Blower wheel assembly having a dynamic seal member for providing an air seal on rotation of a blower wheel

Abstract

Various systems and apparati as well as devices and structures are provided which may be used or incorporated into air handling systems (e.g. (air) ventilation systems and apparati) for the manipulation or control of air in an enclosure such as a building, a room of a structure such as a residence, and the like. Such air handling systems may for example include a blower wheel assembly, an airflow baffle element having a fresh air path side and an opposed exhaust air path side, for the transfer of heat from warm exhaust air (taken from inside an enclosure e.g. a building) to cooler exterior fresh air (drawn into the enclosure e.g. building). The air handling systems may not only exhaust stale interior air to the outside of an enclosure but as desired or necessary also intermingle a portion of such stale air with fresh air for delivery of the intermingled air back into the enclosure (during cold or warm weather). The present invention in particular relates to air handling systems which may exploit warm interior air as defrost air for defrosting the system during cool weather.

1 - 52 . (canceled) 
   
   
       53 . A blower wheel assembly for use with a fan component of a ventilation system, the ventilation system having a fresh air path and an exhaust air path, the fan component having an airflow baffle element having an inner peripheral edge defining a baffle opening, the airflow baffle element having a fresh air path side and an opposed exhaust air path side,
 the blower wheel assembly comprising a dynamic seal member, a fresh air blower wheel, and an exhaust air blower wheel, the dynamic seal member having an outer peripheral edge, a respective fresh air path side and a respective opposed exhaust air path side, the dynamic seal member being coaxially attached to a rotor element for a motor, the blower wheels being juxtaposed and coaxially attached to said rotor element so that the fresh air blower wheel is disposed on the fresh air path side of the dynamic seal member and the exhaust air blower wheel is disposed on the exhaust air path side of the dynamic seal member,   the blower wheel assembly being sized and configured such that the blower wheel assembly may be disposed in the baffle opening so that
 the fresh air blower wheel is disposed on the fresh air path side of the airflow baffle element and the exhaust air blower wheel is disposed on the opposed exhaust air path side of the airflow baffle element, 
 the outer peripheral edge of the dynamic seal member is in juxtaposed spaced apart relation to the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element, and 
 the outer peripheral edge of the dynamic seal member is able to mate with the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element so as to be able to dynamically cooperate with the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element so as to provide a dynamic air seal between the fresh air path and the exhaust air path when the blower wheels and the dynamic seal member are rotated. 
   
   
   
       54 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 53  wherein said blower wheel assembly comprises a motor, said motor comprising said rotor element. 
   
   
       55 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 53  wherein said dynamic seal member is integral with one of said blower wheels. 
   
   
       56 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 53  wherein said blower wheel assembly comprises a motor, said motor comprising said rotor element, and wherein said dynamic seal member is integral with one of said blower wheels. 
   
   
       57 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 53  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       58 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 54  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       59 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 55  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       60 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 56  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       61 . In a ventilation system having means for providing a fresh air path and means for providing an exhaust air path, said fresh air path providing means defining a fresh air path and having a fresh air intake side and a fresh air discharge side, said exhaust air path providing means defining an exhaust air path and having an exhaust air intake side and an exhaust air discharge side,
 wherein said system includes a fan component for moving fresh air through said fresh air path and for moving exhaust air through said exhaust air path, said fan component comprising a fresh air blower wheel, an exhaust air blower wheel and a motor having a rotor element, said fresh air blower wheel and said exhaust air blower wheel being operatively connected to said rotor element,   the improvement wherein said fan component comprises
 a blower wheel assembly and 
 an airflow baffle element
 the airflow baffle element separating said fresh air path from said exhaust air path so as to have a fresh air path side and an opposed exhaust air path side 
 the airflow baffle element having an inner peripheral edge defining a baffle opening, 
 the blower wheel assembly comprising said motor, a dynamic seal member, said fresh air blower wheel and said exhaust air blower wheel, said dynamic seal member having an outer peripheral edge, a respective fresh air path side and an opposed respective exhaust air path side, the dynamic seal member being coaxially attached to said rotor element, 
 the blower wheels being juxtaposed and coaxially attached to said rotor element so that the fresh air blower wheel is disposed on the fresh air path side of the dynamic seal member and the exhaust air blower wheel is disposed on the exhaust air path side of the dynamic seal member, 
 
   the blower wheel assembly being sized and configured such that the blower wheel assembly is disposed in the baffle opening so that
 the fresh air blower wheel is disposed on the fresh air path side of the airflow baffle element in said fresh air path and the exhaust air blower wheel is disposed on the opposed exhaust air path side of the airflow baffle element in said exhaust air path, 
 the outer peripheral edge of the dynamic seal member is in juxtaposed spaced apart relation to the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element, and 
 the outer peripheral edge of the dynamic seal member is able to mate with the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element so as to be able to dynamically cooperate with the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element so as to provide a dynamic air seal between the fresh air path and the exhaust air path when the blower wheels and the dynamic seal member are rotated. 
   
   
   
       62 . A ventilation system as defined in  claim 61  wherein said dynamic seal member is integral with one of said blower wheels. 
   
   
       63 . A ventilation system as defined in  claim 61  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       64 . A ventilation system as defined in  claim 62  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       65 . A ventilation system as defined in  claim 61  for exchanging air between the interior and exterior of a building, said ventilation system wherein said system further comprises means for transferring heat between exhaust air and fresh air, said heat transferring means comprising one or more air-to-air heat exchanger elements. 
   
   
       66 . A blower wheel assembly for use with a fan component of a ventilation system, the ventilation system having an air path, the fan component having an airflow baffle element having an inner peripheral edge defining a baffle opening, the airflow baffle element having an air path side and an opposed side,
 the blower wheel assembly comprising a dynamic seal member and an air blower wheel, the dynamic seal member having an outer peripheral edge, a respective air path side and a respective opposed side, the dynamic seal member being coaxially attached to said rotor element, the blower wheel being coaxially attached to a rotor element for a motor so that the air blower wheel is disposed on the air path side of the dynamic seal member,   the blower wheel assembly being sized and configured such that the blower wheel assembly may be disposed in the baffle opening so that
 the air blower wheel is disposed on the air path side of the airflow baffle element, 
 the outer peripheral edge of the dynamic seal member is in juxtaposed spaced apart relation to the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element, and 
 the outer peripheral edge of the dynamic seal member is able to mate with the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element so as to be able to dynamically cooperate with the inner peripheral edge of the airflow baffle element so as to provide a dynamic air seal between the air path sides and the opposed sides of the baffle and seal member when the blower wheel and the dynamic seal member are rotated. 
   
   
   
       67 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 66  wherein said blower wheel assembly comprises a motor, said motor comprising said rotor element. 
   
   
       68 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 66  wherein said dynamic seal member is integral with said blower wheel. 
   
   
       69 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 66  wherein said blower wheel assembly comprises a motor, said motor comprising said rotor element, and wherein said dynamic seal member is integral with said blower wheel. 
   
   
       70 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 66  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       71 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 67  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       72 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 68  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other. 
   
   
       73 . A blower wheel assembly as defined in  claim 69  wherein the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge each have an L-shape, each such L-shaped edge having a foot element and an inner side, said foot elements being in juxtaposed relation such that the inner sides thereof face each other.