Electrical generating device

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is entitled to the benefit of provisional patent application No. 61/633,966 filed on Feb. 22, 2012, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for generating electricity using attic ventilators.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Most dwellings include one or more turbine ventilators, which remove hot air from an attic so that it may be replaced with cooler, ambient air that enters soffit vents. Most turbine ventilators are powered by wind forces and, therefore, conserve valuable electricity. However, much of the resulting energy provided by the wind is wasted and underutilized. Accordingly, there is currently a need for a device that converts wasted energy from an attic ventilator to a useful resource. The present invention satisfies this need by providing an electrical generator coupled with a turbine ventilator for supplementing a main power grid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electrical generating device for creating supplemental electrical power within a dwelling including a turbine attic ventilator that drives a generator. The generator is electrically connected to a battery that powers a smoke detector, and a main power grid within a dwelling. The smoke detector activates an audible and/or visual alarm whenever particulate smoke is detected near the ventilator. Accordingly, as the ventilator is rotated by wind, the battery is recharged and the main power grid is supplemented.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that produces supplemental electricity using an attic ventilator.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an attic ventilator that powers a smoke detector.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts the attic ventilator according to the present invention installed on a roof.

FIG. 2 is an isolated view of the attic ventilator.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the conduit.

FIG. 4 is a schematic of the energy-producing components according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to a device for generating supplemental electrical power including a turbine attic ventilator 1 formed of a vaned or bladed shroud 2 mounted on a rotary drive shaft 3 that forms part of a permanent-magnet electrical generator 6. The shroud is superimposed on a conduit 4 that is mounted on a roof 5 and which is in communication with an attic. The conduit is formed of a lower, base section 25 and a rotating upper section 26. The base section 25 includes a chamfered upper edge 36 that mates with a chamfered lower edge 27 on the upper section 26; accordingly, when the upper section is rotated, the angle of the shroud relative to the roof changes, allowing a user to optimally position the shroud relative to current wind direction.

The generator 6 is received within the conduit and is fastened to the upper section 26 with brackets 40. The generator produces electricity in response to rotation of the shroud and drive shaft in a conventional fashion. The generator 6 is electrically connected to a smart-charge controller 7 that recharges a battery 8 upon receiving a sufficient current from the generator. The battery powers an optical smoke detector 9 protruding into the conduit that activates an audible 21 and/or visual alarm 20 whenever particulate smoke is detected. Accordingly, smoldering fires within the dwelling can be detected as smoke spreads to the attic and is diverted to the atmosphere by the ventilator. The visual alarm could be LED's positioned on a side or an end of the conduit, or a programmable OLED sign wrapped thereabout. An auxiliary computer and wireless data link can be used to program the OLED's. The conduit may also include a camera mounted thereon that is in wireless communication with an auxiliary monitor. The camera allows an occupant to conveniently monitor the dwelling perimeter. The alarms 20, 21 and their associated microcontroller 38 are powered by the smart-charge controller.

The smart-charge controller is also electrically connected to a collector 30 (i.e., a group of rechargeable batteries) that is in communication with the dwelling's main power grid 31; any excess electricity produced by the generator, above that which is needed to recharge the battery, is diverted to the collector to supplement the dwelling's main power supply once the battery has been fully charged.

The above-described device is not limited to the exact details of construction and enumeration of parts provided herein. Furthermore, the size, shape and materials of construction of the various components can be varied.

Although there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto which do not exceed the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the invention is only to be limited by the following claims.