Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CEILING HATCH
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of ceiling hatches, and in
particular to
ceiling hatches with seals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ceilings of houses, homes and buildings typically have passageways to provide
access to attics and spaces which may be regulated by local construction and
building codes, for example the National Building Code of Canada, requiring
minimum dimensions and characteristics. Existing passageways typically have
inwardly directed shoulders extending within the passageway and adapted to
support a panel or hatch from a position below the panel in order to close and
seal the passageway under the weight of the hatch panel. To enhance the
insulation characteristics of the passageway, a seal is typically provided
between
the base of the hatch panel and the top surface of the shoulders such that
when
the hatch panel is supported by the shoulders, the weight of the hatch panel
compresses the seal and seals the passageway.
One drawback of such ceiling hatch configurations is that the inwardly
extending
shoulders which support the hatch panel from below reduce the effective access
area of the passageway. In some instances, such a reduction in access area may
render the passageway difficult to navigate through or non-compliant with
building codes mandating larger access ways.
In order to overcome these and other drawbacks, there is a need for a ceiling
hatch configured to support a hatch panel within the passageway without the
necessity of inwardly extending shoulders.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to address the above mentioned
issues.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a ceiling
hatch for sealing a
passageway in a ceiling. The passageway includes an upper passageway
peripheral
surface and a lower passageway peripheral surface. The ceiling hatch includes
a housing
assembly. The housing assembly includes a bottom housing portion adapted to
fit in the
passageway and includes a bottom housing portion outer peripheral surface. The
housing
assembly also includes a top housing portion connected to the bottom housing
portion,
the top housing portion includes a top housing portion outer peripheral
surface adapted to
rest against the upper passageway peripheral surface to suspend the bottom
housing
portion within the passageway. The ceiling hatch also includes a first seal
engageable
between the bottom housing portion outer peripheral surface and the lower
passageway
peripheral surface when the bottom housing portion is suspended within the
passageway,
and a second seal engageable between the upper passageway peripheral surface
and
the top housing portion outer peripheral surface upon positioning of the top
housing portion
outer peripheral surface against the upper passageway peripheral surface. The
ceiling
hatch thereby does not limit the effective access area of the passageway.
In a particular aspect, there is provided a ceiling hatch for sealing a
passageway in a
ceiling, the passageway comprising an upper passageway peripheral surface and
a
lower passageway peripheral surface, the ceiling hatch comprising:
a housing assembly comprising:
a bottom housing portion adapted to fit in the passageway, and comprising a
bottom housing portion outer peripheral surface; and
a top housing portion connected to the bottom housing portion, and
comprising a top housing portion outer peripheral surface;
wherein the top housing portion outer peripheral surface is adapted to rest
against the upper passageway peripheral surface, and the bottom housing
portion outer peripheral surface is adapted to remain in a spaced close
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-09-03
2a
relation with the lower passageway peripheral surface, thereby suspending
the bottom housing portion within the passageway;
a first seal engageable between the bottom housing portion outer peripheral
surface and the lower passageway peripheral surface when the bottom housing
portion is suspended within the passageway; and
a second seal engageable between the upper passageway peripheral surface
and the top housing portion outer peripheral surface upon positioning of the
top
housing portion outer peripheral surface against the upper passageway
peripheral surface.
In some implementations, the bottom housing portion is integrally formed from
an
insulation material.
In some implementations, the top housing portion outer peripheral surface is
defined by a horizontal lip or flange at the interface of flat upright top
housing
portion walls that are connected to the bottom housing portion.
In some implementations, there is further included a bottom housing panel that
is
joined to a bottom end of the bottom housing portion, the bottom housing panel
defining a horizontal panel surface and a side upright outer perimeter
surface.
In some implementations, passageway includes a trim that is disposed about a
periphery of a lower portion of the passageway, and wherein the first seal is
provided to extend from the trim to engage the side upright perimeter surface.
In some implementations, the first seal comprises a base and a plurality of
bristles projecting from the base to frictionally engage within a slot
provided along
the trim.
In some implementations, the passageway is defined by passageway walls, and
the first seal extend from the passageway walls and contacts the bottom
housing
portion outer peripheral surface.
In some implementations, the second seal is a gasket, a compressible foam
strip,
a flexible wiper element, or a rubber seal.
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2b
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided method of
sealing a
passageway in a ceiling, the passageway including an upper passageway
peripheral
surface and a lower passageway peripheral surface, the method includes
suspending a
housing assembly within the passageway. The housing assembly includes a top
housing
portion including a top housing portion outer peripheral surface, and a bottom
housing
portion including a bottom housing portion outer peripheral surface. The
method includes
sealing the lower passageway peripheral surface with the bottom housing
portion outer
peripheral surface, and sealing the upper passageway peripheral surface with
the top
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-09-03
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housing portion outer peripheral surface. The passageway is thereby sealed
such
that effective access area of the passageway is not limited by the ceiling
hatch.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention may be better understood with reference to the written
6 description and drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a ceiling hatch illustrating a hatch
housing
received within a passageway, according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the ceiling hatch, according to an
exemplary
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the housing assembly of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a close up cross-sectional side view of a lower seal in accordance
with
an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a close up cross-sectional side view of an upper seal in accordance
with
an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method of sealing a passageway with a hatch
housing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Now referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, there is illustratively provided a ceiling
hatch
10 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The
ceiling hatch 10 is adapted to seal a passageway 12 provided in a ceiling 14
of a
building, house, or home, or other like structure, for separating a space
above the
ceiling 14, such as an attic 16, from a space below the ceiling 14, such as a
room
18. The ceiling hatch 10 includes a housing assembly 20 adapted to fit within
the
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passageway 12 to block and seal the passageway 12 such that air flow and heat
transfer between the attic 16 and the room 18 is minimized or eliminated while
maximizing the accessible area of the passageway 12 for ingress or egress to
the attic 16 or room 18 there through. Of note, while the present invention
will be
described herein with reference to a hatch for a ceiling 14, the ceiling hatch
10
may be employed to seal other types of passageways between different types of
spaces so as to provide a passageway area that remains unobstructed by
inwardly extending hatch supports, such as extending flanges or shoulders. For
example, the ceiling hatch 10 of the present invention may be provided for a
passageway between a cellar or crawl space and a room in the building, home or
house.
Now referring to FIG. 2, in addition to FIG. 1, illustratively, the passageway
12 is
defined by a precut hole in the ceiling 14 between ceiling rafters 22 or
joists.
Illustratively, the passageway 12 is rectangular in shape and typically
bounded by
and between the sides of two ceiling rafters 22 along one direction, for
example
along the length of the passageway 12, and the cut ends of other ceiling
rafters
22 in another direction, for example along the width of the passageway 12. As
illustrated, the passageway 12 extends between the sides of ceiling rafter 222
and 223. Optionally, other shapes of the passageway 12 may be provided such
as square or circular, and various dimensions may also be provided. For
example, in Canada, the National Building Code of Canada requires that the
accessible area of the passageway 12 to an attic 16 have a minimum width of
545mm.
Illustratively, upright passageway walls 24 may be provided to delimit and
define
an upper passageway peripheral surface 25 and a lower passageway peripheral
surface 27 of the passageway 12. The passageway walls 24 illustratively extend
vertically between ceiling panels 26 of the ceiling 14 and the upper rafter
end 29
of the ceiling rafters 22, or optionally extend to a point before or after the
upper
rafter end 29 of the ceiling rafters 22. The surface of the passageway walls
24 is
illustrative of the lower passageway peripheral surface 27 which is provided
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about an lower passageway portion 28. The term "lower passageway portion" is
used herein to refer to the lower part of the passageway 12 adjacent to the
room
18, but also may refer to an area proximate, adjacent, immediately about or
below the passageway 12. The term "lower passage peripheral surface" as used
5 herein thus refers to a surface located at or immediately about the lower
passageway portion 28. In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the
passageway walls 24 intersect with the ceiling panels 26 of the ceiling 14
about
the lower passageway portion 28. As shown in Figure 2, the passageway walls'
24 intersection with the ceiling panels 26 is provided via a trim 30 disposed
about
a periphery of the lower passageway portion 28 so as to underlap with the
passageway wall lower end 32 of the passageway wall 24. The trim 30 is apt at
providing a finished look to the joint between the ceiling 14 and the
passageway
12 by concealing the passageway wall lower end 32, but also provides a
mounting support for a seal as will be described in more detail herein below.
Illustratively, the upright passageway walls 24 may be formed from gypsum or
plaster board, particle board, PVC or aluminium, or other similar to the
material
typically used to form the ceiling panels 26 as is generally known in the art.
Screws or other fasteners (both not shown) may be illustratively used to
secure
the passageway walls 24 to the ceiling rafters 22 in a manner such that the
passageway walls 24 are square to one another and are vertically parallel, for
example. Screws or other fasteners (both not shown) may also be illustratively
used secure the trim 30 to the ceiling rafters 22 or to the ceiling panels 26,
for
example.
Still referring to FIG. 1, each passageway 12 is also dimensioned such that a
top
wall surface 34, opposite to the wall lower end 32, of each upright passageway
wall 24 is illustratively level with one another about a horizontal plane. The
top
wall surface 34 is illustrative of an upper passageway peripheral surface 25
which is provided about an upper passageway portion 35. The term "upper
passageway portion" is used herein to refer to the upper part of the
passageway
12 adjacent to the ceiling 14, but also may refer to an area proximate,
adjacent,
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immediately about or below the top of the passageway 12. The term "upper
passage peripheral surface" as used herein thus refers to a surface located at
or
about the upper passage way portion 35.
Now referring to Figure 3, in addition to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the housing
assembly
20 is illustrated as including a rectangular housing 36 which includes a
bottom
housing portion 38 adapted and dimensioned to be received and fitted within
the
passageway 12 in a manner as will be described herein below. The bottom
housing portion 38 illustratively includes flat upright bottom housing walls
40
which define a bottom housing portion outer peripheral surface 42 which is
dimensioned so as to approximately mate with the passageway walls 24 to
permit the bottom housing portion 38 to be received within the passageway 12
and substantially block the passageway 12, except for a narrow void 44 created
between the bottom housing walls 40 and the passageway walls 24 due to the
smaller peripheral dimension of the bottom housing portion 38 relative to the
passageway 12. The bottom housing walls 40 are joined at their bottom end to a
bottom housing panel 46 which includes a rectangular horizontal panel surface
48 and a side upright outer perimeter surface 50. The rectangular horizontal
panel surface 48 is illustratively provided as co-extensive with the flat
surface of
ceiling panels 26 when the housing assembly 20 is received within the
passageway 12 so as to provide a seamless interface there between, but the
rectangular horizontal panel surface 48 may optionally be recessed within the
ceiling 14 therefrom depending on the dimensions of the housing assembly 20,
for example as dependent on the height of the bottom housing walls 40.
Illustratively, the bottom housing panel 46 may be formed from gyproc, or
other
paneling material normally associated with ceiling constructions as is
generally
known in the art. Optionally, the bottom housing panel 46 can be formed from
metal, wood, plywood, particle board and like sheet material, for example.
Optionally, insulation such as foam plastic or glass fibre mat or polyurethane
sheets may be enclosed within a bottom housing space 51 defined by the bottom
housing panel 46 and the bottom housing walls 40 so as to increase the
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insulating properties of the housing assembly 20 comparable to that of the
ceiling
14. In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention,
the
bottom housing portion 38 may be integrally formed from such insulation
material, such as a block of foam plastic or glass fibre mat or polyurethane
sheets, or a combination thereof, such that the bottom housing walls 40 are
defined by the perimeter of such material.
Still referring to FIGs. 1 to 3, the housing 36 also includes a top housing
portion
52 connected to the bottom housing portion 38 which may include insulation
such
as foam plastic or glass fiber mat or polyurethane sheets enclosed thereby,
defined thereby, or provided thereabove or thereupon in order to reduce heat
loss through passageway 12 when the housing assembly 20 is received within
the passageway 12. The top housing portion 52 is illustratively wider than the
bottom housing portion 38. The top housing portion 52 includes a top housing
portion outer peripheral surface 54 defined by the interface of flat upright
top
housing portion walls 56 connected to the bottom housing walls 40 by a
horizontal lip or flange 58. Illustratively, the flange 58 is adapted to rest
against
the top wall surface 34 to thereby suspend the bottom housing portion 38
within
the passageway 12 illustratively from a point above and adjacent to the
passageway 12. The suspension of the housing assembly 20 is this illustrated
manner clears the passageway 12 from any impeding support structures which
can reduce the effective area of the passageway 12. Of note, while the ceiling
hatch 10 is illustrated herein as being suspendable by the flange 58 resting
upon
top wall surface 34, other configurations which allow the bottom housing
portion
38 to be suspended within the passageway 12 such that upright passageway
walls 24 are located in a spaced close relation to the bottom housing walls 40
without the necessity of providing supporting structures which encroach within
and reduce the cross sectional area of the passage way 12 may be provided. For
example, the flange 58 may extend beyond the top wall surface 34 to be
suspended by a portion of the rafters 22 or other cross member extending from
or between the rafters 22 (not shown), or other structure element provided
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thereabout. In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present
invention, the top housing portion 36 may be integrally formed from such
insulation material, such as a block of foam plastic or glass fibre mat or
polyurethane sheets, or a combination thereof, such that the top housing
portion
walls 56 are defined by the perimeter of such material.
Now referring back to FIG. 1, in addition to FIG. 4, the ceiling hatch 10
includes
a lower seal 60 engageable between the bottom housing portion outer peripheral
surface 42 and lower passageway peripheral surface 27 when the bottom
housing portion 38 is fitted within the passageway 12. Illustratively, the
lower seal
60 is provided to extend from the trim 30 to engage the side upright perimeter
surface 50. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the
lower seal 60 is illustratively a one-piece flexible rubber or plastic band
apt to
engage the side upright outer perimeter surface 50 so as to inhibit or prevent
air
from flowing between housing assembly 20 and the passageway 12. The lower
seal 60 illustratively comprises a plurality of bristles 61 projecting from a
base 63
which may be frictionally engaged within a slot 65 provided along the trim 30.
Angular wedges 67 extending away from the base 63 may optionally be provided
for enhancing the friction fit between the base 63 and the slot 65. The base
63 is
illustratively shown as recessed from the upright passageway walls 24 so that
the
base 63 does not encroach upon the accessible area of the passageway 12 for
ingress or egress to the attic 16 or room 18 therethrough. Optionally, a
flexible
wiper element, or foam, or other sealing material may be provided instead of
the
bristles 61 to provide the seal. Of note, while the lower seal 60 has been
illustrated between the side upright outer perimeter surface 50 and
illustratively
extending from the trim 30, other configurations and locations may be possible
so
as to provide a seal between the passageway 12 and the housing assembly 20
about or near the bottom housing portion 38 when the housing assembly 20 is
received within the passageway 12. For example, the lower seal 60 may extend
from the passageway walls 24 and contact the upright bottom housing walls 40.
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Alternatively, the lower seal 60 may extend from the side upright outer
perimeter
surface 50 to engage the trim 30.
Still referring to FIG. 1, the ceiling hatch 10 includes an upper seal 62
engageable between the top housing portion outer peripheral surface 54 and the
upper passageway peripheral surface 25 upon illustratively positioning of the
top
housing portion outer peripheral surface 54 such that the flange 58 rests and
is
supported against the against the top wall surface 34. In accordance with the
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the upper seal 62 is provided
on
the flange 58 such that the weight of housing assembly 20 is supported by the
top wall surface 34 tending to engage and optionally compress the upper seal
62
in a self-sealing manner against the top wall surface 34.
Now referring to FIG. 5, in addition to FIG. 1, illustratively the upper seal
62 is a
gasket which may be secured to either the top wall surface 34 or the flange 58
by
adhesive or fastening for example. In accordance with an illustrative
embodiment, the upper seal 62 is illustratively a compressible foam strip 69
secured, by adhesive for example, to the surface of the flange 58, so as to
form a
seal between the top wall surface 34 and the flange 58. Optionally, a flexible
wiper element, rubber seal, or other sealing material or structure may be
provided. Optionally, for example, the foam strip 69 may secured to the flange
58
using a projection extending therefrom for frictional engagement within a slot
provided along the flange 58 (all not shown). Optionally, depending on the
material selected to form the flange 58, a seal may be formed directly between
the flange 58 and the top wall surface 34 when the flange 58 is supported
thereon. Alternatively, the foam strip 69 may be provided to extend from the
passageway walls 24 and engage the upright bottom housing walls 40, or vice-
versa.
Still referring to FIG. 1, when the lower seal 60 and the upper seal 62 are
engaged between the housing assembly 20 and the passageway 12, the lower
seal 60 forms a warm barrier located between the room 18 and the void 44,
while
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the upper seal 62 forms a cold barrier located between the attic 16 and the
void
44 such that the void 44 traps air there between creating an insulating zone.
The
seals 60, 62 thus acts as a barrier against air flow between the attic 16 and
the
room 18, as well as to enclose the space attic 16 and the room 18 to thereby
5 inhibit the flow of air, often times warms air, in passageway 12 and
trap air within
the void 44. The provision of a suspending configuration for the housing
assembly 20 within the passageway 12, for example configuration of the top
wall
surface 34 to support the flange 58 at a position adjacent to the passageway
12,
thereby maximizes the access area of the passageway 12 which is only limited
10 by the size the of passageway 12 provided between the rafters 22. Such a
configuration also allows for the compliance with new building codes and
regulations, without having to enlarge or alter existing passageways in homes
and buildings, for example by enlarging the passageway 12 to extend between
ceiling rafter 222 and 223 Illustratively, the width between rafters 22 is
twenty
four inches and the passageway 12 is generally provided between rafters 22
without altering the configuration of the rafters 22. In this manner existing
ceiling
hatches may be replaced with the ceiling hatch 10 of the present invention
without the requirement for modifying the passageway 12, for example by having
to cut rafters 22 to enlarge the passageway 12.
Now referring to FIG. 6, according to another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method 100 of sealing a passageway 12 in a ceiling 14 with
a
housing assembly 20, the passageway 12 comprising an upper passageway
peripheral surface 25 and a lower passageway peripheral surface 27. Examples
of the steps of the method 100 are provided in Figures 1 to 4. The method 100
includes the steps: (a) suspending 102 the housing assembly 20 within the
passageway 12, the housing assembly 20 comprising a top housing portion 52
comprising a top housing portion outer peripheral surface 54 and a bottom
housing portion 38 comprising a bottom housing portion outer peripheral
surface
42; (b) sealing 104 the lower passageway peripheral surface 27 with the bottom
housing portion outer peripheral surface 42; and (c) sealing 106 the upper
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passageway peripheral surface 25 with the top housing portion outer peripheral
surface 54.
Although optional embodiments of the invention have been described in detail
herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood
that
the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various
changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the
scope of the invention.
