Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
'' CA 02364231 2001-12-07
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STATIC VENTILATOR INCLUDING A CORRUGATED PORTION
The present invention relates to static ventilators. More
spec~cally, the present invention relates to a static ventilator incorporating
a
corrugated portion enabling the installation of the ventilator onto roofs of
various pitches and to a method for forming such a static ventilator.
The prior art is replete with various designs of static ventilators
designed to be installed onto roofs in view of providing ventilation in
attics.
These static ventilators, conventionally made of galvanized steel, are usually
provided with a base to be fixed to the roof under the roof covering, a
vertical
sleeve having an end~connected to the base and a cover mounted to the free
end of the vertical sleeve.
To install static ventilators onto sloping roofs, the connection
between the vertical sleeve and the base has to be angled. One.method used
to connect the sleeve to the base is to cut an end of the sleeve at the known
roof angle and then to solder the angled end to the base. A major drawback of
this method is that the intense heat generated during the soldering operation
weakens or destroys the rust-proofing treatment of the galvanized steel which
eventually leads to water leaks.
Another method of joining the angled end of the sleeve to the
base is to use plastic-cement type material to provide a leak proof joint.
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However, it has been found that, with time, the elasticity of such materials
is
greatly reduced by the constant exposure to the elements, again potentially
leading to water leaks.
Canadian patent application N° 2,009,776 filed on February 9,
1990 by Claude E. MAHEU and entitled "TILTED SEAMLESS VENT AND
METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME" describes a method for making a
seamless static vent where the vertical sleeve is integral with the base.
While
this is a major improvement over the conventional soldering method described
hereinabove, a drawback of the method of Maheu is that a different static
ventilator must be made for each roof angle.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an
improved static ventilator free of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior
art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a static ventilator
provided with a corrugated portion allowing the sleeve to be installed onto
various roof pitches while maintaining the vertical orientation of the sleeve.
More spe~cally, in accordance with the present invention, there
is provided a static ventilator to be installed onto roofs comprising:
a tubular base having a proximate end and a distal end; the
proximate end being provided with an integral base plate configured and sized
to be mounted onto a roof; the tubular base also includes a deformable
corrugated portion provided between the proximate and distal ends;
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a sleeve having a first end configured and sized to be
connectable to the distal end of the tubular base and a second end; and
a cover configured and sized to be mounted to the second end
of the sleeve;
wherein the corrugated portion of the tubular base allows the static
ventilator
to be mounted to sloping roofs while enabling the sleeve to be positioned and
maintained in a generally vertical orientation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a method for forming a base having a corrugated portion for a static
ventilator comprising the steps of:
providing a first mold having a distal end, a longitudinal axis and
a cylindrical portion defining a first predetermined diameter,
_ removably securing a metal sheet to the distal end of the first
mold;
spinning the first mold and the metal sheet about the longitudinal
axis of the first mold;
chasing the metal sheet against the first mold to form an
intermediate base provided with a cylindrical portion of the first
predetermined
diameter;
providing a second mold having a distal end, a longitudinal axis
and a cylindrical portion defining a second predetermined diameter smaller
than the first diameter of the first mold;
removably waxing the intem~ediate base to the distal end of the
second mold so that the cylindrical portion of the intermediate base overlaps
the cylindrical portion of the second mold;
spinning the second mold and the intermediate base about the
longitudinal axis of the first mold;
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chasing part of the intermediate base against the smaller
cylindrical portion of the second mold to form the corrugated portion of the
base
having a corrugated portion.
' Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become more apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading of the following
non restrictive description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of
example only with reference to the appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE D AWwrS
In the appended drawings:
-Figure 1, in a side elevational view, illustrates a static ventilator
according to an embodiment of the present invention, mounted to a sloping
roof;
Figure 2, in a side elevational view, illustrates the base of the
static ventilator of figure 1;
Figure 3, in a side elevational view, illustrates the cover of the
static ventilator of figure 1;
Figure 4, in a side elevational view, illustrates a lathe supporting
a blank piece of metal to be chased;
Figure 5, in a side elevational view, illustrates the blank piece of
metal of figure 4 being chased onto a first mold to yield an intermediate
tubular
base;
CA 02364231 2001-12-07
Figure 6, in a side elevational view, illustrates an intermediate
base mounted onto a second mold, before the chasing of the corrugated
portion; and
Figure 7, in a side elevational view, illustrates the corrugated
portion of the tubular base being chased.
Turning to figures 1 to 3 of the appended drawings, a static
ventilator 10 aooording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
will
be described.
Figure 1 illustrates the ventilator 10 mounted to a sloping roof 12.
The ventilator 10 encloses an air inlet pipe 14 pneumatically connecting an
attic
16 to an external environment 18 so as to allow air exchange therebetween.
The static ventilator 10 includes a tubular base 20, a sleeve 22
and a cover 24.
As can be better seen from figure 2, the tubular base 20 includes
an integral base plate 26 provided with mounting apertures 28 and defining a
proximate end of the tubular base 20, a shoulder 30, a deformable corrugated
portion 32 and a sleeve receiving portion 34 defining a distal end of the
tubular
base 20.
The integral base plate 26 is generally circular and the mounting
apertures 28 are provided near the periphery of the base plate, as
illustrated.
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The shoulder 30 advantageously prevents contact between the
corrugated portion 32 and the roof when the static ventilator 10 of the
present
invention is mounted to sloping roofs having a very abrupt angle (not shown)
The deformable corrugated portion 32 is formed of a plurality of
successive circumferential ridges 36 and grooves 38. Of course, as will be
easily understood by one skilled in the art, only one ridge 36 and one
adjacent
groove 38 are required to allow the corrugated portion 32 to be angled with
respect to a longitudinal axis 40 that is perpendicular to the base plate 26.
However, a plurality of successive circumferential ridges 36 and grooves 38
are
preferred since it increases the possible angle variation, with respect to the
axis
40, at which the sleeve 22 may be positioned.
As will be easily understood by one skilled in the art, the
corrugated portion 32 of the tubular base 20 allows the static ventilator 10
to
be mounted to sloping roofs such as 12 while enabling the sleeve 22 to be
positioned and maintained in a generally vertical orientation. Indeed, by
selectively deforming portions of the circumferences of the V-shaped grooves
38, it is possible to change the angle of the deformable portion 32 with
respect
to the base plate 26. Furthermore, since the tubular base 20 is made of
metallic material, the deformation of the corrugated portion 32 will remain
until
other forces are applied thereto.
The sleeve receiving portion 34 is generally cylindrical and has
an external diameter that is slightly smaller than an internal diameter of the
sleeve 22, allowing the sleeve 22 to snugly fit onto the sleeve receiving
portion
34. Of course, adhesives may be provided between the sleeve receiving
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mount the sleeve 22 to the sleeve receiving portion 34, readjust the
deformation of the comagated portion 32 if necessary, install the cover 24 so
that its internal portion 48 is inserted in the air inlet pipe 14 and its
external
portion 46 overlaps the second end 44 of the sleeve 22 and, finally, secure
the
mover 24 to the sleeve 22 (???).
When the base plate 26 is fixedly mounted to the roof 12,
conventional roof covering material, such as, for example, asphalt shingles 50
may be installed over the base plate 26 to prevent water infiltration.
Turning now to figures 4-7 of the appended drawings, the general
steps of the fabrication of the tubular base 20 provided with a corrugated
portion 32 will be described.
The tubular base 20 is fabricated through chasing operations that
are believed to be well known in the art. Hence, only the general features of
these operations will be described hereinbelow since other specific features,
such as, for example, the choice of lathe speed and the type of molds to be
used are believed within the reach of one skilled in the art and are not
specific
to the present invention.
Figure 4 illustrates a first mold 60, including a first cylindrical
portion 62 and a distal end 64, is mounted to the spindle 66 of a lathe 68. A
generally circular plate of metallic material 70 is mounted to the distal end
64
of the first mold 60 via a pressure applying member 72 of the lathe 68.
While the spindle 66 is rotated (figure 5) about a longitudinal axis
73, a chasing arm 74, provided with a chasing roller 76, is applied to the
plate
70 to chase the plate 70 onto the first mold 60.
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The result of the chasing of the plate 70 onto the first mold 60 is
an intermediate tubular base 78 (figure 6) having a cylindrical portion 80
corresponding to the cylindrical portion 62 of the first mold 60.
When the chasing operation is completed, the lathe 68 is
stopped and the intermediate tubular base 78 is disengaged from the first mold
60.
Figure 6 illustrates a second mold 82, including a second
cylindrical portion 84 and a distal end 86, mounted to the spindle 66. The
second cylindrical portion 84 has an external diameter smaller than the
external
diameter of the first cylindrical portion 62 of the first mold 60. The
position of
the second cylindrical portion 84 onto the second mold 82 is such that when
the
intermediate tubular base 78 is mounted to the distal end 86 of the second
mold 82, the cylindrical portion 80 of the intermediate tubular base 78 is in
an
overlapping and distanced relationship with the second cylindrical portion 84.
Finally fuming to figure 7 of the appended drawings, the grooves
38 are chased in the cylindrical portion 80 of the intermediate base 78 to
form
the tubular base 20. A chasing arm 76 provided with a generally V-shaped
chasing. roller 88 is used to chase the generally V-shaped grooves 38. More
specifically, the chasing roller 88 is pressed to the rotating cylindrical
portion
80 so as to chase part of the portion 80 to the second cylindrical portion 84
of
the second mold 82 to yield a V-shaped groove 38. The chasing arm is then
moved and a second V-shaped groove 38 is similarly formed. The distance
separating the successive grooves 38 is such that a ridge 36 is formed
therebetween. When all the grooves 38 are formed, the lathe is stopped and
the completed tubular base 20 is disengaged from the second mold 82.
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Of course, the closed end of tubular base member 20 to which
pressure was applied via the member 72 is then removed to yield an open
ended tubular base member 20.
5 It is to be noted that while other metals could be used, the
different elements of the static ventilator 10 are advantageously made of
aluminum.
Although the present invention has been described hereinabove
10 by way of a preferred embodiment thereof, this preferred embodiment can be
modified at will, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject
invention as defined in the appended claims.
