Fan assembly and method

1. A fan assembly comprising:

a casing having an inlet and an outlet for fluid circulation through the casing, and a closeable opening to allow access to an interior of the casing;

a rotor to induce fluid circulation in the casing;

a motor connected to the rotor so as to actuate the rotor;

a track; and

a carriage supporting the motor and the rotor, the carriage being operatively mounted to the track so as to be displaceable between an operating position of the fan assembly, in which the rotor is positioned in the casing for inducing fluid circulation in the casing, and a maintenance position of the fan assembly, in which the rotor is out of the casing for maintenance, the carriage having wheels so as to roll on the tracks between the operating position and the maintenance position of the fan assembly;

wherein the rotor is displaced between the operating position and the maintenance position through the closeabble opening.

2. The fan assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a wall portion mounted to the carriage so as to cover the closeable opening in the operating position of the fan assembly, and displaceable with the carriage so as to expose the closeable opening in the maintenance position of the fan assembly.

3. The fan assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the rotor and the motor are on opposed sides of the wall portion.

4. The fan assembly according to claim 1 , comprising two of the track, with the carriage being supported on opposed sides by the tracks.

5. The fan assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the track is a member of a structure supporting the casing, whereby the fan assembly is an integral unit formed on the structure.

6. The fan assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a stop on the track, so as to limit the displacement of the carriage away from the casing to the maintenance position.

7. A system for supporting a motor and rotor of a fan assembly, comprising:

a track adapted to be positioned adjacent to a closeable opening in a casing of the fan assembly; and

a carriage adapted to support the motor and the rotor, the carriage being operatively mounted to the track so as to be displaceable between an operating position of the fan assembly, in which the rotor is in the casing so as to induce fluid circulation in the casing, and a maintenance position of the fan assembly, in which the rotor is out of the casing to allow access to an interior of the casing through the closeable opening, the rotor passing through the closeable opening when the carriage is displaced between the operating position and the maintenance position, the carriage having wheels so as to roll on the tracks between the operating position and the maintenance position of the fan assembly.

8. The system according to claim 7 , further comprising a wall portion secured to the carriage so as to be displaceable with the carriage, the wall portion being positioned on the carriage so as to cover the closeable opening in the casing when the carriage is in the operating position.

9. The system according to claim 7 , further comprising a stop on the track, so as to limit the displacement of the carriage away from the casing to the maintenance position.

10. A fan assembly comprising:

a casing having an inlet and an outlet for fluid circulation through the casing, and a closeable opening to allow access to an interior of the casing;

a rotor to induce fluid circulation in the casing;

a motor connected to the rotor so as to actuate the rotor;

a track;

a carriage supporting the motor and the rotor, the carriage being operatively mounted to the track so as to be displaceable between an operating position of the fan assembly, in which the rotor is positioned in the casing for inducing fluid circulation in the casing, and a maintenance position of the an assembly, in which the rotor is out of the casing for maintenance;

a stop on the track, so as to limit the displacement of the carriage away from the casing to the maintenance position

wherein the rotor is displaced between the operating position and the maintenance position through the closeable opening.

11. The fan assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising a wall portion mounted to the carriage so as to cover the closeable opening in the operating position of the fan assembly, and displaceable with the carriage so as to expose the closeable opening in the maintenance position of the fan assembly.

12. The fan assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the rotor and the motor are on opposed sides of the wall portion.

13. The fan assembly according to claim 10 , comprising two of the track, with the carriage being supported on opposed sides by the tracks.

14. The fan assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the track is a member of a structure supporting the casing, whereby the fan assembly is an integral unit formed on the structure.

15. A system for supporting a motor and rotor of a fan assembly, comprising:

a track adapted to be positioned adjacent to a closeable opening in a casing of the fan assembly;

a carriage adapted to support the motor and the rotor, the carriage being operatively mounted to the track so as to be displaceable between an operating position of the fan assembly, in which the rotor is in the casing so as to induce fluid circulation in the casing, and a maintenance position of the fan assembly, in which the rotor is out of the casing to allow access to an interior of the casing through the closeable opening, the rotor passing through the closeable opening when the carriage is displaced between the operating position and the maintenance position; and

a stop on the track, so as to limit the displacement of the carriage away from the casing to the maintenance position.

16. The system according to claim 15 , further comprising a wall portion secured to the carriage so as to be displaceable with the carriage, the wall portion being positioned on the carriage so as to cover the closeable opening in the casing when the carriage is in the operating position.