AU2014215985B2 - Shower exhaust fan unit - Google Patents

Abstract

An exhaust fan unit (10) is provided that includes a housing (12) adapted to be mounted in or below a ceiling (17), a shower head (40) with associated water delivery plumbing (43), and an exhaust fan (54) supported by the housing (12) so as to be 5 directly above the shower head (40) when the housing (12) is mounted in situ in or below a ceiling (17). The exhaust fan (54) is operable to draw steam upwardly from about the shower head (40) through the housing (12). A water turbine (52) is supported so as to be driven by water en route to the shower head (40) and to thereby in turn, by mechanical coupling, drive the exhaust fan (54). ell,

Description

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:

Shower exhaust fan unit

Applicant:

Phoenix Industries Pty Ltd

The invention is described in the following statement:

2014215985 21 Aug 2014

Shower exhaust fan unit

Field of the invention

This invention relates generally to exhaustion of steam from bathrooms, and more particularly bathrooms fitted with a shower recess.

Background of the invention

The formation of mould on the ceiling and walls of bathrooms, especially those fitted with a shower recess, is a well-known problem. Ventilation, air conditioning and heater lamps are useful measures for reducing the incidence of mould but in most cases are not a complete solution, especially where residents or guests enjoy a lengthy 10 or hot shower.

The most effective approach is the forced withdrawal of steam by an exhaust fan, which is most effective if provided in the ceiling above the actual shower recess. These exhaust fans are powered by mains electricity and so must meet quite stringent sealing and insulation requirements in order to be acceptable in the damp environment of a bathroom. This is especially so if they are to be fitted in the ceiling above the shower recess, where liquid water can impinge the unit.

Australian patent 696315 discloses an exhaust fan system for a shower recess in which the fan is driven by a turbine that in turn is mounted in a supply type conveying water to the shower head or rose mounted on the wall of the shower recess.

It is an object of the invention to provide an advantageous, or at least alternative, solution to the problem of exhausting steam from a bathroom and so reducing the incidence of dampness and mould formation in the bathroom.

Reference to any prior art in the specification is not an acknowledgment or suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be understood, regarded as relevant, and/or combined with other pieces of prior art by a skilled person in the art.

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Summary of the invention

The invention entails a realisation that the aforementioned object can be effectively addressed by providing a unit with a water-driven exhaust fan that is operable to draw steam upwardly from about a shower head disposed directly below the 5 fan.

The invention provides, in a first aspect, an exhaust fan unit including a housing adapted to be mounted in or below a ceiling, a shower head with associated water delivery plumbing, an exhaust fan supported by the housing so as to be directly above the shower head when the housing is mounted in situ in or below a ceiling and operable 10 to draw steam upwardly from about the shower head through the housing, and a water turbine supported so as to be driven by water en route to the shower head and to thereby in turn by mechanical coupling drive the exhaust fan.

Preferably, the shower head is supported directly or indirectly by the housing.

In a second aspect, the invention provides an exhaust fan unit including a 15 housing adapted to be mounted in or below a ceiling, structure arranged for defining a water flow path that traverses the housing and includes a pipe segment that depends from the unit when the housing is mounted in situ in or below a ceiling and is adapted for mounting a shower head below the unit, an exhaust fan supported by the housing so as to be directly above the shower head when the housing is mounted in situ in or below a ceiling and operable to draw steam upwardly from about the shower head through the housing, and a water turbine supported so as to be driven by water en route to the shower head and to thereby in turn by mechanical coupling drive the exhaust fan.

Advantageously, the exhaust fan and the water turbine are arranged co-axially and the mechanical coupling is a shaft that extends along the same axis. The shower head is preferably also co-axial therewith, directly below the turbine and exhaust fan when in situ.

Preferably, the water turbine is disposed in an inner water-sealed chamber defined by structure mounted to the housing. The chamber has a lateral water inlet port and a water outlet port that may be centrally disposed and connected to the shower head by a pipe that extends vertically when the shower head unit is in situ.

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The aforesaid structure and the housing may define a ring of openings about the structure through which steam is drawn when the exhaust fan is operating. The openings may be defined by ribs or by stator blades.

The housing may include a circular water conduit extending about the inside 5 circumference of the housing, which may form part of the water flow path. The water conduit preferably leads into the water turbine via one or more inlet jets.

The invention also provides a kit of components adapted to be assembled to provide an exhaust fan unit according to the first or second aspect of the invention.

Further aspects of the present invention and further embodiments of the aspects 10 described in the preceding paragraphs will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of an exhaust fan unit according to an embodiment of the invention, shown in situ in a ceiling;

Figure 2 is an exploded three dimensional view of an exhaust fan unit as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the unit;

Figure 4 is a perspective axial cross-sectioned view of an exhaust fan unit according to any alternative embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 is an exploded three-dimensional view of an exhaust fan unit as illustrated in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side view of the exhaust fan unit of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a sectional plan view through lines D-D in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detailed view of area E in Figure 7; and

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Figure 9 is a perspective view of the water turbine according to the embodiment shown in Figure 4.

Detailed description of the embodiments

The exhaust fan unit 10 depicted in the drawings includes an outer generally cylindrical housing 12 with equiangularly spaced outstanding integral tabs 14 for securing the unit 10 in a matching aperture 16 formed in a ceiling 17. Fasteners (not shown) applied at each tab 14 secure the unit to the undersurface of the ceiling about the aperture 16. Alternative or additional fastening formations may be provided.

Coaxially mounted within housing 12 is an assembly 18 of an upwardly open bowl-shaped wall 20 and a slightly domed cover 22.

The rims of bowl-shaped wall 20 and domed cover 22 have annular segments 21, 23 of complementary matching shape that fit together at an inverted L-shaped interface 24 to define an interior chamber 26. The assembly is secured by co-operating threaded fasteners 28 and the interface 24 is sealed against water passage by sealing ring 30.

Annular rim 21 is coaxial with housing 12 about a central axis 11 and is spaced from but bridged to the inside wall of housing 12 by a ring of peripherally spaced ribs 34. These ribs define between them a ring of openings 35 through which, as will be seen, steam is exhausted during operation of the unit.

The lower end of bowl-shaped wall 20 is cast or moulded to define a depending segment of tubular water pipe 38. Pipe 38 is coaxial with axis 11 and its lower end is open but formed with an external (or internal) thread 39 by which it may be attached to a complementary threaded water inlet 41 of a shower head 40.

Water admission to chamber 26 is via a conduit segment 42 that projects through housing 12 from an intake coupling 43 external of the housing across the space 27 between the housing and wall 20 to open into chamber 26 so as to direct water substantially tangentially into the chamber.

Disposed coaxially with axis 11 is a rotor assembly 50 comprising a water turbine within chamber 26 and an exhaust fan 54 with multiple blades 55 within exhaust

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2014215985 21 Aug 2014 chamber 13 of housing 12. Turbine 52 has a central cylindrical body 57 with a ring of turbine blades 58 arranged uniformly about its rim and a central upstanding stub axle 60 that projects through an aperture 62 in domed cover 22, traverses chamber 13, and has a D-section portion by which it is irrotationally coupled to exhaust fan 54. Stub axle 60 is 5 also journalled in a suitable flanged sleeve bearing 80 in aperture 62. Bearing 80 and an associated gasket 82 prevent leakage of water from chamber 26 into chamber 13.

When installed in the ceiling of a shower recess, and a shower head is fitted to pipe 38, the assembly comprises an integrated shower head and exhaust fan unit in which water delivered to the shower head 40 via intake 43, chamber 26 and pipe 38, 10 rotationally drives turbine 52, which thereby in turn, by the mechanical coupling provided by stub shaft 60, drives exhaust fan 54 in chamber 13. The exhaust fan operates to draw steam upwardly from about the shower head 40 through housing 12 by way of the ring of openings 35 defined by ribs 34, and chamber 13. An advantageous feature is that increased water delivery, and therefore the likelihood of increasing steam 15 generation, is matched by increasing the speed of exhaust fan 54. By placing the exhaust fan directly and substantially immediately above the shower head, the fan is in the vicinity of the greatest steam generation emanating from the descending jet or column of hot water.

Figures 4 to 9 illustrate an alternative embodiment of an exhaust fan unit 110, 20 with like parts using the same reference numerals as Figures 1 to 3, preceded by a 1. The housing 112 is similarly generally cylindrical with equiangularly spaced outstanding tabs 114. The housing 112 is relatively similar to that shown in, and described in relation to, Figures 1 to 3, with the ring of ribs 34 being replaced with a ring of peripherally spaced stator blades 133. The housing 112 includes a circular water conduit 145 that extends from the end of the intake coupling 143 about the inner circumference of the bowl-shaped wall 120. From the water conduit 145, the water enters the interior chamber 126 via two inlet jets 147. The water turbine 152 includes a ring of turbine blades 158, which are crescent-shaped and extend downwardly from the base of the turbine 152. The inlet jets 147 direct water into the turbine chamber 126 in a direction such that it hits the rear concave surface 159 of the turbine blades 158, rotationally driving the turbine 152, which in turn, by the mechanical coupling, drives the exhaust fan 154 in chamber 113 drawing steam upwards from about the shower head 140.

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The illustrated exhaust fan unit does not include electrically powered components and therefore can be installed without the use of an electrician and/or the provision of a main power socket in the ceiling space. The customer has the option of a single integrated unit effectively combining a shower head and exhaust fan instead of the 5 traditional requirement for separate shower head and exhaust fan assemblies respectively obtainable from a plumbing display and an electrical goods display.

It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations 10 constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

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Claims (3)

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   1. An exhaust fan unit including:

   a housing adapted to be mounted in or below a ceiling;

   a shower head with associated water delivery plumbing;

   5 an exhaust fan supported by the housing so as to be directly above the shower head when the housing is mounted in situ in or below a ceiling and operable to draw steam upwardly from about the shower head through the housing; and a water turbine supported so as to be driven by water en route to the shower head and to thereby in turn by mechanical coupling drive the exhaust fan.

   10 2. An exhaust fan unit according to claim 1, wherein the shower head is supported directly or indirectly by the housing.

   3. An exhaust fan unit including:

   a housing adapted to be mounted in or below a ceiling;

   a structure arranged for defining a water flow path that traverses the housing and

   15 includes a pipe segment that depends from the unit when the housing is mounted in situ in or below a ceiling and is adapted for mounting a shower head below the unit;

   an exhaust fan supported by the housing so as to be directly above the shower head when the housing is mounted in situ in or below a ceiling and operable to draw steam upwardly from about the shower head through the housing; and

   20 a water turbine supported so as to be driven by water en route to the shower head and to thereby in turn by mechanical coupling drive the exhaust fan.

   4. An exhaust fan unit according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the exhaust fan and the water turbine are arranged co-axially and the mechanical coupling is a shaft that extends along the same axis.

   25 5. An exhaust fan unit according to claim 4, wherein the shower head is also coaxial therewith, directly below the turbine and exhaust fan when in situ.

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   6. An exhaust fan unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the water turbine is disposed in an inner water-sealed chamber defined by structure mounted to the housing.

   7. An exhaust fan unit according to claim 6, wherein the inner water-sealed

   5 chamber has a lateral water inlet port and a water outlet port that are centrally disposed and connected to the shower head by a pipe that extends vertically when the shower head unit is in situ.

   8. An exhaust fan unit according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the aforesaid structure and the housing define a ring of openings about the structure through which steam is drawn

   10 when the exhaust fan is operating.

   9. An exhaust fan unit according to claim 8, wherein the openings are defined by stator blades.

   10. An exhaust fan unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the water flow path includes a circular water conduit extending about the housing.

   15 11. An exhaust fan unit according to claim 10, wherein the water conduit leads into the water turbine via one or more inlet jets.

   12. A kit of components adapted to be assembled to provide an exhaust fan unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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   Figure 9