Patent Application
20250237407
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The invention relates generally to an access panel for a ventilation system, and more particularly to an access panel for a ventilation system for a rooftop exhaust fan.
This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
In commercial exhaust ventilation systems for buildings, exhaust fans are used to expel air from a space and are typically mounted over vents on a roof. For example, a fan-assisted vent at a restaurant permits an exhaust to be withdrawn from the kitchen. Through this vent, grease and other cooking residue are allowed to leave the building. Restaurants, caterers, banquet halls, cafeterias and other places where large quantities of food are prepared use industrial cooking appliances to prepare this food. Above the various cooking appliances is a hood which funnels heat, smoke, steam, grease and other products of the cooking process through an exhaust system which typically extends through the ceiling of the building and vents the products of combustion to the atmosphere on the roof. These exhaust fans are usually in the form of a motorized fan having blades housed within a circular exterior housing or bowl.
A problem associated with such venting of the cooking atmosphere in a commercial cooking environment involves the accumulation of grease in the roof vents and fans of the exhaust system. The grease eventually runs off the vents and fans onto the roof which is typically made of a tar or asphalt based product. The exhausted air may also include grease particles that drop upon the roof. Such grease is detrimental to these roofs as they can promote the decay of the roofing materials. More specifically, the grease degrades and eats away at the tarred roofs and ultimately causes leaking which can lead to other, serious problems.
The accumulation of grease on the roof also creates the addition problem of a slipping hazard for people working in the vicinity of the rooftop vent.
In an effort to minimize the accumulation of grease upon the roof of a structure, regular maintenance or clearing of the rooftop exhaust vent and fan assembly is necessary to remove the accumulated grease from these components. In order to access the fan blades a hole or port is cut into or formed within the circular exterior housing. A problem with this is that the exterior housing in the area adjacent the fan blades typically includes a complex, double curvature or curved surface. As the access port must to closed or sealed after cleaning, it is difficult to provide a good seal in the doubled curvature area.
Therefore, there is a need for an access panel for an access port of a complex curved housing of an exhaust fan of a building.
In a preferred form of the invention, a dual seal access panel for use with a housing of an exhaust fan with an access port therethrough comprises a primary seal having a central floor and a peripheral rim extending from the central floor, the combination of the central floor and the peripheral rim forming a central recess, a secondary seal positioned within the central recess, a handle coupled to either the primary seal or the secondary seal or a combination of the primary seal and secondary seal, and a plurality of mounting brackets coupled to the primary seal and the secondary seal. Each mounting bracket of the plurality of mounting brackets has a mounting plate and a mounting latch spring biased in a direction towards the primary seal so as to capture a portion of an exhaust fan housing therebetween.
In another preferred form of the invention, a dual seal access panel for use with a housing of an exhaust fan with an access port therethrough comprises a round, flexible seal plate having a top surface, a handle coupled to the seal plate so as to extend above the top surface of the seal plate, and a plurality of mounting brackets coupled to the seal plate. Each mounting bracket of the plurality of mounting brackets has a mounting plate coupled to the top surface of the seal plate and a mounting latch coupled to the mounting plate having an end portion distal the mounting plate. Each mounting latch of the plurality of mounting latches is spring biased towards the seal plate to a position wherein the end portion extends past a plane coplanar with the top surface of the seal plate so as to bear against a portion of an exhaust fan housing positioned adjacent the top surface of the seal plate.
For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements.
With reference next to the drawings, there is shown a dual seal access panel 10 in a preferred form of the invention. In one form of the invention, the dual seal access panel 10 is utilized with a conventional roof ventilation system 1 that includes an exterior housing 2 with a generally round access hole or port 3. The exterior housing 2 has an exterior surface 4 and an interior surface 5.
The dual seal access panel 10 has a resilient outer or primary seal 12, a resilient, soft and pliable inner or secondary seal 14 coupled to the primary seal 12 and secured thereto with an adhesive, a mounting bracket assembly 18 coupled to both the primary seal 12 and the secondary seal 14, and a central handle 16 coupled to the both the primary seal 12 and the secondary seal 14. The primary seal 12, the secondary seal 14, or a combination of the primary seal 12 and secondary seal 14 may be referenced herein as a seal plate 15 as each appears to be generally planar or flat.
The resilient outer or primary seal 12, referenced hereinafter simply as the primary seal 12, is generally round or disk-shaped having a central floor 24 surrounded by a peripheral rim, lip or wall 26. The central floor 24 of the primary seal 12 has a top surface 28 and a bottom surface 30 oppositely disposed from the top surface 28. The central floor 24 has a central handle hole or opening 32 and four mounting bracket holes or openings 34 therethrough. The primary seal 12 is made of a resilient material, such as silicon, that enables the primary seal 12 to be bent or folded yet allows the primary seal to rebound after bending to its original configuration.
The peripheral lip 26 includes a wall portion 36 positioned generally perpendicularly to the central floor 24 and a primary seal abutment 38 positioned upon the distal end of the wall portion 36 oppositely disposed from the central floor 24. The primary seal abutment 38 has an inwardly extending or inboard flange or lip 40 and an outwardly extending or outboard flange or lip 42. The combination of the inboard lip 40 and outboard lip 42 form a generally flat, primary seal contact surface or face 44. The combination of the central floor 24, wall portion 36, and inboard lip 40 form a central recess 46 that includes a peripheral channel 48 between the inboard lip 40 and the central floor 24. The peripheral and exterior lower corner 50 of the primary seal 12 is chamfered to increase fluid flow over the edges.
The pliable inner or secondary seal 14, referenced hereinafter simply as the secondary seal 14, is generally round or disk-shaped having a top surface 56, a bottom surface 58 oppositely disposed from the top surface 56, and a peripheral or outer edge, wall, or surface 60 extending between the top surface 56 and bottom surface 58. The secondary seal 14 has a central handle hole or opening 62 and four mounting bracket holes or openings 64 therethrough. The central handle hole 62 is aligned with the central handle hole 32 of the primary seal 12. The four mounting bracket holes 64 are aligned with the four mounting bracket holes 34 of the primary seal 12. The secondary seal 14 is made of a flexible or resilient material, such as neoprene foam, that enables the secondary seal 14 to bend or fold and also to flex and conform to another, adjacent surface contacting the secondary seal 14.
The central handle 16 includes a threaded eyebolt 70 having a looped grasping end 72 and an externally threaded shaft 74. The central handle 16 also includes an annular first washer 76 and an internally threaded first wingnut 78 threadably received upon a distal portion of the threaded shaft 74 oppositely disposed from the grasping end 72. The first washer 76 contacts and bears upon the bottom surface 30 of the primary seal 12 through threaded action of the first wingnut 78. The central handle 16 also includes an annular second washer 80 and an internally threaded second wingnut 82 threadably received upon a proximal portion of the threaded shaft 74 proximal or adjacent the grasping end 72. The second washer 80 contacts and bears upon the top surface 56 of the secondary seal 14 through threaded action of the second wingnut 82. The threaded shaft 74 extends through central handle holes 32 and 62. As such, the primary seal 12 and secondary seal 14 are sandwiched between the first washer and wingnut 76, 78 and the second washer and wingnut 80, 82, which helps to maintain the primary and secondary seals together. The washers and wingnuts may be formed as a single unit.
The mounting bracket assembly 18 includes four mounting brackets 86 mounted concentrically in an annular array about the central handle 16. Each mounting bracket 86 includes a mounting plate 88, a mounting rivet 90, and a spring biased, radially extending throw or mounting latch, arm or leg 94 extending radially from a central portion of the secondary seal 14 corresponding to the location of the central handle 16. The mounting plate 88 has a main portion 96 from which extends two spaced apart, arched mounting flanges 98 straddling a raised central flange 100. The raised central flange 100 has a rivet mounting hole or opening 102 therethrough configured to receive a mounting rivet 90 which also passes through mounting bracket holes 34 and 64, The mounting latch 94 has a T-shaped mounting end 104 having oppositely disposed tangs 106 that reside within the recess created by and below the arched mounting flanges 98 for selective spring biased pivotal movement of the mounting latch 94 between a retracted or released position, shown in
In use, the dual seal access panel 10 is mounted to the generally round access hole or port 3 of the exterior housing 2 of the conventional roof ventilation system 1, as shown in the drawings. The circumference of the access port 3 is configured to be smaller than the circumference of the primary seal abutment 38 and an outboard portion of the secondary seal 14 adjacent the primary seal abutment 38.
To mount the dual seal access panel 10 to the exterior housing 2 the mounting latches 94 are pivoted to their released position and the primary and secondary seals 12 and 14 (seal plate 15) are folded upon themselves to reduce the overall size or diameter of the primary and secondary seals 12 and 14 (seal plate 15). The pivoting of the mounting latches 94 must overcome the resistant spring force of the flanges 98 pushing against the tangs 106 of the T-shaped mounting end 104, wherein the compression force upon the tangs 106 between the flanges 98 and the top surface 56 of the secondary seal 14 typically maintains the mounting latches 94 in place in their engaged position. The dual seal access panel 10 is then passed through, or partially through, the access port 3 to a position wherein the combination primary and secondary seals 12 and 14 (seal plate 15) is residing completely within the interior of the housing 2. The primary and secondary seals 12 and 14 (seal plate 15) and then unfolded and positioned against the interior surface 5 of the exterior housing 2.
The top surface 56 of the peripheral wall lip rim 26 of the primary seal 12 and the top surface 56 of the secondary seal 14 is positioned against the interior surface 5 of the exterior housing 2 by manually pulling upon the central handle 16 until the dual seal access panel 10 is positioned centrally relative to the access port 3 and against the interior surface 5 of the exterior housing 2. The mounting latches 94 are then moved from their released position to their engaged position abutting the exterior surface 4 of the exterior housing 2. The spring biasing force between the flanges 98 of the mounting brackets 86 and the tangs 106 of the T-shaped mounting end of the mounting latches 94 causes the mounting latches 94 to be forced in a direction towards the primary seal 12 so that they bear upon the exterior surface 4 of the exterior housing 2 so as to capture or position a portion of the exterior housing 2 therebetween. Thus, the L-shaped foot 110 of each leg 108 contacts and bears against the exterior surface 4 of the exterior housing 2. This spring biasing force maintains the dual seal access panel 10 in place against the exterior housing 2 with the primary seal abutment 38 and to the surface 56 of the secondary seal flush with and conforming to the interior surface 5 of the exterior housing 2 of the roof ventilation system 1. The flexibility, pliability, or resilience of the primary seal 12 and secondary seal 14 allows the dual seal access panel 10 to conform to the undulating or curved interior surface 5 of the exterior housing in order to maintain a good or proper seal therebetween to prevent air and grease or other particles from passing therebetween.
The shape of the peripheral wall lip rim 26 aids in causing grease and other liquids to flow about the dual seal access panel 10 rather than passing between the dual seal access panel 10 and the exterior housing 2. The chamfered edge of the lower corner 50 of the primary seal 12 also aids in increasing fluid flow over the edges.
The inboard lip 40 aids in maintaining the secondary seal 14 within the central recess 46 of the primary seal 12 as well as helping maintain a proper seal.
All sealing components of the dual seal access panel 10 may be made of conventionally know materials, such as rubber, silicon, or other flexible polymers. The mechanical components of the dual seal access panel 10 may also be made of conventionally known materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, galvanized steel, nickel plated steel, rigid or semi-rigid polymers, or the like. The primary seal is made of a resilient material while the secondary seal is made of a more rigid material than said primary seal so that the secondary seal provides structural support to the primary seal. The primary seal 12 protects the secondary seal 14 from damage caused by interaction with grease and/or heat.
It should be understood that the mounting brackets 86 may be designed so that the spring biasing force is created by simply flexing or bending the mounting latch legs 108, rather than through the biasing of the mounting latches 94 through the configuration of the mounting brackets 86, i.e., the spring biasing of the flanges 98 against the tangs 106. However, it is best that each of the mounting latches 94 is spring biased towards the seal plate 15 to a position wherein the end portion or L-shaped foot 110 extends past a plane that is coplanar with the top surface of the seal plate 15 so as to bear against a portion of the exhaust fan housing positioned adjacent the top surface of the seal plate 15.
It should be understood that the handle may be coupled to either the primary seal alone, or the secondary seal alone, or a combination of the primary seal and the secondary seal, as all that is necessary is to be able to move the dual seal access panel 10 into position utilizing the handle. However, the preferred embodiment is to have the handle coupled to both the primary seal and the secondary seal for added strength and rigidity of the central portion of these seals.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention set forth in the appended claims. The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
