Bottom-Mounted Whole House Fan Assembly for Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing whole house fan designs suspended from roof rafters face challenges in dampening vibrations, leading to sound quieting issues and installation difficulties, especially in high attics.
Innovation Solution
A bottom-mounted whole house fan assembly with a flexible air duct, sound dampeners, and non-rigid connectors that include arcuate collars and resilient couplings to reduce vibration transmission, allowing for vertical mounting and improved airflow by creating a pitch angle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a whole house fan is suspended from roof rafters to dampen vibration, then sound quieting is improved, but installation complexity and difficulty increase especially in high attics
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of suspending the fan from above (traditional rafter mounting), the patent inverts the mounting approach by securing the fan housing to the attic floor or ceiling joists from below. This bottom-mounted configuration achieves vibration dampening while simplifying installation accessibility, especially in high attics where workers can stand on the attic floor rather than working from above.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vibration dampening materials or structures as intermediaries between the fan housing and the mounting structure. These dampeners absorb and isolate vibrations, reducing sound transmission while maintaining a stable mounting configuration that is easier to install compared to traditional rafter suspension methods.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid mounting structure is used to secure the fan, then structural stability is improved, but vibration dampening and sound quieting deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite mounting structures that combine rigid components (for structural stability and secure mounting) with vibration dampening materials (such as rubber, foam, or specialized dampening compounds). This composite approach maintains the structural integrity needed for stable mounting while the dampening materials absorb vibrations and reduce sound transmission to the building structure.
3Ease of operation
If a flexible air duct is used to connect the fan to the intake plenum, then installation ease and adaptability are improved, but airflow efficiency may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes flexible air ducts made from materials that maintain structural integrity while allowing for easy installation and adaptation to different spatial configurations. The flexible ducting system is designed with sufficient rigidity to minimize airflow resistance and turbulence, balancing installation ease with maintained airflow efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible air duct allows for dynamic adjustment during installation to optimize airflow paths. The duct can be shaped and positioned to accommodate various ceiling and attic configurations while maintaining efficient airflow, combining the adaptability of flexible materials with aerodynamic considerations to minimize efficiency losses.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively dampens vibrations, enhances sound quietness, and simplifies installation in high attics while improving airflow through the duct, offering a quieter and more efficient ventilation system compared to traditional hanging fan designs.
Implementation Method 1
A sound dampener is interposed between the strut and the fan housing, and/or between the strut and the ceiling beam or support surface to which the strut is attached
Data Source
AI summary
A bottom-mounted whole house fan assembly includes an intake plenum mounted over an opening in a ceiling of a building. The intake plenum is supported on the ceiling in the attic of the building. One end of a flexible duct is connected to the intake plenum and the other end of the duct is connected to a fan so that the fan draws air in the building through the intake plenum and duct and exhausts the air in the attic from whence the air is vented to atmosphere. The fan is supported by at least one vertical strut that is connected to the ceiling at the lower end of the strut and to a housing of the fan at the upper end of the strut. A sound dampener is interposed between the strut and the fan housing and/or the ceiling beam to which the strut is attached.