Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02280320 1999-08-13
ROOFVENT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to vents and in particular to roof vents.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vents, for venting gases, such as air, through the roof of a building are well
known. Such
vents are used in a wide variety of applications, including in the venting of
air from a
bathroom or from a stove in a kitchen. In such circumstances, the vent is
interconnected by
way of flexible or rigid piping or ducting to an exhaust fan, which draws the
air from the
location and forces it through the piping and out of the vent at the roof.
1 S The air vent itself is generally comprised of several parts including a
conduit which includes
an inlet for a connection to the piping, and a cover. The cover, as its name
indicates, covers
the outlet of the conduit, assisting to prevent rain or snow from entering the
conduit, which
could then pass down the piping. Air vents also typically have a hinged door
flap mounted
within the cover, which pivot between a closed position, wherein the cover
substantially
covers the outlet, and an open position wherein the forced air exiting the
conduit's outlet can
pass out of the vent through the opening in the cover. Louvres or vanes
mounted within the
opening of the cover also serve to help inhibit water and snow from entering
the pipeline by
way of the roof vent.
Although the door flap and the louvres serve the purpose of inhibiting the
movement of
moisture into the pipeline, there are particular extreme weather conditions
where a further
barrier to the moisture is highly desirable. As the door flap merely rests
against the base of
the vent, and typically is only a plastic surface meeting and contacting a
plastic surface under
the weight of the door flap, there is no positive seal between the base and
the flap.The same is
true at the side and rear edges of the flap, in so far as there is no positive
seal with the walls
of the cover. Thus in conditions of hard, wind driven rain, it is not unusual
for moisture to be
driven through the cover opening and past the door flap, and may thus reach
inside the
pipeline.
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CA 02280320 2002-10-11
It is highly undesirable to have moisture seep into the pipeline. Aside from
the matter of an
increased chance of corrosion of the pipeline, if it is made from a material
that is susceptible
to corrosion, there is also the risk that water might reach the exhaust fan or
another electrical
appliance and cause damage thereto. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a
further means to
inhibit the movement of water from outside the vent into the pipeline.
However, it is
important that any additional features not add significantly to the overall
cost of
manufacturing the roof vent.
The roof vents also have a way to permit the vento to be secured to the roof.
Typically, the
vent is placed in a hole in the roof and secured in position by connecting a
base to the frame
of the roof, placing flashing over the base and then the roof material, such
as roof shingles,
is put in place over the flashing. It is usually only after the roof has been
put in place, that
the connection of the pipeline to the inlet of the conduit can be, and is,
made. This however
is a somewhat difficult and awkward task for the installer, as he/she has to
make a
connection between two sections of pipe, usually requiring clamping etc. in a
confined,
raised space (e.g. in the attic of the building). It is thus desirable to have
an improved way
of connecting a roof vent to a pipeline.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vent for venting
gas, said vent
comprising: a conduit having an inlet for connecting to a source of gas and an
outlet for
venting gas from said conduit, a barrier disposed around said outlet, a cover
for securing to a
structure, said cover having a roof portion disposed over said outlet and said
barrier, said
cover having a side portion with a cover opening spaced from said outlet of
said conduit,
said cover opening adapted to permit said gas vented from said outlet to pass
through said
cover opening, a flap disposed within said cover, said flap mounted for
pivoting movement
between a first position wherein said flap substantially blocks said outlet,
and a second
position wherein said flap permits said gas to pass from said outlet and vent
through said
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CA 02280320 2002-10-11
cover opening, said barrier being adapted to inhibit the movement of water
from said cover
opening into said conduit at said outlet, an outer peripheral edge of one of
said roof portion
and said flap extending beyond an outer peripheral edge of said barrier so
that moisture
draining from said one of said roof portion and said flap drains at a side of
said barrier
opposite said outlet.
Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the vent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:
Figure 1 is a front, right side perspective view of the preferred embodiment
of the invention,
and the opposite, front left side perspective view is a mirror image.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the vent of Figure 1.
I S Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the vent.
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CA 02280320 1999-08-13
Figure 6 is a left side elevation view of the vent and the right side
elevation view is a mirror
image.
Figure 7 is a front, right side partly exploded and partly separated
perspective view from
below of the vent, and opposite side exploded and separated perspective view
is a mirror
image.
Figure 8 is a side, cross sectional elevation view of the vent, partly
exploded and partly
separated.
Figure 9 is side, cross sectional elevation view of the vent.
Figure 10 is a front, right side perspective view of part of the vent of
Figure 1, and the
opposite, left front side perspective view is a mirror image.
Figure 11 is a cross sectional view at 11-11 in Figure 8.
Figure 12 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 11, but showing two
parts of the vent
interconnected with each other.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to the Figures, a vent for gases generally designated 10
comprises a cover 12
having a front opening 16, a base 14 and a conduit 18. All components of vent
10 are
preferably made from a flexible plastic material such as for example,
polypropylene or
polyethylene.
Conduit 18 is formed with a short pipe section 19 that has an inlet 20 and an
outlet 28.
Conduit 18 also has attached to it, or integrally formed therewith, a plate
member 26 that is
positioned proximate and surrounds outlet 28 (see Figures 7 and 10 ). As seen
in Figure 10,
plate member 26 has an upward facing surface or floor 30 and a channel or moat
32 partly
formed therein which surrounds outlet 28. Channel 32 has a side wall 21 and
floor 25 formed
in plate 26. The other side wall 23 of the channel is formed from the upper
section of the
outside surface of pipe section 19. The channel could of course be formed in
other ways
such as being formed wholly within and by plate 26.
All around the outside edge of plate 26 is a downward extending flange 35
having an outward
facing peripheral face 34. Preferably, as shown in phantom in figure 7,
abutting the inside
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CA 02280320 1999-08-13
surface of the bottom of the plate 26 and the inside surface 33 of flange 35
are a plurality of
spaced triangular reinforcing elements 37, the purpose of which is to provide
rigidity to
flange 35 and so enhance the connection between surface 34 and the interior
sides of cover
12, which is described below. In Figure 7, only a few of elements 37 are
shown, but elements
37 are spaced around the entire inside surface 33 of flange 35. On opposite
side portions of
side face 34 are a pair of longitudinally outward extending projections 40.
Referring to Figure 9, for reference purposes, axis x-x represents horizontal
relative to the
earth, and axis y-y is an orthogonal axis to x-x and which is completely
vertical in a straight
up direction relative to earth (ie. y-y is the direction in which gravity
acts). Cover 12 has a
roof portion 36, which is set at an angle relative to base 14 and horizontal
axis x-x such that
water on roof 36 will slope to the rear of the roof portion 36 and away from
opening 16.
Roof portion 36 has a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 38 (Figure 1)
on its upper
surface. Ribs 38 assist in directing moisture away from opening 16. Cover 12,
when
positioned on a slanted roof (not shown), has its opening 16 facing towards
the bottom of the
slanted roof. Cover 12 also has a plurality of slats or louvres 22 extending
transversely
across opening 16. These slats 22 are oriented in such a manner so as to
assist in inhibiting
snow and rain from passing through opening 16 towards outlet 28 of conduit 18.
Cover also has opposed side walls 60 and 62, and a rear wall 70. Formed within
each of side
walls 60 and 62 are a pair of slots 72 (Figure 7), which are configured to
receive projections
40 of plate 26. Positioned within cover 12 is a door flap 42, which in the
preferred
embodiment is generally square, or rectangular in shape. Formed along the rear
edge 46 of
flap 42 are a series of tubular or cylindrical protuberances 44. In front of
each protuberance
44 is a longitudinal slot 52 through flap 42. Protuberances 44 are each
received in an opening
48 of mounting brackets SO that are spaced along the inside rear portion of
cover 12. Flap 42
can pivot about protuberances 44 held in openings 48, between an outlet 28
covered or
blocking position, as shown in solid lines in Figure 9, and an outlet open
position shown in
broken lines in Figure 9. Each of the front portions 51 of brackets 50 can
move into and out
of slots 52 in plate 26 during the pivoting movement.
Flap 42 has a peripheral edge, which comprises two side edges 56,58, a back
edge and a front
edge. The side edges 56 and 58 do come close to abutting or do abut the inside
faces 60a 62a
CA 02280320 1999-08-13
of side walls 60 and 62, respectively. The cover 12 in Figure 9 is shown to
have its base 14
oriented at angle relative to axis x-x to depict the orientation of the vent
when positioned on
an inclined roof. Along its entire length, the peripheral edge of flap 42
extends horizontally
beyond the horizontal (x-x) position of the outer side wall 21 of channel 32,
such that the flap
completely covers channel 32.
In the outlet covering position, flap 42 rests on a transversely extending rib
54. The overall
positioning of flap 42 when in the covered position is such that it will, in
combination with
slats 22, generally prevent most moisture passing into conduit 18. However,
there is no
positive seal between the underside of flap 42 and rib 54, nor between side
edges 56 and 58
of the peripheral edge of flap 42 and the inside faces 60a, 62a of cover side
walls 60, 62
respectively. Nevertheless, any moisture which seeps past the peripheral edge
of flap 42 and
drops vertically (y-y) down at the peripheral edge onto plate 26, or which
seeps under flap 42
between the flap and rib 54, will reach plate 26 on the side of the channel 32
remote from
outlet 28. Thus channel 32 provides a barrier preventing moisture reaching
inside pipe
section 19 of conduit 18. Channel 32 is configured and arranged such that any
moisture that
tends to seep towards outlet 28, for example from the rear portion of plate
26, will migrate
into, and be captured by channel 32.
Other types of barriers that can be used as an alternative to channel 32,
include a raised wall,
or an absorbent material such as a sponge like material capable of soaking up
moisture, both
or which surround the outlet 28.
Conduit 18 including plate member 26, can be releasably attached to the cover
12 in the
following manner. Plate 26 is receivable into base opening 74 with outer face
34 in abutment
with the inner faces of cover 12, including the inner side faces 60a and 62a.
The plate 26 can
be positioned in such a manner that projections 40 can be moved into and
received in
interlocking relationship with slots 72 (see Figures 1 l and 12). Many other
types of
connectors known to persons skilled in the art could be substituted for the
projection and slot
connection described above. For example clips having resilient arms and a hook
element
adapted to be received in a suitable slot could be used. Alternatively, a pure
frictional
connection between the outer surface 34 and the inside face that defines
bottom opening 74.
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CA 02280320 1999-08-13
Vent 10 is particularly suitable for placement on a building roof, and for
connection by way
of conduit 18 to a source of pressurized gas, such as air. Typically the
source of gas might be
a pipeline or hose 24 (Figure 5) which is hooked up to the exhaust fan (not
shown) such as
for example one located in, or adjacent to, a bathroom, or to a range stove.
To install roof vent 10, first the cover 12 is attached to the roof frame, for
example by driving
nails through holes 76 into roof support members. Thereafter, flashing (not
shown) is laid
over the base 14 and then the roofing material, such as roof shingles, is
secured over top of
the flashing. Thus the cover 12 is secured to the roof, and is typically not
moved again, at
least until the roofing material is changed. Thereafter, at an appropriate
time, pipeline 24 can
be connected to the inlet 20 of conduit 18, while conduit 18 is detached from
cover 12. This
connection, which may involve using one or more of clamps, duct tape, staple
and adhesive.
However, this connection can be effected relatively easily, as conduit 18 and
pipeline 24 can
be connected together at ground level. Thereafter, it only remains to "plug"
conduit 18 into
1 S cover 12 by means of placing plate member 26 into position in opening 74
and ensuring
projections 40 are received in slots 72.
If it is desired to disconnect pipeline 24 from vent 10, this can be easily
accomplished by
simply prying one or both of the side walls outward, thus releasing
projections 40 from slots
72, and providing sufficient clearance between the projections and the slots
to "unplug"
conduit 18 from cover 12.
Once operational, the exhaust fan in communication with pipeline 24, will from
time to time,
draw air from the bathroom or stove area, and force it into pipeline 24. The
air will then pass
through the pipeline 24 and will then enter conduit 18 at inlet 20. Passing
through pipeline
section 19 and exiting at outlet 28, the pressure will force flap 42 into an
open position. It
will be difficult for moisture to penetrate outlet 28 when air is being forced
out of the conduit
and out cover opening 16, because of air pressure blowing moisture away.
However, when
the exhaust fan is not operating, under extreme moisture conditions, moisture
may pass
through opening 16 and seep past flap 42. However, this moisture will be
trapped in channel
32. Thereafter, once the extreme weather has subsided, any moisture captured
in channel 32
will evaporate. The evaporation process of moisture from channel 32 is aided
by forced air
blowing over the channel, when the exhaust fan is operational.
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Various modifications to the forgoing preferred embodiment are possible which
are within
the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
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