Ventilation system and method

Abstract

A ventilation assembly having a main housing and a removable cartridge assembly that can be positioned within the main assembly. The main housing can be mounted within an aperture in a wall or ceiling and, in certain examples, can be connected to ductwork and electrical wiring within the wall or ceiling. The cartridge assembly can include a retention feature that can be releasably engaged to the main housing to retain the cartridge assembly within the main housing. The cartridge assembly can include ventilation components such as the motor, fan wheel, capacitor, controller and various combinations thereof. The cartridge assembly can be removed from the main housing by disengaging the retention feature and replaced with a new cartridge assembly or modified elsewhere before being reinserted into the main housing, thereby permitting repairing or upgrading of the ventilation assembly without removing the main housing from the wall or ceiling.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ventilation assembly, comprising:
 a main housing; and   a cartridge assembly comprising a motor and a retention feature, the retention feature being engagable to the main housing to substantially retain the cartridge assembly within the main housing;   wherein the retention feature is disengagable from the main housing to remove the cartridge assembly from the main housing.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilation assembly in  claim 1 , the cartridge assembly further comprising a blower wheel mechanically coupled to the motor, wherein the motor is operable to rotate the blower wheel to generate an outflow from the main housing. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 2 , the cartridge assembly further comprising a scroll positioned over the blower wheel to direct the outflow through a blower outlet in the main housing. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the retention feature is integral to the scroll. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 1 , the cartridge assembly further comprising a split capacitor. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 5 , the cartridge assembly further comprising a motor power harness;
 wherein the motor and split capacitor are mounted to the motor power harness.   
     
     
         7 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 6 , the scroll further comprising an anchoring location for coupling the motor harness to the scroll. 
     
     
         8 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 3 , the scroll further comprising an anchor for receiving at least one fastener to mount the cartridge assembly to the main housing. 
     
     
         9 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a motor mounting plate for receiving the cartridge upgrade assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 9 , the scroll further comprising at least one screw boss for receiving at least one fastener to secure the scroll to the motor mounting plate. 
     
     
         11 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the motor is mounted to the motor mounting plate opposite the scroll. 
     
     
         12 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a grille and a spring for coupling the grille to the cartridge assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 12 , the scroll further comprising a grille spring holder engagable to the spring to couple the grille to the scroll. 
     
     
         14 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the main housing further includes at least one fan cartridge locating rib engagable to the cartridge assembly to position the cartridge assembly within the main housing. 
     
     
         15 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a duct connector assembly comprising a first end coupled to the main housing and a second end, wherein the second end is connectable to a ventilation duct. 
     
     
         16 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising a duct connector assembly defining a ventilation orifice between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         17 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a damper flap positioned within the ventilation orifice, the damper flap being movable between an open position to permit flow of fluid through the ventilation orifice and a closed position to restrict flow of fluid through the ventilation orifice. 
     
     
         18 . A cartridge assembly receivable within a main housing, comprising:
 a motor; and   a retention feature, the retention feature being engagable to the main housing to substantially retain the cartridge assembly within the main housing;   wherein the retention feature is configured to be disengaged from the main housing to disengage the cartridge assembly from the main housing and remove the cartridge assembly from the main housing.   
     
     
         19 . The cartridge assembly in  claim 18 , further comprising a blower wheel mechanically coupled to the motor, wherein the motor is operable to rotate the blower wheel to generate an outflow from the main housing. 
     
     
         20 . The cartridge ventilation assembly of  claim 19 , further comprising a scroll positioned over the blower wheel to direct the outflow through a blower outlet in the main housing. 
     
     
         21 . The cartridge assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the retention feature is integral to the scroll. 
     
     
         22 . The cartridge assembly of  claim 18 , the cartridge assembly further comprising a split capacitor. 
     
     
         23 . The cartridge assembly of  claim 22 , the cartridge assembly further comprising a motor power harness;
 wherein the motor and split capacitor are mounted to the motor power harness.   
     
     
         24 . The cartridge assembly of  claim 23 , the scroll further comprising an anchoring location for coupling the motor harness to the scroll. 
     
     
         25 . The cartridge assembly of  claim 20 , the scroll further comprising an anchor for receiving at least one fastener to mount the cartridge assembly to the main housing. 
     
     
         26 . The cartridge assembly of  claim 20 , further comprising a grille and a spring for coupling the grille to the cartridge assembly. 
     
     
         27 . The cartridge assembly of  claim 26 , the scroll further comprising a grille spring holder engagable to the spring to couple the grille to the scroll. 
     
     
         28 . A method for mounting a ventilation assembly, comprising:
 mounting a main housing within at least one of a wall aperture and a ceiling aperture, the main housing defining an inlet aperture;   inserting the cartridge assembly into the main housing through the inlet aperture, the cartridge assembly comprising a retention feature; and   coupling the retention feature to the main housing to retain the cartridge assembly within the main housing to retain the cartridge assembly within the main housing.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 disengaging the retention feature from the main housing; and   withdrawing the cartridge assembly from the main housing through the inlet aperture.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the cartridge assembly in positioned within the main housing prior to mounting the main housing within the at least one of a wall aperture and a ceiling aperture. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the cartridge assembly the cartridge assembly further comprises a scroll positioned over the blower wheel to direct the outflow through a blower outlet in the main housing. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 mounting the motor and a split capacitor to a motor power harness; and   coupling the motor power harness to the scroll such that the motor is opposite the scroll.