CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/832,121, filed April 10, 2019, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to an air gasper, and more particularly to an air gasper with an integrated fan.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The need has arisen to develop an individual air gasper with an integrated electrical fan or blower. State of the art air gaspers for commercial aircraft are included in an environmental control system (ECS) which includes compressors, a cooling system and an air distribution system. These state of the art air gasper modules include air gasper outlets (one for each passenger) and an air duct which connect the air gasper outlets to the air supply channel. The opening area of each such air gasper outlet can be manually modified by the passenger in order to adjust the air flow. Due to the nature of the air gasper module design, the individual air gaspers cannot be stand-alone equipment. They have to be connected via air ducts and air supply channels to get pressurized air from the ECS. The installation of the air supply channels and all the mechanical connections between the different parts of the ECS can be time consuming, adds weight, complexity, part count and makes maintenance more difficult due to the requirements and access to the ECS. The present invention introduces an electrically powered fan or blower inside an individual air gasper and therefore allows the unit to be stand-alone equipment independent from the ECS of the aircraft. Prior art gaspers are known. For example, see U.S. Patent Application No. 8,166,506, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0004] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a gasper assembly for use in an aircraft that includes a housing that includes an outer wall having an inner surface that defines a central opening, a nose member positioned in the central opening, a plurality of directional blades extending between the nose member and the inner surface of the outer wall, and a fan assembly positioned in the central opening between the inlet and the nose member. The central opening defines an air path that extends from an inlet to an outlet. The fan assembly includes a motor and a rotor with a plurality of rotor blades thereon. In a preferred embodiment, a wire tunnel is defined in the outer wall of the housing and at least one wire extends from adjacent the inlet, through the wire tunnel and to the fan assembly. Preferably, the housing is only rotatable axially about a first angle that is less than 360°. The housing, together with the fan is also preferably pivotable.

[0005] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided an

aircraft that includes a cabin having a plurality of seats and a plurality of gasper assemblies therein. Each gasper assembly includes a housing that includes an outer wall having an inner surface that defines a central opening with an air path that extends from an inlet to an outlet and a fan assembly positioned in the central opening between the inlet and the outlet. The fan assembly includes a motor and a rotor with a plurality of rotor blades thereon. The housings together with the fan assemblies are pivotable, such that air directed through the outlet can be directed as desired by a passenger in the associated seat. In a preferred embodiment, the motor in each of the plurality of gasper assemblies includes at least first and second speeds, such that a flow rate of air through the outlet can be changed between at least first and second values. One or more wires that are connected to a source of power provide electricity or power to the motor. [0006] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention reduces weight, complexity and part count and helps make maintenance easier by creating stand-alone air gaspers independent from an aircraft's ECS. The individual air gasper with integrated electrical fan or blower includes an individual gasper with an electrical fan or blower located inside the individual gasper. In use, each passenger or seat has an individual gasper and an electrical fan or blower located inside such individual gasper. The modification of the air flow can be done electrically by changing the rotation speed of the fan or mechanically by changing the opening area of the outlet of the gasper. For example, an adjustable valve can be added to adjust the flow rate of air escaping the outlet. In a preferred embodiment, the individual air gasper with integrated electrical fan or blower is equipment which can be installed independently from the ECS. Thus, it can be installed at locations in the cabin where needed and requires only a power supply. In use in a commercial aircraft, this reduces the overall mass and overall power consumption required to provide individual air to the passengers.

[0007] The air gasper with integrated electrical fan or blower is intended to be used, but not limited to such use, inside a commercial passenger aircraft. Such air gasper can be implemented in passenger service units, lavatories, crew rest areas, galleys, passenger seats, the cockpit or at other locations throughout the aircraft.

[0008] The present invention can be used in different types of aircraft including, but not limited to, commercial, business and/or military. The present invention can be further used in scenarios other than an aircraft. For example, the invention can be used in other modes of transportation including but not limited to trains, cars, buses and vertical take-off and landing autonomous vehicles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a gasper assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the gasper assembly of FIG. 1 ;

[0012] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the gasper assembly showing the housing in cross- section;

[0013] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the gasper assembly;

[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a plurality of gasper assemblies;

[0015] FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of gasper assembly and showing an embodiment of a system for keeping rotation within a first angle; and

[0016] FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a plurality of seats with a plurality of gasper assemblies within the cabin of an aircraft.

[0017] Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. References to one or an embodiment in the present disclosure can be, but not necessarily are references to the same

embodiment; and, such references mean at least one of the embodiments.

[0019] Reference in this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the-disclosure. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other

embodiments.

[0020] The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in the specific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used to describe the disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in the specification, to provide additional guidance to the practitioner regarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, certain terms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotation marks: The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaning of a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the same context, whether or not it is highlighted.

[0021] It will be appreciated that the same thing can be said in more than one way.

Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein. No special significance is to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein. Synonyms for certain terms are provided. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms discussed herein is illustrative only, and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification. [0022] Without intent to further limit the scope of the disclosure, examples of instruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according to the embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note that titles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of a reader, which in no way should limit the scope of the disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, the present document, including definitions, will control.

[0023] It will be appreciated that terms such as "front," "back,"“top,”“bottom,” "side," "short," "long," "up," "down," "aft," "forward," "inboard," "outboard" and "below" used herein are merely for ease of description and refer to the orientation of the components as shown in the figures. It should be understood that any orientation of the components described herein is within the scope of the present invention.

[0024] Referring now to the drawings, which are for purposes of illustrating the present invention and not for purposes of limiting the same, the drawings show an air gasper assembly 10 that is configured to be installed or used in a commercial passenger aircraft. As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the air gasper assembly 10 generally includes a housing 12 that includes an outer wall 14 having an inner surface 14a that defines a central opening 16, a nose member 18 positioned in the central opening 16, a plurality of directional blades 20 extending between the nose member 18 and the inner surface 14a of the outer wall 14, and a fan assembly 22 that includes positioned in the central opening 16.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, an air path PI is defined in the central opening 16 and extends from an inlet 24 to an outlet 26. Preferably, the fan assembly 22 is positioned between the inlet 24 and the nose member 18 and includes a motor 27, and a rotor 28 with a plurality of rotor blades 30 thereon. It will be appreciated that in use, rotor 28 (and rotor blades 30 creates air flow and the directional blades 20 convert direct the air flow out of outlet 26. It will be appreciated that one of the purposes of the nose member 18 is to prevent a passenger from putting their fmger(s) in the housing 12 and contacting the components therein (e.g., the rotor or wires). The nose member 18 takes the form of a cone in the drawings. However, the nose member can also be flat, blunt nosed or have another shape, as long as the air path is defined around or circumferentially around the nose member 18 (and between the inner surface 14a of the outer wall 14).

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, in a preferred embodiment, a wire tunnel 32 is defined in the outer wall 14 of the housing 12. The wires 34 that provide power to the motor 27 of the fan assembly 22 extend through the wire tunnel 32 from an opening 35 in the bottom of the housing 12 adjacent the inlet 24, out of an opening 36 defined in the inner surface 14a of the outer wall 14 and to the fan assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the central opening 16 defines a central opening axis A1 and a first portion 32a of the wire tunnel 32 defines a tunnel axis A2. A1 and A2 extend parallel to one another. The wire tunnel 32 can include a second portion 32b that is angeled. In a preferred embodiment, a majority of the wire tunnel 32 extends parallel to the central opening 16.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, in a preferred embodiment, the housing 12 is contained in and moveable within a module 40 that includes a main body portion 42. In a preferred embodiment, first and second switches 44 and 46 are located on the module 40. The first switch 44 is configured to turn the fan assembly 22 on and off, the second switch 46 is configured to cycle the motor and/or rotor between at least first and second speeds. The switches can be a push button or other type of switch. In another embodiment, a single switch or button can be used to turn the gasper on and off and cycle through separate speeds. In a preferred embodiment, the gasper assembly 10 includes wireless

communication capability, such as Bluetooth, such that the speed, flow rate, on/off, etc. of the gasper assembly can be controlled remotely. For example, the passenger in the associated seat can have a software application or app on their mobile device or the inflight entertainment system (e.g., the screen in the back of the seat) can include the ability to control the gasper assembly and the motor thereof.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, in order to prevent the wires 34 from getting twisted or otherwise jumbled, the housing 12 is only rotatable axially about a first angle. FIG. 6 shows an exemplary way to keep the housing rotatable about the first angle Rl. As shown, the housing 12 is rotatable within a rotation space 48 defined in the main body portion 42 of the module 40. A rotation member 50 (which can be a protrusion, nub, surface, tab or the like extends outwardly from the housing 12 and into the rotation space 48. First and second stop members 52 extend inwardly from the main body portion 42 and into the rotation space 48. The first angle Rl is defined between the first and second stop members as measure from central axis Al. When the housing 12 is rotated, the rotation member 50 abuts the first stop member 52 at one end of the path of the rotation and the second stop member 52 at the opposite end of the path of rotation.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, in a commercial aircraft, each seat includes a gasper assembly 10 associated therewith. The gasper assembly 10 can be turned on and off and the speeds can be chosen by the passenger seated in the seat associated with the gasper assembly. A single module with a housing and associated components therein can be used for each seat or a single module with multiple housings (e.g., FIG. 5) can be used.

Essentially, FIG. 5 is three air gasper assemblies 10 in a single unitary unit. It will be appreciated that the rotation space of the module is basically a tunnel through the main body portion so that air can be pulled into the inlet by the rotor and then pushed out of the outlet.

[0030] FIG. 7 shows a plurality of seats 100 with a plurality of gasper assemblies 10 within the cabin 102 of an aircraft. The gasper assemblies 10 are incorporated within a passenger service unit 104. Also shown is a controller 70 for controlling the motor(s) (on/off, speed, etc.) and a wireless communication module 72 that may communicate with mobile devices or the inflight entertainment system, as discussed above.

[0031] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise," "comprising," and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to." As used herein, the terms "connected," "coupled," or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling of connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words "herein," "above," "below," and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word "or" in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

[0032] The above-detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the teachings to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of and examples for the disclosure are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Further, any specific numbers noted herein are only examples: alternative implementations may employ differing values, measurements or ranges. [0033] The teachings of the disclosure provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Any measurements described or used herein are merely exemplary and not a limitation on the present invention. Other measurements can be used. Further, any specific materials noted herein are only examples: alternative implementations may employ differing materials.

[0034] Any patents and applications and other references noted above, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Aspects of the disclosure can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the disclosure.

[0035] These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of the above

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments. While the above description describes certain embodiments of the disclosure, and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the teachings can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may vary considerably in its implementation details, while still being encompassed by the subject matter disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the disclosure should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features or aspects of the disclosure with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the disclosures to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification unless the above Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the disclosure encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosure under the claims.

[0036] Accordingly, although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that all the terms used herein are descriptive rather than limiting, and that many changes, modifications, and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.