초록 ▼

A manufacturing method and assembly for providing ventilation to a selected structure is disclosed. The assembly may include various features such as flexible portions, rigid portions, and assembly portions. Further, various steps may be used to form the assembly to achieve selected results, such as

A manufacturing method and assembly for providing ventilation to a selected structure is disclosed. The assembly may include various features such as flexible portions, rigid portions, and assembly portions. Further, various steps may be used to form the assembly to achieve selected results, such as single piece formation, inclusion of various positioning members, and packaging or shipping considerations.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A fan housing assembly for ventilating a structure, the structure being defined in part by an exterior wall, the fan housing comprising: a shroud having a front sidewall configured to be mounted to the exterior wall of the structure and an orifice wall extending from the front sidewall in a direc

1. A fan housing assembly for ventilating a structure, the structure being defined in part by an exterior wall, the fan housing comprising: a shroud having a front sidewall configured to be mounted to the exterior wall of the structure and an orifice wall extending from the front sidewall in a direction away from the exterior wall, the front sidewall defining a passage through the orifice wall; anda conical diffuser extending from the shroud, wherein said conical diffuser includes: a plurality of diffuser members configured to be interconnected, wherein each diffuser member of the plurality of diffuser members includes at least four edges and a surface extending between the at least four edges, wherein a first edge of the at least four edges includes a plurality of slots formed through the diffuser member and wherein a second edge of the at least four edges includes a plurality of tabs each tab of the plurality of tabs is (i) separated from another tab by a space and (ii) extending from the second edge in generally the same plane as the surface and, wherein the first edge is opposite the second edge, wherein at least one tab has a first length greater than a second length of at least one slot,wherein at least a first diffuser member of the plurality of diffuser members is connected to at least a second diffuser member of the plurality of diffuser members via at least a first tab of the plurality of tabs of the first diffuser member positioned through at least a first slot of the plurality of slots of the second diffuser member, wherein the first diffuser member is connected to the second diffuser member when in a first relative orientation and moved to a second relative orientation to form the diffuser configured to be coupled to the shroud;each diffuser member having a third edge extending between the first and second edges, and a fourth edge extending between the first and second edges, the third edge of each diffuser member having a first radius and the fourth edge of each diffuser member having a second radius, wherein the first radius is different from the second radius such that the plurality of diffuser members interconnected forms a cone;wherein the each diffuser member of the plurality of diffuser members is substantially flat across the surface and extends between the first edge that includes the plurality of slots and the second edge that includes the plurality of tabs at least prior to being interconnected with another of the diffuser members. 2. The fan housing assembly of claim 1 further comprising: a grill member having an external geometry defined by an outer most annular member, wherein the outer most annular member is operable to contact on annular interior of the diffuser of the end of the diffuser opposite the shroud. 3. The housing assembly of claim 2, further comprising: a door member operable to close the passage of the shroud, the door member having an outer lip; anda rib portion formed at a first distance from the outer lip of the door member. 4. The fan housing assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one diffuser member is generally aligned with adjacent diffuser members in the region where the tabs and slots interconnect of the one diffuser member with the adjacent diffuser members; wherein the at least one tab of the plurality of tabs includes a first and second undercut portions. 5. The fan housing assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shroud and the diffuser is formed from a substantially opaque material. 6. The fan housing assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shroud and the diffuser is coated with a substantially opaque material. 7. The fan housing assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a grill member having an external geometry defined by an outer most annular member, wherein the outer most annular member is operable to contact an annular interior of the diffuser that is formed by interconnection of the plurality of diffuser members. 8. The fan housing assembly of claim 1, wherein a transition radius from the face-wall portion to the orifice wall varies around the passage; wherein the transition radius includes a first transition radius at the front sidewall that is smaller than a second transition radius near a corner of the front sidewall. 9. The fan housing assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a first door and a second door both moveable towards one another to open the passage;wherein the orifice wall slopes towards the front sidewall and configured to be installed to slope in a direction towards a ground surface exterior to the structure. 10. The fan housing assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a door member operable to close the passage of the shroud, wherein the door member is formed from a material having a substantially uniform material thickness and shaped into a ribbed configuration to define a door thickness that is as a distance between two opposing peaks of the ribbed configuration, wherein the door thickness is greater than the material thickness;wherein the ribbed configuration includes a first raised rib portion and second raised rib portion and at least one valley between the first raised rib portion and the second raised rib portion;wherein the first raised rib portion, the second raised rib portion, and the at least one valley generally define a double D ribbed configuration. 11. The fan housing assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a door member operable to close the passage of the shroud portion, wherein the door member is molded to define at least two hinge pockets, one of the two hinge pockets being formed into each end of the door member; andtwo hinge pins, one of the two hinge pins being positioned in each of the hinge pockets formed into the door member. 12. A fan housing assembly for being mounted to a support member of a structure, the fan housing assembly comprising: a shroud having a face-wall portion, the face-wall portion defining a geometric shape that defines a portion of a passage through the shroud, wherein the shroud has at least a first side configured to be positioned near the support member, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side and a corner between each adjacent of the first side, the second side, the third side and the fourth side;an orifice wall extending substantially ninety-degrees from the face-wall portion to define a second portion of the passage through the shroud;a first transition radius at the first side, the second side, the third side, and the fourth side and a second transition radius at each corner, wherein the first transition radius is smaller than the second transition radius; anda diffuser assembly including a plurality of diffuser members connected together with a tab and slot connection, wherein a first tab extending in planar alignment with a mating surface of a first diffuser member of the plurality of diffuser members is positioned through a cooperating slot in a second diffuser member of the plurality of diffuser members;wherein each of the plurality of diffuser members is connected at a first end and a second end to another of the plurality of diffuser members;wherein each of the plurality of diffuser members includes a substantially flat first major surface and opposed second major surface extending between a first side of each diffuser member and a second side of each diffuser member;wherein each of the diffuser panels is formed of a flexible material;wherein the first tab has a first length and at least two undercuts and the cooperating slot has a second length less than the first length. 13. The fan housing assembly of claim 12, wherein the first transition radius is about 0.25 millimeters (mm) (about 0.01 inches) to about 7.6 mm (about 0.3 inches) and the second transition radius is about 76 mm (about 3 inches) to about 101 mm (about 4 inches). 14. The fan housing assembly of claim 12, wherein the first transition radius is about 10 times larger than the second transition radius. 15. The fan housing assembly of claim 12, wherein the first transition radius is spaced from the second transition radius by about 10 degrees to about 50 degrees around the passage. 16. The fan housing assembly of claim 12, further comprising a stacking spacer extending less than about 51 mm (about 2 in.) from the face-wall portion of the shroud in the same direction as the orifice wall. 17. The fan housing assembly of claim 12, further comprising: a fixation member extending through the orifice wall between a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is selectively coupled to a diffuser; andwherein the second end is coupled a first door and a second door with a biasing member to bias the first door and the second door towards the shroud. 18. A fan housing assembly for being mounted to a structure, comprising: a shroud having a front sidewall portion and an orifice wall extending from the front sidewall portion and defines a passage through the orifice wall;a diffuser formed by at least four substantially flat sheet plastic diffuser members coupled together, wherein the diffuser is coupled to the shroud extending away from the shroud and the structure;at least one diffuser member having: a first side having at least one tab with a first length and at least two undercuts and a second side having at least one slot with a second length less than the first length,a third side extending between the first and second sides, and a fourth side extending between the first and second sides, the third side of the at least one diffuser member having a first radius and the fourth side of the at least one diffuser member having a second radius, the first and second radii being selected to allow the at least one diffuser member to be formed with the other of the plurality of substantially flat sheet plastic diffuser members into a conical shape,wherein the diffuser is coupled via placing the at least one tab of a first diffuser member of the diffuser members through the at least one slot of a second diffuser member of the diffuser members; anda grill having an outer most substantially rigid substantially circular member coupled near an outlet of the diffuser to contact an interior circumference of the diffuser, wherein the diffuser is maintained in a substantially circular shape by the grill;wherein the diffuser is coupled to the shroud at one end and free standing at a region that extends away from the shroud and the structure and maintained in the substantially circular shape by the grill.