Patents Assigned to RBC Horizon, Inc.
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Publication number: 20130170945Abstract: A blower having a blower housing having a cutoff and a top portion with an air outlet opening, a fan within the blower housing, the fan being adapted for rotation about a fan axis and having an outer diameter with a distance between the outer diameter of the fan and the top portion of the air outlet opening extending along a vertical line between the fan axis and the air outlet opening being less than seventy-five percent of the distance between the outer diameter of the fan and the cutoff of the blower housing extending along a line between the fan axis and the cutoff, and a motor having a stator and a rotor, the rotor being rotatably coupled to the stator for rotation about the fan axis, the rotor and fan being coupled such that the fan rotates with the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2012Publication date: July 4, 2013Applicant: RBC Horizon, Inc.Inventors: William Stuart Gatley, JR., Steven W. Post
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Publication number: 20130167826Abstract: A blower for a downdraft cooktop that includes a blower housing, having a top portion and a bottom portion, which includes an inlet that can be fluidly coupled to a downdraft cooktop and an outlet for removing air from the blower housing, a fan located between the input and the outlet of the blower housing, a motor having a rotor with a shaft, having a top portion and a bottom portion, and a stator, wherein the bottom portion of the rotor is operatively attached to the fan, a rotatable member operative attached to the top portion of the rotor, and a motor housing enclosing the motor, having a top portion, a bottom portion, at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening, wherein air for cooling the motor is drawn through the motor housing without utilizing the air located within the blower housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2012Publication date: July 4, 2013Applicant: RBC Horizon, Inc.Inventor: Mark Anthony Feld
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Patent number: 8277175Abstract: A combustion air supply blower includes a blower housing having a housing body and housing cover. The cover is removably attached to the housing body and generally provides access to a motor and fan assembly including a fan and a motor. The motor and fan assembly is removably mounted within the housing body and is captured between the housing body and the housing cover such that, upon removal of the housing cover, the motor and fan assembly is exposed and may then be lifted out of the housing body for easy maintenance, repair, and/or replacement of any portion of the motor and fan assembly. Alternatively, upon removal of the housing cover, the motor and fan assembly may be accessed while remaining within the housing body to complete any maintenance and/or repair of the motor and fan assembly.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2008Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: RBC Horizon, Inc.Inventors: Bobby D. Garrison, Steven W. Post
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Patent number: 8079834Abstract: A blower housing may be used with a climate control furnace or with a water heater and provides cooling of the motor that rotates the blower fan and also provides dilution and cooling of exhaust gases drawn from the furnace or water heater. The housing has an interior dilution compartment that communicates with an elongate conduit. The dilution compartment receives dilution air through the conduit, thereby reducing blower operation noise at the blower housing.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2004Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: RBC Horizon, Inc.Inventor: William Stuart Gatley, Jr.
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Publication number: 20110243720Abstract: An air handler blower assembly includes a blower housing containing a centrifugal fan and a motor mounted on the blower housing and connected to the fan. The blower housing has opposite first and second air inlet openings that are coaxial with the fan, and the first inlet opening is larger than the second inlet opening. The motor is mounted on the blower housing with the motor extending axially through the first inlet opening into the blower housing and into the interior of the fan. The positioning of the motor inside the blower housing and inside the fan reduces the overall axial dimension of the blower assembly. The larger first air inlet opening reduces the losses associated with placing the motor in the first air inlet opening while keeping the second air inlet opening at a smaller size than the first air inlet opening avoids creating buffeting noise and a power/efficiency loss from occurring.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2010Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventor: Steven W. Post
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Patent number: 8025049Abstract: An air distribution blower housing for a furnace is designed with an enlarged air outlet opening that slows down and spreads out the air flow from the blower housing over a greater area of the furnace heat exchanger. The blower housing thereby enables less air pressure drop through the heat exchanger, which increases the efficiency of the blower motor operation. The design of the blower housing also efficiently turns the velocity head of the air flow through the housing to usable static air pressure at the housing air outlet. The enlarged air outlet opening of the blower housing is achieved without increasing the exterior diameter dimensions of the blower housing by utilizing a volute outer wall of the blower housing that has an exponentially increasing expansion angle in the direction of air flow through the blower housing.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2007Date of Patent: September 27, 2011Assignee: RBC Horizon, Inc.Inventor: Steven W. Post
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Publication number: 20110217188Abstract: A blower assembly including a blower housing having a side wall with a first portion extending from the initial cutoff through an angle of at least 45° or more, the first portion having a radius which is substantially constant or which increases at a relatively small rate. The side wall additionally includes a second portion, extending from the end of the first portion to the outlet, which forms a continuous curve with the first portion and has an increasing radius which is increasing at a larger rate and has a rate of increase that is also increasing with housing angle. The shape of the side wall allows a reduction in the overall size of the blower housing for a given size of impeller.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2011Publication date: September 8, 2011Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventor: Leslie A. Lyons
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Patent number: 8001958Abstract: An air distribution blower housing for an air handler such as a residential furnace is designed with an enlarged air outlet opening that slows down and spreads out the air flow from the blower housing over a greater area of the furnace heat exchanger. The blower housing thereby enables less air pressure drop through the heat exchanger, which increases the efficiency of the blower motor operation. The design of the blower housing also efficiently turns the velocity head of the air flow through the housing to usable static air pressure at the housing air outlet. The enlarged air outlet opening of the blower housing is achieved without increasing the exterior diameter dimensions of the blower housing whereby the blower housing is used in a compact enclosure for residential use. This is accomplished by utilizing a volute outer wall of the blower housing that has an exponentially increasing expansion angle in the direction of air flow through the blower housing.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2008Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: RBC Horizon, Inc.Inventor: Steven W. Post
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Publication number: 20110189005Abstract: An air distribution blower housing for a low profile air handler such as a residential furnace is designed with a volute-shaped outer wall that has an exponentially increasing expansion angle in the direction of air flow through the blower housing for at least a portion of the volute-shaped outer wall length. This results in the blower housing having an enlarged air outlet opening that slows down and spreads out the air flow from the blower housing over a greater area of the furnace heat exchanger. The blower housing thereby enables less air pressure drop through the heat exchanger, which increases the efficiency of the blower motor operation. The design of the blower housing also efficiently turns the velocity head of the air flow through the housing to usable static air pressure at the housing air outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2010Publication date: August 4, 2011Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventor: Steven W. Post
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Publication number: 20110114073Abstract: An air distribution blower housing for an air handler such as a residential furnace is designed with an enlarged air outlet opening that slows down and spreads out the air flow from the blower housing over a greater area of the furnace heat exchanger. The blower housing thereby enables less air pressure drop through the heat exchanger, which increases the efficiency of the blower motor operation. The design of the blower housing also efficiently turns the velocity head of the air flow through the housing to usable static air pressure at the housing air outlet. The enlarged air outlet opening of the blower housing is achieved without increasing the exterior diameter dimensions of the blower housing whereby the blower housing is used in a compact enclosure for residential use. This is accomplished by utilizing a volute outer wall of the blower housing that has an exponentially increasing expansion angle in the direction of air flow through the blower housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2008Publication date: May 19, 2011Applicant: RBC Horizon, Inc.Inventor: Steven Post
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Publication number: 20100303646Abstract: A blower housing of novel two-piece construction is comprised of first and second housing parts of stamped or drawn sheet metal that are attached together. The two-piece construction provides the housing with two interior portions separated by an interior wall. The interior wall has an opening that is spaced from the aligned exhaust opening of the heater and the output opening of the housing. This creates a winding exhaust gas flow path through the blower housing. The interior wall is also provided with a recessed cavity that receives a portion of a fan rotated by a motor supported by the blower housing. Positioning of at least a portion of the fan in the cavity reduces the overall height dimension of the blower housing and facilitates the retrofitting of the blower housing between an existing exhaust opening of a heater and an axially aligned flue pipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2009Publication date: December 2, 2010Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventors: Michael K. Garrett, John Matukewicz
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Publication number: 20100263653Abstract: An air distribution blower housing for an air handler such as a residential furnace is designed with a volute-shaped outer wall that has an exponentially increasing expansion angle in the direction of air flow through the blower housing for at least a portion of the volute-shaped outer wall length. This results in the blower housing having an enlarged air outlet opening that slows down and spreads out the air flow from the blower housing over a greater area of the furnace heat exchanger. The blower housing thereby enables less air pressure drop through the heat exchanger, which increases the efficiency of the blower motor operation. The design of the blower housing also efficiently turns the velocity head of the air flow through the housing to usable static air pressure at the housing air outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2009Publication date: October 21, 2010Applicant: RBC Horizon, Inc.Inventor: Steven Post
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Publication number: 20100078007Abstract: An air distribution blower housing for an air handler such as a residential furnace is designed with a volute-shaped outer wall that has an exponentially increasing expansion angle in the direction of air flow through the blower housing for at least a portion of the volute-shaped outer wall length. This results in the blower housing having an enlarged air outlet opening that slows down and spreads out the air flow from the blower housing over a greater area of the furnace heat exchanger. The blower housing thereby enables less air pressure drop through the heat exchanger, which increases the efficiency of the blower motor operation. The design of the blower housing also efficiently turns the velocity head of the air flow through the housing to usable static air pressure at the housing air outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2009Publication date: April 1, 2010Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventor: Steven W. Post
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Publication number: 20090252605Abstract: A blower assembly including a blower housing having a side wall with a first portion extending from the initial cutoff through an angle of at least 45° or more, the first portion having a radius which is substantially constant or which increases at a relatively small rate. The side wall additionally includes a second portion, extending from the end of the first portion to the outlet, which has an increasing radius which is increasing at a larger rate and has a rate of increase that is also increasing with housing angle. The shape of the side wall allows a reduction in the overall size of the blower housing for a given size of impeller.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2009Publication date: October 8, 2009Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventor: Leslie A. Lyons
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Publication number: 20090114206Abstract: An air distribution blower housing for an air handler such as a residential furnace is designed with an enlarged air outlet opening that slows down and spreads out the air flow from the blower housing over a greater area of the furnace heat exchanger. The blower housing thereby enables less air pressure drop through the heat exchanger, which increases the efficiency of the blower motor operation. The design of the blower housing also efficiently turns the velocity head of the air flow through the housing to usable static air pressure at the housing air outlet. The enlarged air outlet opening of the blower housing is achieved without increasing the exterior diameter dimensions of the blower housing whereby the blower housing is used in a compact enclosure for residential use. This is accomplished by utilizing a volute outer wall of the blower housing that has an exponentially increasing expansion angle in the direction of air flow through the blower housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2008Publication date: May 7, 2009Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventor: Steven W. Post
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Publication number: 20090114205Abstract: An air distribution blower housing for a furnace is designed with an enlarged air outlet opening that slows down and spreads out the air flow from the blower housing over a greater area of the furnace heat exchanger. The blower housing thereby enables less air pressure drop through the heat exchanger, which increases the efficiency of the blower motor operation. The design of the blower housing also efficiently turns the velocity head of the air flow through the housing to usable static air pressure at the housing air outlet. The enlarged air outlet opening of the blower housing is achieved without increasing the exterior diameter dimensions of the blower housing by utilizing a volute outer wall of the blower housing that has an exponentially increasing expansion angle in the direction of air flow through the blower housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2007Publication date: May 7, 2009Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventor: Steven W. Post
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Publication number: 20080310957Abstract: A blower assembly including a blower housing having a side wall with a first portion extending from the initial cutoff through an angle of at least 45° or more, the first portion having a radius which is substantially constant or which increases at a relatively small rate. The side wall additionally includes a second portion, extending from the end of the first portion to the outlet, which has an increasing radius which is increasing at a larger rate and has a rate of increase that is also increasing with housing angle. The shape of the side wall allows a reduction in the overall size of the blower housing for a given size of impeller.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2008Publication date: December 18, 2008Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventor: Leslie A. Lyons
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Publication number: 20080247869Abstract: A combustion air supply blower includes a blower housing having a housing body and housing cover. The cover is removably attached to the housing body and generally provides access to a motor and fan assembly including a fan and a motor. The motor and fan assembly is removably mounted within the housing body and is captured between the housing body and the housing cover such that, upon removal of the housing cover, the motor and fan assembly is exposed and may then be lifted out of the housing body for easy maintenance, repair, and/or replacement of any portion of the motor and fan assembly. Alternatively, upon removal of the housing cover, the motor and fan assembly may be accessed while remaining within the housing body to complete any maintenance and/or repair of the motor and fan assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2008Publication date: October 9, 2008Applicant: RBC HORIZON, INC.Inventors: Bobby D. Garrison, Steven W. Post