Patent Application
20080207105
1. Technical Field
The multiple embodiments of the present invention relate to a chimney termination cap assembly for a chimney having a flue or vent pipe.
2. Background Art
Chimney flue and vent termination cap assemblies are available in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Generally, the chimney termination cap assembly must be attached to the chimney flue or vent pipe end and/or the roof, chase, or exterior walls from which the chimney flue or vent pipe extends. With more ornamental termination caps, an effort is typically made to conceal the structures required for making the necessary attachments.
European style termination cap assemblies, such as the one illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,600 which issued on Aug. 9, 2005, each have a lower housing portion that generally extends from the roof top of the top of the chase from which the chimney flue or vent pipe extends. This European style of termination cap assemblies can be contrasted with those that have no such lower housing portion, such as the one illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,021 which issued on Mar. 13, 1984.
In one embodiment, a chimney termination cap assembly is provided with a body having a perimeter sidewall with a lower region adapted to be mounted to a chimney. The body has at least one opening for venting the chimney. A lid is mounted to a top of the body. At least one tray is mounted within the body for collecting precipitation. One of the body and the at least one tray includes at least one drainage aperture for draining the precipitation from the tray.
In another embodiment, the chimney termination cap assembly includes an integrated slip-sleeve configured to receive a chimney flue or vent pipe.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for the claims and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
In
The chimney termination cap assemblies 10 each include a body 12. The bodies 12 each have a sidewall 14 that is fabricated from sheet metal such as steel, aluminum, copper, etc. or any other suitable material. The sidewalls 14 may have a generally tapered shape and may also have a variety of different cross-sectional configurations. Examples of cross-sectional configurations are constant or tapered (such as the circular cross-section illustrated in
Flanges 18 may be provided at the base of the sidewalls 14 for affixing the chimney termination cap assemblies 10 to a rooftop, chase, sidewall or other surface. Adjustable flanges 18 for leveling or otherwise adjusting the orientation or height of the chimney termination cap assembly 10 may also be utilized.
The upper portion 20 of each of the chimney termination cap assemblies 10 include a plurality of vents 22. Vents 22 may be a variety of different shapes including circles, squares, rectangles, louvers, etc. Vents 22 or other sidewall openings 24 may also be provided in a lower portion 26 of the chimney termination cap assembly 10. The openings 24 may be provided for aesthetics, to enhance the draft performance of the chimney termination cap assembly 10, or as explained below, to access a clamp or other fastener for securing the chimney termination cap assembly 10 to a chimney flue or vent pipe. The openings 24 may also be provided, as explained in later embodiments, for draining precipitation from within the body 12 of the chimney termination cap assembly 10.
The upper portions 20 of the chimney termination cap assemblies 10 also include a lid 28 generally defining a cover for the chimney termination cap assembly 10. The lid 28 may be permanently fastened to the sidewall by rivet, weld, or the like. Alternately, the lid 28 may be removable from, hinged to or otherwise releaseably fastened to the upper portion 20 of the sidewall 14, which permits the lid 28 to be opened or removed for cleaning or other maintenance. The lid 28 may have a flat, conical, pitched or dome-like shape, or any other suitable configuration. Like the sidewall 14 and the vents 22, the lid 28 may bear any ornamental design or finish.
Referring now to
A platform 32 is affixed to and extends perpendicular from the interior of the sidewall 14, generally defining an upper portion 20, as illustrated in
As illustrated, a slip-coupling 36 extends from the platform 32. The slip-coupling 36 has a concentric outer sleeve 38 and inner sleeve 40. The outer sleeve 38 and inner sleeve 40 are sufficiently spaced from one another to receive the end of a circular chimney flue or vent pipe (not shown). Of course, the cross-sectional geometry of the slip-coupling 36 is not limited to a circle. The cross sectional geometry may vary depending on the geometry of the chimney flue or vent pipe that the slip-coupling 36 is intended to receive. Other geometries include but are not limited to a square and a rectangle.
In one embodiment, the receiving end of the slip-coupling 36 is the end opposite the end attached to the platform 32 and terminates prior to the base or bottom surface of the chimney termination cap assembly 10. The length of the slip-coupling 36 is sufficient to couple and receive the chimney flue or vent pipe such that exhaust gasses pass through vent aperture 34 during the normal operation of the chimney termination cap assembly 10, and not through the slip-coupling 36.
Referring now to
With reference now to
The chimney termination cap assembly 10 has an air intake so that air flows into the middle portion 50 through the vents 22 and into the outer sleeve 38 and into the connected chimney flue or vent pipe. This intake of the air is depicted by the arrows pointing toward the center of the chimney termination cap assembly 10. At the same time, air also flows out of the chimney flue or vent pipe, into the inner sleeve 40, into the upper portion 20 and out of the chimney termination cap assembly 10 through the vents 22. This exhaust of air is depicted by the arrows pointing away from the center of the chimney termination cap assembly 10.
In the illustrated embodiments, the lid 28 has a center which is generally inclined. The inclined center of the lid 28 directs precipitation that falls on the chimney termination cap assembly 10 toward the sidewall 14. Multiple drainage apertures 48 drain away precipitation that may fall on the chimney termination cap assembly 10 during use of the chimney termination cap assembly 10. The drainage apertures 48 are located adjacent to the sidewall 14 for directing the precipitation to drain off of the lid 28 of the chimney termination cap assembly 10. Any desired amount of drainage apertures 48 may be formed on the lid 28.
Precipitation that is directed off of the lid 28 falls into the upper portion 20 of the body 12. Additional precipitation may enter the upper portion through the vents 22. The upper tray 44 is connected to the inner sleeve 40 and the sidewall 14 to direct all of the precipitation away from the center to drain the precipitation. Draining the precipitation avoids having standing precipitation within the chimney termination cap assembly 10 which can leak into the chimney and/or damage the connections within the chimney termination cap assembly 10. Draining the precipitation also avoids an ice build-up during colder temperatures which can damage the connections within the chimney termination cap assembly 10. In one embodiment, the upper tray 44 has an inclined center so that the precipitation is directed towards the sidewall 14. The central incline of the upper tray 44 may have a sufficient angle so that the additional precipitation entering through the vents 22 rebound back through the vents 22. The upper tray 44 is illustrated with multiple drainage apertures 48 and any desired amount of drainage apertures 48 may be utilized. The drainage apertures 48 in the upper tray 44 are located adjacent to the sidewall 14 to direct all of the precipitation to drain off of the upper tray 44 and out of the upper portion 20 of the chimney termination cap assembly 10.
The precipitation that is directed out of the upper portion 20 falls into the middle portion 46 of the body 12. In addition, precipitation may enter the upper portion through the vents 22. The middle tray 44 is connected to the outer sleeve 38 and the sidewall 14 to direct all of the precipitation outward to drain the precipitation. Draining the precipitation avoids standing precipitation and/or ice build-up within the chimney termination cap assembly 10 to prevent the precipitation from leaking into the chimney and/or from damaging the connections within the chimney termination cap assembly 10. The middle tray 46 may have an inclined center so that the precipitation is directed towards the sidewall 14. The central incline of the middle tray 46 may have an adequate incline so that the additional precipitation entering through the vents 22 rebound back through the vents 22. The middle tray 46 is illustrated with multiple drainage apertures 48 and may have any suitable amount of drainage apertures 48. The drainage apertures 48 in the middle tray 44 are located adjacent to the sidewall 14 to direct all of the precipitation to drain off of the middle tray 44 and out of the middle portion 46 of the chimney termination cap assembly 10.
Referring to
With reference to
Referring now to
The body 12 is generally tapered from top to bottom of the chimney termination cap assembly 10 so that precipitation draining through the corresponding drainage apertures 48 in the lid 28, the upper tray 44, and the middle tray 46 drains along the tapered sidewall 14 by capillary action which directs the precipitation outward as the precipitation drains. The capillary action of the draining precipitation minimizes the amount of precipitation which remains within the chimney termination cap assembly 10 and facilitates efficient drainage of the chimney termination cap assembly 10.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
