Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02442779 2003-09-23
s Cooling fan
Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a cooling system for agricultural
buildings and,
more specifically, it is directed to a support-mounted fan. The goal of this
invention is
to provide a fan assembly to increase the circulation of air in an
agricultural building
and improve the health and comfort of animals housed therein, as well as to
provide
for such an assembly which may be easily and conveniently positioned for such
purposes.
~s
Background of the Invention
Cooling systems which operate by the movement of air are generally known in
the art
and have been used in the agricultural industry for some time in order to
increase the
comfort level of animals. The types of cooling systems contemplated may
consist of
air conditioning units, fans, cool mist devices, etc... However, not all the
above are
appropriate or effective to use in large agricultural buildings.
It is not practical nor economical to use traditional air-conditioning methods
to cool
down large agricultural buildings. Due to the size of agricultural buildings,
the size
and power of the air conditioning devices must be considerable in order to be
2s effective, and the cost of operating them is substantial. Furthermore,
existing
agricultural buildings are generally not designed to support bulky air
conditioning
devices and the lack of sufficient insulation and the many openings in a
building
make the use of air conditioning devices uneconomical.
An alternate, more cost-effective form of cooling system to air-conditioning
devices is
the small indoor fan. The fan cooling system is based on the principle of
removing
warm static air from around the animal and replacing it with cooler air.
Smaller fans
are preferred to large fans because they offer a greater number of options for
use.
For example, the small fan can be mounted to screened and louvered windows
located on the sidewalk of the agricultural building. This positioning is
chosen to
create a wind tunnel to cool down the animals. A disadvantage of the small
window
fan is that, due to the small size of the blades, the amount of airflow
dramatically
decreases at downstream locations. This is because of the conical nature of
the
airflow combined with the relatively small amount of air mass that can be
moved
CA 02442779 2003-09-23
using small blades on the fan. In order to move a large amount of air mass,
many
window fan assemblies would be needed, requiring a large amount of electricity
to
operate this type of cooling system. A disadvantage of wall-mounted fans is
that they
blow air from the side, thus the animals closer to the fan tend to disrupt the
flow of
air, causing animals that are farther away to be cooled less effectively. In
certain
situations, agricultural buildings consist only of a framed structure and a
roof, thus
making it impossible to use wall-mounted fans.
Other forms of cooling systems are also found in the prior art. For example,
U.S. patent 6,578,828 is directed to a device and system for sheltering
livestock and,
more specifically, to a programmable system for efficiently using evaporating
cooling
devices to create a comfortable environment for the animals. This livestock
cooling
system comprises a structure consisting of a roof and at least one
electrically-
powered fan creating an air stream and means for injecting water droplets into
the air
stream of the fan. The disadvantage of this type of fan cooling system is that
in order
to be effective, it must remove the excess water in the air. As the
temperature of
animals and persons increase, their bodies respond by eliminating the excess
water
through perspiration. Thus, the surrounding air absorbs these water molecules.
The
airflow created by fans helps dissipate the saturated air near the surtace of
a
person's or animals body and replaces it with unsaturated air. However, the
system
described in this patent adds water into the air thus increasing the amount of
saturated air near a person or animal instead of solely removing it.
Furthermore,
depending on the amount of water sprayed into the air, the surrounding of the
agricultural building, animal bedding and animals can become wet. Also, adding
water into the air increases the humidity and moisture and creates unpleasant
conditions. Furthermore, excess water in the air can lead to dampness and
mould.
U.S. patent Nos. 6,244,281 and 6,244,821 disclose a low-speed cooling fan to
cool
individuals in large industrial buildings. This large fan produces a column of
air
approximately 20 feet in diameter, and must be attached to a support that is
mounted
to the ceiling. Due to the size and weight of this type of low-speed cooling
fan, the
support structure required is considerable. The structure and rafters of
existing
agricultural buildings are usually not adequate to support the excess weight
of such a
fan. Considerable renovations are often necessary to ensure that the addition
of such
a fan does not cause any safety problems and for compliance with local
construction
code requirements. Consequently, there is a limited number of locations where
such
a fan can be placed, and the number of such fans as can be positioned in an
2
CA 02442779 2003-09-23
S agricultural building is usually limited to one. Such limitations may
prevent the
optimum positioning of fans for the purpose of cooling livestock. Therefore,
there is a
need to have a cooling system that is cost-effective, that can operate
efficiently within
the constraints of existing agricultural buildings, and that may be
conveniently and
economically located in the most optimum locations for cooling.
to Summary of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a cooling system for animals in an
agricultural
building.
Another object of this invention is to provide a cooling system comprising a
fan
15 assembly that can be used in any type of agricultural building Without the
need to
alter the support structure of the building to account for the extra weight of
the fan
systems known in the art.
A further object of this invention is that the fan assemblies contemplated by
the
20 present invention can be positioned in optimal locations attached to
supports that are
in turn attached to the floor of the agricultural building and otherwise not
supported
from a roof structure.
A still further object of the present invention is to have a fan assembly blow
air
25 downwards and through adjustable diffusers, aimed at providing effective
control
over the direction of the airflow.
Brief description of the Figures
30 Figure 1 is a detailed view of the cooling system assembly comprising the
fan
mounted on a support;
Figure 2 is a detailed view of the support;
3
CA 02442779 2003-09-23
s Detailed Description
The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention will become more
readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments
made in reference to the attached figures.
Referring now specifically to the figures, Figure 1 shows a fan assembly (1)
and its
main components, as contemplated in the present invention.
The assembly comprises a horizontal support means (2), attached to a vertical
1 s support means (3). The vertical support means (3) has a first end (4) and
a second
end (5); the first end (4) having a horizontal base (6) securably attached to
the floor
(7) of an agricultural building; and the second end (5) of the vertical
support means
(3) having an attachment means (8) for connection to the horizontal support
means
(2).
The fan (11) comprises a plurality of blades (9) enclosed within a frame (10).
In one
embodiment, the frame (10) takes on an oblong configuration. There is also a
an
adjustable diffuser (12) securably attached to the frame (10). In one
preferred
embodiment, the adjustable diffuser (12) includes elongated channels (13),
each
2s having a side surface that is machined or fabricated to include a
regulating vent (14)
at its extremities.
In another embodiment of the invention, a diffuser includes a body, a pair of
prongs
extending from the body, a vane unit and a projection extending from the body.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a diffuser includes a body
comprising a
first cylindrical portion, a second cylindrical portion and a third
cylindrical portion.
The third cylindrical portion has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter
of the
second cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion has a diameter
that it
smaller than the diameter of the first cylindrical portion. The second
cylindrical
3s portion fits within the first cylindrical portion and the third cylindrical
portion may fit
within the second cylindrical portion. Turning of the cylindrical portion will
cause the
airflow to increase and decrease and as such a person can control the amount
of
cool air entering into the agricultural building. However, persons of ordinary
skill in
the art will understand that the adjustable diffusers can be of a wide variety
of
4
CA 02442779 2003-09-23
configurations and dimensions, as far as the structural integrity of the
channels is not
compromised.
A rotatable shaft (not shown) is securably attached to the horizontal support
means
(2) such as to allow for rotational movement about the vertical axis, and a
motor (not
shown) is secured to the horizontal support means (2) in such a way that, when
operated, it causes the rotatable shaft to rotate about the vertical axis and
further
causes air to flow downward and to be directed by said adjustable diffusers
(12).
Figure 2 shows the vertical support (3) comprising a first end (4) and a
second end
(5). The first end (4) is secured into the floor of an agricultural building
and the
second end (5) is configured so that the horizontal support means (2) can be
mounted using conventional fasteners. The horizontal support (2) is adapted to
allow
the mounting a fan assembly (1) of any size.
Once the fan assembly (1) is in operation, the motor (not shown) causes the
rotatable shaft (not shown) to rotate, making the plurality of fan blades to
cause the
air to move in a conical downward direction until it reaches the floor. Once
the air
reaches the floor area, it subsequently begins moving sideways in a horizontal
fashion until it is redirected towards the fan assembly (1). This continuous
circular
motion of the air creates a more pleasant environment for the animals.
Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent that many
structural
adaptations may be implemented without departing from the scope of the present
invention as set forth above and as described in the claims herein.
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