part 120, within the annular stator element 131, i.e., in the space defined by the annular stator member 131 and the lower ring 136. The screw 170 and recessed surfaces 116 further limit the rotational movement of the outer rotor part 110 in the angular direction.
Next, the working principle of the assembly of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. As mentioned above, the assembly 10, 100 includes adjustment means and flow control means for controlling the flow or pressure of air flowing through the assembly 10, 100.
The adjusting means includes the bowl-shaped element 113, optionally attached to the proximal end 21, which is rigidly connected to the outer rotor element 111. By rotating the bowl-shaped element 113, the position of the assembly 10, 100 can be changed. to the closed position or to the open position, depending on the direction of rotation. Rotating the bowl-shaped element 113 causes the outer rotor element 111 to rotate in the same direction of rotation, and thus the protrusions 125 of the inner rotor element 121 present in the slots of the outer rotor element 112.
The protrusions 125 extending through the slots of the outer rotor element 112 and included in the at least one inner slot 135 of the stator element 131 are guided through the at least one inner slot 135 when the bowl-shaped element 113 is rotated. to the fact that the at least one inner slot 135 extends in axial direction A, the axial position of the guided protrusions 125 is changed relative to the stator 130 and the outer rotor part 110. As a result, the axial position of the annular element 126 of the inner rotor part 110 is changed relative to the bowl-shaped element 113. Therefore, the flow or pressure of air flowing through the assembly 10, 100 is adjusted because the air passage through the assembly is determined by the space between the bowl-shaped element 113 and the annular element 126. The flow rate is increased by rotating the bowl-shaped element 113 clockwise and the flow rate is decreased by rotating the bowl-shaped element 113 counterclockwise, or vice versa.
Other alternatives and equivalent implementations of the present invention are conceivable within the idea of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE MARKS

[0048] 1. Electrical equipment [0049] 2. Ventilation duct [0050] 10, 100. Compound [0051] 11. To return to the Building Room at the end of the Assembly [0052] 20. Luminaire body [0053] 21. Proximal end [0054] 22. Distal end [0055] 23. Lamp [0056] 30. Guide element [0057] 31. Outer Slot of the Guiding Element [0058] 40. Housing [0059] 41. Outer housing side [0060] 42. Inner housing side [0061] 43. To return to the Room of the Building end of the Enclosure [0062] 44. To return to the Building Air Duct end of the Enclosure [0063] 45. Passage [0064] 46. Fixing element [0065] 47. Sealing element [0066] 110. Outer Rotor Part [0067] 111. Outer Rotor Element [0068] 112. Slot of the Outer Rotor Element [0069] 113. Bowl-shaped element [0070] 114. Connecting element [0071] 115. Spacer [0072] 116. Recessed Surface [0073] 117. Corrugated Surface [0074] 120. Inner Rotor Part [0075] 121. Inner Rotor Element [0076] 122. Inner Surface of the Inner Rotor Element [0077] 123. Outer Surface of the Inner Rotor Element [0078] 124. Upper End of the Inner Rotor Element [0079] 125. Protrusion [0080] 126. Annular Element [0081] 127. Nut [0082] 130. Stator [0083] 131. Stator element [0084] 132. Inner surface of stator element [0085] 133. External surface of stator element [0086] 134. Outer Slot [0087] 135. Inner slot [0088] 136. Ring-shaped element with visual indications [0089] 137. Annular recess [0090] 138A. Opening the locking mechanism [0091] 138B Opening of the ratchet mechanism [0092] 139. Recessed hole [0093] 140, 141. Tilted spring [0094] 150. Locking mechanism means [0095] 160. Ratchet mechanism means [0096] 170. Screw [0097] A. Central Axis [0098] B. Axis of the luminaire body [0099] a. Distance between the housing end to be turned towards the room of the building and a housing end to be turned towards the room of the building