VENTILATOR UNITS, METHODS FOR PROVIDING VENTILATION IN RESPONSE TO HUMIDITY LEVELS, AND WALL UNITS
Ventilator units, and methods for their use, are provided. Each of the ventilator units comprises a first flexible film, a second flexible film disposed opposite the first flexible film and attached to the first flexible film at at least two points, a first swellable portion attached to the first flexible film, and a second swellable portion attached to the second flexible film.
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Ventilator units, methods for providing ventilation in response to humidity levels, and wall units are disclosed.
BACKGROUNDIt is desirable to regulate airflow in response to humidity levels in order to maintain the air quality inside buildings. Conventional ventilators are connected to sensors to detect and respond to humidity levels. Alternatively, conventional ventilators are manually operated by an occupant of the building. Therefore, the conventional ventilators do not spontaneously ventilate the room in response to the humidity levels. Further, the conventional ventilators ventilate the room by using a fan, for example. Therefore, the conventional ventilators consume power and do not operate in the absence of electricity.
SUMMARYAn aspect of the present disclosure relates to a ventilator unit. The ventilator unit comprises a first flexible film, a second flexible film disposed opposite the first flexible film and attached to the first flexible film at at least two points, a first swellable portion attached to the first flexible film, and a second swellable portion attached to the second flexible film.
Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for providing ventilation in response to humidity levels. The method comprises: providing a ventilator unit comprising a first flexible film, a second flexible film disposed opposite the first flexible film and attached to the first flexible film at at least two points, a first swellable portion attached to the first flexible film, and a second swellable portion attached to the second flexible film, wherein the first flexible film and the second flexible film define a gap; increasing a distance between the first flexible film and the second flexible film by swelling the first swellable portion and the second swellable portion in response to an increase in humidity; and passing air through the gap.
Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wall unit comprising a plurality of ventilator units. Each of the plurality of ventilator units comprises a first flexible film, a second flexible film disposed opposite the first flexible film and attached to the first flexible film at at least two points, a first swellable portion attached to the first flexible film, and a second swellable portion attached to the second flexible film.
With reference to
When the first swellable portion 11 and the second swellable portion 22 swell in response to an increase in humidity, a distance between the first flexible film 1 and the second flexible film 2 increases, as shown in
The first flexible film 1 is configured to not swell in response to an increase in humidity. Also, the second flexible film 2 is configured to not swell in response to an increase in humidity. The first flexible film 1 and second flexible film 2 can generally be made of any material that is flexible but does not swell in response to an increase in humidity. The first flexible film 1 and the second flexible film 2 can be made of the same material, or of different materials. The first flexible film 1 and the second flexible film 2 can generally be made of any type of resin that does not swell in response to an increase in humidity. An example of a suitable resin is polyethylene. Alternatively, each of the first flexible film 1 and the second flexible film 2 contains or is a moisture permeable material having a formability property such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, or a mixture of these compounds, for example.
The first swellable portion 11 facially makes contact with the first flexible film 1. Also, the second swellable portion 22 facially makes contact with the second flexible film 2. The first swellable portion 11 and second swellable portion 22 can generally be made of any material that swells in response to an increase in humidity. The first swellable portion 11 and second swellable portion 22 can be made of the same material, or of different materials. Each of the first swellable portion 11 and the second swellable portion 22 can contain or is a hygroscopic swellable material such as polysaccharide, cellulose derivative, polyacrylic acid, polyacrylate, polyalkylene oxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, inorganic water absorption material, or a mixture of these compounds, for example. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is a specific example of such a material. When the relative humidity is 60%, polyvinylpyrrolidone can absorb 20% of its own weight of water. When the relative humidity is 80%, polyvinylpyrrolidone can absorb 40% of its own weight of water.
Examples of suitable polysaccharides include cellulose and starch. Examples of suitable cellulose derivatives include carboxymethyl cellulose and hydroxyethyl cellulose. When the relative humidity is 60%, carboxymethyl cellulose can absorb 30% of its own weight of water. When the relative humidity is 80%, carboxymethyl cellulose can absorb 70% of its own weight of water. Examples of inorganic water absorption materials include active aluminum oxide, clay, kaolin, talc, bentonite, sepiolite, and aluminum silicate.
Each of the first swellable portion 11 and the second swellable portion 22 can consist of only the hygroscopic swellable materials described above, or can contain additional materials. Alternatively, each of the first swellable portion 11 and the second swellable portion 22 may further contain a moisture permeable material having a formability property such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, or a mixture of these compounds, for example. The moisture permeable materials may be mixed into the hygroscopic swellable materials, for example.
The surface of first flexible film 1 may be applied by various methods such as coating or spraying with the hygroscopic swellable material and the moisture permeable material to form the first swellable portion 11, for example. Alternatively, the first swellable portion 11 may be formed as a film. Thereafter, the first swellable portion 11 may be laminated with the first flexible film 1.
The surface of second flexible film 2 may be applied by various methods such as coating or spraying with the hygroscopic swellable material and the moisture permeable material to form the second swellable portion 22, for example. Alternatively, the second swellable portion 22 may be formed as a film. Thereafter, the second swellable portion 22 may be laminated with the second flexible film 2.
The first flexible film 1 and the first swellable portion 11 constitute a first subunit of the ventilator unit, as shown in
The first swellable portion 11 and the second swellable portion 22 contract when the humidity levels are decreased. In this case, the first flexible film 1 makes contact with or approaches second flexible film 2. Therefore, the ventilator reduces air flow or prevents the air from passing through the gap between the first flexible film 1 and the second flexible film 2.
When the humidity levels are increased, the first swellable portion 11 and the second swellable portion 22 swell upon absorbing water. Therefore, each volume of the first swellable portion 11 and the second swellable portion 22 increases. Although each volume of the first flexible film 1 and the second flexible film 2 does not change in response to the humidity, the first flexible film 1 and the second flexible film 2 are flexible and deformable. Accordingly, when the first swellable portion 11 swells, the first subunit bends away from the second subunit, as shown in
The ventilator unit may generally be any size. The ventilator unit may be of a sufficient size for passing air through the gap at high humidity. When the ventilator unit is used as a part of a wall as described below, the ventilator unit may be of a size that is small enough to prevent the interior of the building from being seen from the outside through the aperture of the ventilator unit if privacy is desired. An example of the width of the first flexible film 1 can be about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm. Also, an example of the width of the second flexible film 2 can be about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm.
The ratio of the volume of the first swellable portion 11 to the volume of the first flexible film 1 can generally be any ratio. Also, the ratio of the volume of the second swellable portion 22 to the volume of the second flexible film 2 can generally be any ratio. An example ratio of the volume of the first swellable portion 11 to the volume of the first flexible film 1 is from about 3:1 to about 99:1, since the large volume of the first swellable portion 11 makes the ventilator unit sensitive to the humidity. Also, an example ratio of the volume of the second swellable portion 22 to the volume of the second flexible film 2 is from about 3:1 to about 99:1.
With reference next to
With reference next to
With reference next to
As shown in
Modifications and variations of the embodiments described above would be thought of by those skilled in the art, in the light of the above teachings. For example, the first flexible film can be or include a shape memory material and bends away from the second flexible film when the first swellable portion swells in response to an increase in humidity. Also, the second flexible film can be or include the shape memory material and bends away from the first flexible film when the second swellable portion swells in response to an increase in humidity. The scope of this disclosure is defined with reference to the following claims.
Claims
1. A ventilator unit comprising:
- a first flexible film;
- a second flexible film disposed opposite the first flexible film and attached to the first flexible film at at least two points;
- a first swellable portion attached to the first flexible film; and
- a second swellable portion attached to the second flexible film.
2. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first swellable portion is configured to swell in response to an increase in humidity, and the second swellable portion is configured to swell in response to an increase in humidity.
3. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first flexible film and the second flexible film increases when the first swellable portion and the second swellable portion swell in response to an increase in humidity.
4. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first flexible film and the second flexible film decreases when the first swellable portion and the second swellable portion contract in response to a decrease in humidity.
5. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first flexible film is attached to the second flexible film through at least one hinge.
6. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first flexible film comprises shape memory material and is configured to bend away from the second flexible film when the first swellable portion swells in response to an increase in humidity.
7. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the second flexible film comprises shape memory material and is configured to bend away from the first flexible film when the second swellable portion swells in response to an increase in humidity.
8. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first flexible film is configured to not swell in response to an increase in humidity, and the second flexible film is configured to not swell in response to an increase in humidity.
9. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first flexible film comprises at least one metal portion, and the second flexible film comprises at least one metal portion.
10. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first swellable portion is configured to swell upon absorbing water, and the second swellable portion is configured to swell upon absorbing water.
11. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first flexible film and the first swellable portion facially contact, and wherein the second flexible film and the second swellable portion facially contact.
12. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the width of the first flexible film is about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, and the width of the second flexible film is about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm.
13. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first swellable portion and the second swellable portion comprise polysaccharide, cellulose derivative, polyacrylic acid, polyacrylate, polyalkylene oxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, or inorganic material.
14. The ventilator unit of claim 13, wherein the first swellable portion and the second swellable portion further comprise ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polymethyl methacrylate, or polyethylene terephthalate.
15. The ventilator unit of claim 1, wherein the first flexible film and the second flexible film comprise polyethylene.
16. A method for providing ventilation in response to humidity levels, the method comprising:
- providing a ventilator unit comprising a first flexible film, a second flexible film disposed opposite the first flexible film and attached to the first flexible film at at least two points, a first swellable portion attached to the first flexible film, and a second swellable portion attached to the second flexible film, wherein the first flexible film and the second flexible film define a gap;
- increasing a distance between the first flexible film and the second flexible film by swelling the first swellable portion and the second swellable portion in response to an increase in humidity; and
- passing air through the gap.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising decreasing a distance between the first flexible film and the second flexible film in response to a decrease in humidity.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first flexible film is attached to the second flexible film through at least one hinge.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first flexible film comprises shape memory material and is configured to bend away from the second flexible film when the first swellable portion swells in response to an increase in humidity.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the second flexible film comprises shape memory material and is configured to bend away from the first flexible film when the second swellable portion swells in response to an increase in humidity.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein the first flexible film is configured to not swell in response to an increase in humidity, and the second flexible film is configured to not swell in response to an increase in humidity.
22. The method of claim 16, wherein the first flexible film comprises at least one metal portion, and the second flexible film comprises at least one metal portion.
23. The method of claim 16, wherein the first flexible film and the first swellable portion facially contact, and wherein the second flexible film and the second swellable portion facially contact.
24. A wall unit comprising a plurality of ventilator units, wherein each of the plurality of ventilator units comprises:
- a first flexible film;
- a second flexible film disposed opposite the first flexible film and attached to the first flexible film at at least two points;
- a first swellable portion attached to the first flexible film; and
- a second swellable portion attached to the second flexible film.
25. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein the first swellable portion is configured to swell in response to an increase in humidity, and the second swellable portion is configured to swell in response to an increase in humidity.
26. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein a distance between the first flexible film and the second flexible film increases when the first swellable portion and the second swellable portion swell in response to an increase in humidity.
27. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein a distance between the first flexible film and the second flexible film decreases when the first swellable portion and the second swellable portion contract in response to a decrease in humidity.
28. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein the first flexible film is attached to the second flexible film through at least one hinge.
29. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein the first flexible film comprises shape memory material and is configured to bend away from the second flexible film when the first swellable portion swells in response to an increase in humidity.
30. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein the second flexible film comprises shape memory material and is configured to bend away from the first flexible film when the second swellable portion swells in response to an increase in humidity.
31. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein the first flexible film is configured to not swell in response to an increase in humidity, and the second flexible film is configured to not swell in response to an increase in humidity.
32. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein the first flexible film comprises at least one metal portion, and the second flexible film comprises at least one metal portion.
33. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein the first swellable portion is configured to swell upon absorbing water, and the second swellable portion is configured to swell upon absorbing water.
34. The wall unit of claim 24, wherein the first flexible film and the first swellable portion facially contact, and wherein the second flexible film and the second swellable portion facially contact.
35. The wall unit of claim 24, further comprising a panel having a plurality of holes, wherein the plurality of ventilator units are disposed on the panel to align with or cover the plurality of holes.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 7, 2010
Publication Date: Jun 7, 2012
Applicant: Empire Technology Development LLC (Wilmington, DE)
Inventor: Atsushi Niwa (Kyoto)
Application Number: 13/063,859
International Classification: F24F 7/00 (20060101);