Ventilation system

Abstract

A ventilation system comprises ductwork, a fan for creating a current of air passing through the ductwork, and an air supply outlet for supplying outdoor air into a living space of a house by means of the current of air. The ventilation system further comprises an electrostatic atomizer located at the side of the air supply outlet. The electrostatic atomizer is configured to produce mist of charged fine water particles by means of electrostatic atomization to spray the mist into the living space.

1 . A ventilation system, comprising: ductwork; a fan for creating a current of air passing through the ductwork; and an air supply outlet for supplying outdoor air into a living space of a house by means of the current of air;
 wherein the ventilation system further comprises an electrostatic atomizer located at the side of the air supply outlet, the electrostatic atomizer being configured to produce mist of charged fine water particles by means of electrostatic atomization to spray the mist into the living space.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ductwork is located in a ceiling crawl space;   the air supply outlet is located at an opening of the ceiling of the living space and also connected with the ductwork through a passage; and   the fan pushes the outdoor air into the living space from the air supply outlet through the ductwork and the passage;   wherein the ventilation system comprises a supply grille having the air supply outlet, the passage, the electrostatic atomizer and a controller, the passage comprising supply and bypass passages through which the outdoor air from the ductwork passes,   the bypass passage comprising a variable passage varying a quantity of the outdoor air passing through the bypass passage, and a mist passage located at the downstream side of the variable passage,   the electrostatic atomizer being configured to apply high voltage to condensation water at a position between the variable passage and the mist passage to produce mist of charged fine water particles,   the controller being configured to control the variable passage to adjust the quantity of the outdoor air passing through the bypass passage.   
     
     
         3 . The ventilation system of  claim 2 , wherein: the supply grille further comprises a wind speed sensor that is configured to detect speed of the outdoor air passing through the bypass passage to supply a sensor signal to the controller; and
 the controller is configured to control the variable passage based on the sensor signal.   
     
     
         4 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ductwork is located in a ceiling crawl space;   the air supply outlet is located at an opening of the ceiling of the living space and also connected with the ductwork through a passage; and   the fan pushes the outdoor air into the living space from the air supply outlet through the ductwork and the passage;   wherein the ventilation system comprises a supply grille having: a body case;   and the air supply outlet, the passage, the electrostatic atomizer and a power supply that are put in the body case;   the electrostatic atomizer comprising: first and second electrodes and a heat exchanger that are put in the passage; and a high voltage generator;   the heat exchanger being connected with the power supply and configured to cool the first electrode to produce condensation water on the first electrode,   the high voltage generator being connected with the power supply and configured to apply high voltage to the condensation water through the first and second electrodes to produce mist of charged fine water particles.   
     
     
         5 . The ventilation system of  claim 4 , wherein: the air supply outlet comprising an air outlet and a mist outlet; and
 the passage comprising supply and bypass passages through which the outdoor air from the ductwork passes,   the supply passage being located between the ductwork and the air outlet,   the bypass passage being located between the ductwork and the mist outlet, the first and second electrodes and the heat exchanger being put in the bypass passage.   
     
     
         6 . The ventilation system of  claim 5 , wherein the air outlet side of the supply passage and the mist outlet side of the bypass passage are I-shaped and arranged in parallel. 
     
     
         7 . The ventilation system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the supply passage is in the shape of an L; and   the bypass passage is in the shape of an I, and is arranged at the inner corner of the supply passage to be connected between the ductwork side of the supply passage and the mist outlet.   
     
     
         8 . The ventilation system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the supply passage is in the shape of an L; and   the bypass passage is in the shape of an I, and located opposite the inner corner of the supply passage to be connected between the outer corner of the supply passage and the mist outlet.   
     
     
         9 . The ventilation system of  claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger has a radiator that is put in the supply passage. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ductwork is located in a ceiling crawl space;   the air supply outlet is located at an opening of the ceiling of the living space and also connected with the ductwork through a passage; and   the fan pushes the outdoor air into the living space from the air supply outlet through the ductwork and the passage;   wherein the ventilation system comprises:   a supply grille having the air supply outlet, the passage and the electrostatic atomizer;   a room sensor that is configured to detect a state of the living space to produce a state signal; and   a controller that is configured to adjust a quantity of the mist based on the state signal.   
     
     
         11 . The ventilation system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the room sensor is an illuminance sensor that is configured to detect illuminance of the living space to produce an illuminance signal; and   the controller is configured to change an operation mode of the electrostatic atomizer based on the illuminance signal and thereby to control a quantity of the mist.   
     
     
         12 . The ventilation system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the room sensor is a sound sensor that is configured to detect a sound of the living space to produce a sound signal; and   the controller is configured to change an operation mode of the electrostatic atomizer based on the sound signal and thereby to control a quantity of the mist.   
     
     
         13 . The ventilation system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the controller is configured to control the electrostatic atomizer based on the state signal from the room sensor; and   the supply grille, the room sensor and the controller are related with each other and provided for each of a plurality of living spaces.   
     
     
         14 . The ventilation system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a storage device that stores a plurality of operation modes with respect to the electrostatic atomizer; and   a selection means for selecting one of a sensor operation and at least one operation that correspond to the operation modes, respectively;   wherein: the supply grille, the room sensor, the controller, the storage device and the selection means are related with each other; and   the controller is configured:   (i) to adjust a quantity of the mist produced by the electrostatic atomizer of the related supply grille based on the state signal from the related room sensor in accordance with the operation mode corresponding to the sensor operation selected through the related selection means; and also   (ii) to adjust a quantity of the mist produced by the electrostatic atomizer of the related supply grille in accordance with the operation mode corresponding to said at least one operation selected through the related selection means.   
     
     
         15 . The ventilation system of  claim 1 ,
 the ductwork is located in a ceiling crawl space;   the fan pulls off the indoor air from the living space through the ductwork to generate negative indoor pressure in the living space; and   the air supply outlet is located at an opening of an exterior wall of the living space, and supplies outdoor air into the living space by means of the negative indoor pressure;   wherein the electrostatic atomizer is configured to apply high voltage to condensation water at the side of the air supply outlet to produce mist of charged fine water particles.   
     
     
         16 . The ventilation system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 an outlet sensor for detecting whether the air supply outlet is opened or closed; and   a controller that is configured to operate the electrostatic atomizer when the outlet sensor detects that the air supply outlet is opened, and also to stop the operation of the electrostatic atomizer when the outlet sensor detects that the air supply outlet is closed.   
     
     
         17 . The ventilation system of  claim 15 , wherein the electrostatic atomizer can be attached to and detached from the side of the air supply outlet. 
     
     
         18 . The ventilation system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the controller is configured to control the electrostatic atomizer based on the state signal from the room sensor; and   the supply grille, the room sensor and the controller are related with each other and provided for each of a plurality of living spaces.   
     
     
         19 . The ventilation system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a storage device that stores a plurality of operation modes with respect to the electrostatic atomizer; and   a selection means for selecting one of a sensor operation and at least one operation that correspond to the operation modes, respectively;   wherein: the supply grille, the room sensor, the controller, the storage device and the selection means are related with each other; and   the controller is configured:   (i) to adjust a quantity of the mist produced by the electrostatic atomizer of the related supply grille based on the state signal from the related room sensor in accordance with the operation mode corresponding to the sensor operation selected through the related selection means; and also
 (ii) to adjust a quantity of the mist produced by the electrostatic atomizer of the related supply grille in accordance with the operation mode corresponding to said at least one operation selected through the related selection means. 
   
     
     
         20 . The ventilation system of  claim 16 , wherein the electrostatic atomizer can be attached to and detached from the side of the air supply outlet.