Smart Attic Ventilation System, and Sensor Module Therefor

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/210,195 filed Jun. 15, 2023, which claims priority to Canadian Patent Application No. 3,186,055 filed Jan. 6, 2023, the entire content of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims priority to Canadian Patent Application No. 3,247,027 filed Jul. 5, 2024, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to an attic ventilation system, and, in particular, to a smart attic ventilation system, and sensor module therefor.

Ventilation systems for attics and roofs are commonplace to both bring air into, and allow air to escape from, the attic of a building. For example, various passive and active ventilation systems exist for commercial and residential buildings alike that permit excess heat, for example built up during warm season months, to exhaust from the attic while allowing fresh air to enter and circulate. Active vents may include line or solar powered vents that can be actively powered to exhaust air from the attic and promote healthy airflow.

The following provides some examples of known roof ventilation systems.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0260266 teaches a Roof Vent and Roof Ventilation System with diverters that prevent or reduce the likelihood that water or other debris can be driven through the vent by wind.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0099317 teaches a Hybrid Roof Vent having an air passageway that defines an air to flow path between the interior and the exterior of a building.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0270475 teaches an Attic Ventilation System. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0245807 teaches a Solar Powered Roof Ventilation System.

Automated systems are also known.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,970,990 teaches Systems and Methods for Monitoring Building Health that may include various types of sensors, for example, in roofing materials, to transmit an alert or remedial actions as required.

U.S. Pat. No. 11,105,524 teaches an Automatic Roof Ventilation System that includes a vent, a fan, a solar panel, a battery and a controller configured to drive the fan based on at least one environmental parameter.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0263192 teaches an Attic Ventilation System for venting an attic where a central controller is connected to at least one temperature detector located inside the attic, at least one other temperature detector located outside of the attic, at least one attic vent clamp which is located in the roof to permit airflow through the roof when open to facilitate ventilation of the attic space, and at least one attic exhaust fan located within the attic.

Other references discussing ventilation systems having associated sensors include, U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,609,015, 11,175,056, 11,761,650, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2010/0304660, 2010/0330898, 2011/0217194, 2011/0263192, 2012/0302153, 2014/0113542, 2016/0278517, 2020/0072485, and International Application Publication No. WO 2022/211818.

This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art or forms part of the general common knowledge in the relevant art.

The following presents a simplified summary of the general inventive concept(s) described herein to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is not intended to restrict key or critical elements of embodiments of the disclosure or to delineate their scope beyond that which is explicitly or implicitly described by the following description and claims.

A need exists for a smart attic ventilation system, and sensor module therefor, that overcome some of the drawbacks of known techniques, or at least, provide a useful alternative thereto.

A need also exists for an effective energy storage and delivery mechanism for such systems, for example, when predominantly powered from an integrated solar energy capturing component such as a solar panel, for continuous operation in dark environmental conditions such as a night and/or on cloudy days.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide examples of such systems and sensor modules, in accordance with some embodiments.

In accordance with one aspect, there is provided a ventilation system to draw airflow from a building interior to an exterior space as a function of an environmental condition of the building interior, comprising: a solar power source; a ventilation fan operatively mounted within a ventilation channel formed between the building interior and the exterior space, wherein operation of said ventilation fan is powered from said solar power source; an environmental sensor operated via a physical connector to said solar power source channeled along said ventilation channel to suspend said environmental sensor below said ventilation fan within the building interior to sense the environmental condition therein; wherein said ventilation fan is powered at least in part as a function the environmental condition as sensed by said environmental sensor suspended therebelow.

In one embodiment, the solar power source comprises a solar panel integrated within an external ventilation fan outer housing to capture solar power from solar exposure in the exterior space, and wherein the captured solar power is relayed via said physical connector along said ventilation channel to power operation of said environmental sensor.

In one embodiment, the system comprises a control unit, and wherein said solar power source powers said control unit to control powered operation of said ventilation fan as a function of the environmental condition as sensed via said environmental sensor.

In one embodiment, the environmental sensor is housed within said control unit.

In one embodiment, the control unit comprises a rechargeable power source, wherein said solar power source recharges said rechargeable power source when solar power from said solar power source is available, whereas said rechargeable power source powers said ventilation fan, as controlled via said control unit, when solar power from said solar power source is limited.

In one embodiment, the rechargeable power source comprises a supercapacitor circuit.

In one embodiment, the rechargeable power source further comprises a DC/DC current limiter as input between said solar power source and said supercapacitor circuit.

In one embodiment, the rechargeable power source further comprises a DC/DC current boost circuit as output between said supercapacitor circuit and a control circuitry of said control unit.

In one embodiment, the DC/DC current boost circuit comprises a buck boost circuit.

In one embodiment, the DC/DC current limiter comprises a buck limiter circuit.

In one embodiment, the supercapacitor circuit comprises a lithium-ion supercapacitor circuit.

In one embodiment, the environmental sensor hangs freely within the building interior below said ventilation fan.

In one embodiment, the environmental sensor hangs freely via a cable physically connecting said physical connector.

In one embodiment, the environmental sensor is fixedly connected via said physical connector to be suspended below said ventilation fan.

In one embodiment, the physical connector lines an outer vent channel wall so not to interfere with operation of said ventilation fan.

In one embodiment, the physical connector comprises a guide that lines said outer vent channel in guiding said connector therealong from a solar power source connector to the building interior.

In one embodiment, the physical connector further comprises a connector terminal opposite said solar power source connector, and a cable physically connectable to said connector terminal at one end, and connecting at an opposite end thereof to said environmental sensor.

In one embodiment, the ventilation system further comprises a communication module operatively coupled to said environmental sensor to communicate data representative of the environmental condition to a remote communication device, wherein said communication module is further operated via said physical connector.

In one embodiment, the communication module comprises a Bluetooth™ module powered via said physical connector to said solar power source.

In one embodiment, the environmental sensor comprises multiple environmental sensors each physically connected via said physical connector.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a ventilation system to draw airflow from a building interior to an exterior space, comprising: a solar power source; a ventilation fan operatively mounted within a ventilation channel formed between the building interior and the exterior space; a control unit operatively disposed between said solar power source and said ventilation fan to control a powering of said ventilation fan, said control unit comprising a supercapacitor circuit charged by said solar power source and controllably discharged to power said ventilation fan when solar power from said solar power source is limited.

In one embodiment, the supercapacitor circuit comprises a DC/DC current limiter at an input thereof from said solar power source.

In one embodiment, the supercapacitor circuit further comprises a DC/DC current boost circuit as output to control circuity of said control unit.

In one embodiment, the DC/DC current boost circuit comprises a buck boost circuit.

In one embodiment, the DC/DC current limiter comprises a buck limiter circuit.

In one embodiment, the supercapacitor circuit comprises a lithium-ion supercapacitor circuit.

In one embodiment, the control unit further comprises a communication module operatively coupled to an environmental sensor to communicate environmental to a remote communication device.

In one embodiment, the communication module comprises a Bluetooth™ module.

Other aspects, features and/or advantages will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Elements in the several figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be emphasized relative to other elements for facilitating understanding of the various presently disclosed embodiments. Also, common, but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in commercially feasible embodiments are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Various implementations and aspects of the specification will be described with reference to details discussed below. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the specification and are not to be construed as limiting the specification. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various implementations of the present specification. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described, in order to provide a concise discussion of implementations of the present specification.

Various apparatuses and processes will be described below to provide examples of implementations of the system disclosed herein. No implementation described below limits any claimed implementation and any claimed implementations may cover processes or apparatuses that differ from those described below. The claimed implementations are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses or processes described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not an implementation of any claimed subject matter.

Furthermore, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the implementations described herein. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the relevant arts that the implementations described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the implementations described herein.