Integrated heat recovery ventilator-hepa filter

A heat recovery ventilator for use in a room, comprising a housing, two blowers, at least two stationary regenerative heat exchangers, a shaft, a single rotating air switch mounted on said shaft, a motor for driving said blowers and said shaft, one of said blowers for forcing a stale airstream out of the room;

• the other of said blowers for forcing a fresh airstream into the room, said air switch, in use, alternately imparting the stale airstream from one said blower to a regenerative heat exchanger, then imparting the fresh airstream to that same heat exchanger and through said other blower, when said air switch rotates in a 180° turn, wherein said rotating air switch has:
• (a) a first side plate having an opening and having a center shaft aperture,
• (b) a second side plate having two openings spaced from each other, and a center shaft aperture,
• (c) a single manifold extending from said first side plate to said second side plate, wherein said manifold connects said opening of said first side plate with one of said openings in said second side plate forming a fresh air passageway, and
• (d) a shaft receiving portion extending from said first side plate to said second side plate;
• wherein said rotating switch is disposed upon said shaft, said shaft disposed in said shaft receiving portion, and wherein, in use, the fresh airstream flows from said regenerative heat exchangers through said fresh air passageway and is forced out by said other blower, and wherein said other opening of said second side plate along with a portion of the manifold and a portion of the shaft receiving portion form a stale air passageway from said one blower to said regenerative heat exchangers, for transferring the stale airstream to said regenerative heat exchangers.

A rotating air switch for use in a heat recovery ventilator used in a room, the heat recovery ventilator of the type having a housing, a first blower, a second blower, at least two stationary regenerative heat exchangers, a shaft for mounting the air switch upon, a motor for driving the blowers and said shaft, the first blower for forcing a stale airstream out of the housing;

• the second blower for forcing a fresh airstream into the housing,
• the rotating air switch comprising:
• (a) a first side plate having an opening and having a center shaft aperture,
• (b) a second side plate having two openings spaced from each other, and a center shaft aperture,
• (c) a shaft receiving portion extending from said first side plate to said second side plate and connecting said center shaft apertures,
• (d) a single manifold extending from said first side plate to said second side plate, said manifold connecting said opening on said first side plate with one of said openings in said second side plate and forming a fresh air passageway there between, said other of said openings of said second side plate along with a portion of said manifold and a portion of said shaft receiving portion forming a stale air passageway from said first blower to said regenerative heat exchanger,
• the rotating air switch, in use, alternately imparting the stale airstream from the first blower to a regenerative heat exchanger, then imparting the fresh airstream to that same regenerative heat exchanger.

A method of providing indoor ventilation using a heat recovery ventilator having stationary rectangular regenerative heat exchangers, two blowers, one rotating air switch, a motor for driving the blower and air switch, all disposed in a housing, the housing having stale air openings for allowing a stale airstream to enter the housing and fresh air openings for allowing fresh air to exit from said housing;

• the method comprising a the steps of:
• (a) forcing a stale airstream from an indoor climate into the housing,
• (b) blowing the stale airstream into the rotating air switch,
• (c) transporting the stale airstream from the rotating air switch into the stationary rectangular regenerative heat exchangers,
• (d) simultaneously exchanging heat and moisture from the stale airstream onto the regenerative heat exchangers and forcing the stale airstream to flow out of the housing,
• (e) forcing fresh air into the housing and through the same regenerative heat exchangers,
• (f) exchanging heat and moisture on the regenerative heat exchangers into the fresh airstream,
• (g) forcing the fresh airstream, which is heated and moisturized, into the rotating air switch and through the fresh air blower, and
• (h) forcing the fresh airstream, which is heated and moisturized, out of the housing and into the indoor climate,
• wherein the rotating air switch includes
• a first side plate having an opening and having a center shaft aperture,
• a second side plate having two openings spaced from each other, and a center shaft aperture,
• a shaft receiving portion extending from said first side plate to said second side plate and connecting said center shaft apertures,
• a single manifold extending from said first side plate to said second side plate, said manifold connecting said opening of said first side plate with one of said openings in said second side plate and forming a fresh air passageway there between, said other of said openings of said second side plate along with a portion of said manifold and a portion of said shaft receiving portion forming a stale air passageway from said first blower to said regenerative heat exchanger,
• and wherein the method further comprises in step (b) blowing the stale airstream into the stale air passageway, in step (c) transporting the stale airstream from the stale air passageway in the rotating air switch into the stationary regenerative heat exchangers, and in step (g) forcing the fresh airstream into the fresh air passageway in the rotating air switch and through the fresh air blower.