Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2 1 5 1 942 PCI/AU 9 3 / O 0 6 1 8
~ECElVE~ 1 5 J ~ ~ 1994
EXHAUST FAN
This invention relates to an exhaust fan, more particularly to the drive of an
exhaust fan.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
5 Exhaust fans are commonly used in domestic situations, particularly for use inkitchens, bathrooms and toilets to remove not only fumes and odours, but also
steam from baths and showers. They are also used in public buildings such
as in the bathrooms and toilets of hotels, motels, and apartments. In the more
humid areas, particularly in the tropical areas it known that these fans are
10 positioned in the ceiling to exhaust into the roof space, or in an outside wall to
exhaust directly outside of the building.
These exhaust fans are powered by an electric motor and this electric motor
must operate at all times in moisture laden air, and particularly in the tropical
areas where the atmospheric relative humidity is continually high, the electric
15 motor, fan, mountings and electrical wiring do not have a chance to dry out.
This is detrimental, not only to the electric motor, but also to the metal fittings
and to the fan blades and cowling which are often made of metal resulting in
corrosion and rusting of the fan and other metal parts and fittings.
Units are known where provision is made for the extraction of air from toilets,
20 and reference is made to AU-24999/84 which is directed to a ventilator for a
lavatory pan, there being an electric fan having its inlet connected a duct
extending from the cistern to the flush pipe of the pan. A manual switch is
operated to switch on the fan, there being a valve in the flush pipe which when
the water flows opens, and when the flow of flush water ceases the valve
25 returns to its closed position and in so doing operates the switch to turn off the
fan.
AU14859/88 discloses a similar system with the switch being manually
operated to turn on the fan, but the switch having a time delay to automaticallyturn off after a preset period of time.
30 However these exhaust fans are also driven by electric motors, and so also
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suffer from the above deficiencies. In addition the fan motors consume
electricity which predominantly produced from fossil fuel.
Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an exhaust fan which will
overcome one or more of the above disadvantages.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an exhaust fan which is not
driven by an electric motor.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an exhaust fan which is not
so susceptible to the problems of rust and corrosion.
BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
Thus there is provided according to the invention an exhaust fan, a water
driven turbine connected to drive the fan, said water driven turbine having a
water inlet and an exhaust, a water supply connected to the said water inlet,
said exhaust connected to a point of use of the water that passes through the
turbine, characterised in that the turbine comprises a rotor operating within a
casing, said rotor comprising a plurality of spiral p~ssages extending from the
centre of the rotor to the circumference thereof, said water inlet connected to
the centre of the rotor so that the water passes through the spiral p~ss~ges of
the rotor to the exhaust, a control tap positioned between the exhaust of the
turbine and the point of use of the water whereby whenever water is used at
the point of use, the exhaust fan is driven by the turbine with the turbine being
under pressure of the water at all times.
Furthermore there is provided according to the invention a combined exhaust
fan water turbine unit with the exhaust fan being direct coupled to the water
turbine, said unit being adapted to be installed in a building having a water
supply and a point of use of the water, said water supply being connected to --
the inlet of the turbine and the point of use connected to the exhaust of the
turbine, characterised in that the turbine comprises a rotor operating within a
casing, said rotor comprising a plurality of spiral arms extending from the
centre of the rotor to the circumference thereof, said water inlet passing to the
centre of the rotor so that the water passes through the rotor to said exhaust, a
control tap positioned between the exhaust of the turbine and the point of use
of the water whereby whenever water is used at the point of use, the turbine is
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driven with the turbine being under the pressure of the water supply at all
times.
In a preferred form of the invention the water is taken to the position of the fan
in the building.
5 In a still further preferred form of the invention the water turbine is connected
to the fan by a drive which ensures that the fan operates at a speed suitable
for exhausting the air from the area concerned.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the
10 accompanying drawings in which:-
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the invention applied to abathroom and a toilet,
FIG. 2 is a view of the fan and drive unit,
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of one form of water turbine,
FIG. 4 is a view of the rotor of a turbine,
FIG. 5 is a view of a further water turbine, and
FIG. 6 is a view of a further rotor of a turbine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1 there is shown one example of the installation and use of the20 invention. There is shown a bath room 1 having a shower 2 and a hand basin
3, and also a toilet 4 having a cistern 5 to supply water to a toilet pan 6. A hot
water supply 7 is provided to the shower 2, and it will be realised that there
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would also be a hot water supply (not shown) to the hand basin 3.
The bath room 1 is fitted with an exhaust fan 8 driven by a water turbine 9
while the toilet 4 is fitted with an exhaust fan 10 driven by a water turbine 11.
The cold water supply pipe 12 passes along the ceiling and is connected by
5 branch pipe 13 to the inlet to the water turbine 9, the pipe 12 extending to the
inlet to the water turbine 11. The exhaust from water turbine 9 is connected by
pipe 14 to the cold water tap 15 of the hand basin 3, and is also connected by
branch pipe 16 to tap 17 of the shower 2. The exhaust from the turbine 11 is
connected by pipe 18 to the inlet to the cistern 5.
10 Thus it is seen that the water supply to the shower 2 and hand basin 3 is
connected through the turbine 9 which drives the exhaust fan 8 so that if eithertap 15 or tap 17 is turned on the exhaust fan 8 will immediately be driven by
the water flowing through the water turbine 9, thus exhausting the steam and
the like from the bathroom.
15 Similarly it will be seen that when the cistern is flushed during the refill of the
water flow through the turbine 11 will drive the exhaust fan 11 to change the
air in the toilet.
FIG. 2 is a view of a combined exhaust fan 10 and water driven turbine 11 with
the fan impeller 18 being direct coupled to the driving shaft 19 of the water
20 turbine 11.
FIG. 3 shows in cross section one form of water turbine 20, the casing 21
having a water inlet 22 and a water outlet 23, the inlet 22 passing water axially
to the rotor 24. The rotor 24 can have a plurality of spiral passAges extending
from the centre of the rotor to the circumference thereof. One form of such rotor
25 is shown in FIG. A where the impeller 25 has the p~-ss~ges 26 extending from
the central inlet 27. --
FIG. 5 shows a further form of turbine where again the water inlet 28 is axial to
the rotor 29, the curved or spiral passages 30 extending from the axial inlet toa radial and tangential discharge 31. A still further form of rotor 32 is shown in
30 FIG. 6, again the water entering axially and discharging tangentially of the
rotor.
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Thus as described the tap (6,15,17) is positioned between the point of use
and the turbine, and thus it will be seen that the turbine (9,11 ) is always under
the pressure of the water supply. It also follows that the turbine thus operates- in under the pressure of the water which pressure is maintained to the point of
5 use.
Hence it will be seen the exhaust fan can be driven by one of a number of
water turbines. It will be appreciated that the exhaust fan can be positioned asdesired in the room, either in the wall or in the ceiling, so that steam, water
vapour and other gasses and odours are exhausted from the room.
10 While it is desired that the fan be direct coupled to the shaft of the turbine, it is
to be realised that in some instances there may be either a step-up drive or a
step-down drive connection between the water turbine and the fan, depending
on the turbine and the fan size. Thus the driving connection between the water
turbine and the fan can be a belt drive or an enclosed gear train drive.
15 Thus when the fan is installed in a bathroom having a shower, bath, toilet,
bidet and hand basin, the cold water supply to each of these is from a single
point of entry and passes through the water turbine before being branched to
the various points of use. In this way irrespective of which of the unit uses cold
water, the water turbine will operate to drive the exhaust fan.
20 The components of the water turbine and the fan can all be produced of a
suitable plastics material, so that rust and corrosion can be eliminated. Thus
the housing of the turbine and also the rotor itself can be produced of a
plastics material, as can the fan blades and the surrounding casing and
protective grill.
~M~NDED SHEEr
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Although various forms of the invention have been described in detail, it is to
be realised that the invention is not to be limited thereto but can include
variations and modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
AMENDED S~_
~PF.A, .
