The present application generally relates to flood water control devices for enclosed areas, and more particularly, to flood water control devices for venting enclosed spaces within a foundation, garage, foyer, an entry, basement or other such area.
To help limit flooding damage, several building code organizations and the federal government have promulgated regulations that mandate that buildings with enclosed spaces located below base flood plain levels, such as crawl spaces, must provide for automatic equalization of interior and exterior hydrostatic forces caused by flooding fluids. According to these regulations, flooding fluids must be permitted to freely enter and exit the enclosed spaces. In particular, many of these regulations require builders to install a number of vents in the enclosed spaces.
In addition to the regulations mentioned above, good construction practice embraces the use of vents which can be opened during warmer months to allow for ventilation to permit moisture to escape from crawl spaces, while retaining the ability to close during colder months to prevent the circulation of cold air around exposed plumbing in crawl spaces. Typically, the use of screening and louvers is necessary to achieve both the warm weather and cold weather requirements of proper venting and is required by at least some building codes for openings in foundation walls. As a result, a flood vent must be able to automatically remove the louver and screen barrier when confronted with free-flowing, flooding fluids.
In one aspect, a flood vent comprises a door that is pivotable within a frame between a closed position and an open position and a fluid trigger that is triggerable by a fluid to allow the door to pivot from the closed position to the open position. In one embodiment, the fluid trigger comprises a retainer and a fluid modifiable material. The fluid modifiable material may be positioned between the door and the retainer thereby obstructing the door from pivoting from the closed position to the open position until the fluid modifiable material is modified by the fluid.
In one embodiment, the fluid modifiable material may comprise a water soluble composition configured to dissolve when contacted with flood waters. The retainer and fluid modifiable material may both be positioned on a same side of the door corresponding to the direction of pivoting of the door from the closed position to the open position. The door may be configured to automatically pivot from the closed position to the open position when the fluid modifiable material is modified by the fluid. In one configuration, the door is biased to pivot from the closed position to the open position by a spring such that the door automatically pivots from the closed position to the open position when the fluid modifiable material is modified by the fluid.
In one embodiment, the fluid trigger may comprise a trigger regulator. The trigger regulator may be configured to regulate a level of the fluid required before the fluid contacts the fluid modifiable material to modify the fluid modifiable material. The trigger regulator may comprise the retainer and the retainer may extend from a lower wall of the frame to a position corresponding to the level of the fluid required before the fluid contacts the fluid modifiable material to modify the fluid modifiable material. In one embodiment, the trigger regulator comprises a passage defined in the door configured to regulate a level of the fluid required before the fluid contacts the fluid modifiable material to modify the fluid modifiable material. In another embodiment, the trigger regulator comprises a passage defined in the door and extending between a first side and a second side of the door, and the fluid modifiable material is positioned adjacent to the first side of the door such that passage regulates access to the fluid modifiable material by fluid at the second side of the door. In a further embodiment, the fluid modifiable material is positioned to seal the first side of the door from the second side of the door when the fluid modifiable material is unmodified by the fluid. The trigger regulator may further comprise a rain guard positioned on the door above the passage, and the rain guard may be dimensioned to direct rain water away from the passage.
In another aspect, a flood vent comprises a door that is pivotable within a frame between a closed position and an open position and a fluid trigger that is triggerable to allow the door to pivot from the closed position to the open position. The fluid trigger may comprise a fluid modifiable material positioned to obstruct the door from pivoting from the closed position to the open position.
In one embodiment, the door is compressed against the fluid modifiable material when the door is in the closed position. The fluid modifiable material comprises a material configured to modify upon contact with water. Modification of the fluid modifiable material upon contact with water may comprise dissolution of the fluid modifiable material. The vent may further comprise a spring coupled to the door. The spring may be configured to pull the door from the closed position to the open position upon fluid modification of the fluid modifiable material.
Presently preferred and alternative embodiments of the inventive arrangements are shown in the drawings, it being understood, however, the inventive arrangements are not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
In various embodiments, the door 12 may comprise a corrosion-resistant material, such as stainless steel, plastic, or polymer. The frame 14 may comprise or be locatable along a duct, e.g., within or at an opening of the duct, which may also be formed of a rigid corrosion resistant material, such as stainless steel, a plastic, or polymer. The frame 14 or duct is not limited as to a particular dimensioning; however, in one arrangement, the door 12 may be positioned within an 8 inch by 16 inch frame 14. Various door configurations are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,050, issued Sep. 11, 2001 to Montgomery et al. for FOUNDATION FLOOD GATE WITH VENTILATION, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,187, issued Feb. 17, 2004 to Sprengle, Sr., et al. for FLOOD GATE FOR DOOR, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
The door 12 may be attached to the frame 14 such that the door 12 may pivot relative to the frame 14 from the closed position in one or both of a first direction 20 and a second direction 21. For example, the door may pivot in a first direction 20 between the closed position and a first open position 22, see
The cross-sectional views of the various vent 10 embodiments described herein indicate positions wherein the door 12 may pivot as identified as pivot 15. However, other pivot positions 15 may be used. As shown, the pivot 15 is positioned along an upper portion 34 of the door 12, however, in other embodiments, the pivot 15 may be located along a middle 35 or lower portion 36 of the door 12. The door 12 may also comprise one or more louvers or multiple stacked doors 12 configured to rotate independently or together about the pivots 15. Thus, the door 12 may be configured to open in one or both directions 20, 21. For example, the pivot 15 may include a stopper configured to prevent pivoting of the door 12 in the first direction 20 or second direction 21 or an extent thereof. For example, the stopper may include an engagement surface or notch positioned or defined on the pin 24 or pivot 15 configured to engage another stopper comprising an engagement surface to prevent the door 12 from pivoting beyond at predetermined position between the closed position and an open position. The pivot 15 may also be biased to limit or assist pivot movements of the door 12 in the first or second directions 20, 21 or between open and closed positions.
In another embodiment, not shown, the pivot 15 includes a pin, which may be similar to pin 24, coupled to the door 12 and a rail or groove defined along the duct wall, e.g., along the frame 14, along which the door 12 may slide. The groove may extend arcuately in the first or second directions 20, 21 such that pressure or force, e.g., due to accumulation of fluid at the first or second side 16, 18 causes the door 12 to slide laterally and upward or downward such that a first or second face 17, 19 of the door 12 is positioned adjacent the upper or lower wall 29, 30 of the frame 14. In a further configuration, the groove may be stepped such that the door 12 may move from a first position along the groove in either the first direction 20 or second direction 21 until the door 12 reaches a second position or a one-way step, e.g., in the first direction 20, at which point the door 12 may be prevented by the groove from a returning movement in the second direction 21, toward the first position. Additional movements of the door 12 in the first direction 20 to further one-way steps may similarly prevent the door 12 from returning to previous positions in the second direction 21. In another embodiment, the groove may extend laterally through the duct and include an open end such that movement of the door 12 in the first or second direction 20, 21 causes the pin to exit the groove through the open end thereby removing the by the door 12 from the duct.
As shown in
Vents 10 may be installed in various configurations. For example, vents 10 may be installed independently, or in a stacked, modular formation within a structure or wall forming a portion of a house or other structure or in an overhead garage door, for example. Such multi-vent formations may be desirable in flood prone areas where the number of vents 10 required for proper ventilation would make the foundation structurally unsound if the vents 10 were placed side by side. Multi-vent configurations may also be desirable when a foundation is not formed from concrete block but rather formed from poured concrete where it may be more desirable to make holes of larger size but fewer in number than numerous openings having small sizes. In this configuration, each vent 10 may or may not act independently of each other. For example, in at least one embodiment, opening of a single vent 10 may similarly trigger the opening of additional vents 10. That is, a vent 10 may be triggered as described herein by fluid resulting in opening of the door 12, which in some embodiments may similarly result in the opening or the ability to open doors 12 associated with one or more additional vents 10. In at least one embodiment, the vent 10 includes a kit configured for retrofitting ducts and comprises a door 12 and frame 14 in which the door 12 is positioned. The frame 14 may be configured to be positioned within the duct or at an opening and secured thereto.
As introduced above, in various embodiments, a vent 10 may comprise a fluid trigger 40. Fluid triggers 40 may be configured such that the opening or ability to open the door 12 from the closed position in the first or second direction 20, 21 is triggered by the presence or action of fluid, e.g., force applied to the door 12 due to the pressure or accumulation of flood waters, as generally shown in
The vent 10 illustrated in
In various embodiments, trigger regulators 42 may be configured to direct or redirect fluid.
In another embodiment, the fluid modifiable material 55 is configured to expand to open the door 12 in the second direction 21, after which time the flow of fluid may disperse or dislodge the fluid modifiable material 55. In at least one embodiment, expansion of the fluid modifiable material 55 is configured to pivot the lower portion 36 of the door 12 in the second direction 21 to open the door 12 along an upper portion 34 in the first direction 20.
According to various embodiments, the fluid modifiable material 55 may generally be configured to at least partially modify in state, size, shape, or consistency due to the action of the fluid and may include various swellable or dissolvable materials including gels, foams, polymers, compacts, or compressed compositions. In various embodiments, the fluid modifiable material 55 may comprise a pellet or strip of modifiable material 55 that may be positioned or applied, e.g., as a paste or viscous composition, between the door 12 and the retainer 41. The fluid modifiable material 55 may be positioned to operate as a temporary seal or insulation prior to modification by fluid. For example, in at least one embodiment, the fluid modifiable material 55 is configured to insulate or seal the passage 58 while unmodified by the fluid in addition to providing an obstruction to the opening of the door 12.
In some embodiments, the fluid modifiable material 55 comprises other materials configured to at least partially dissolve or breakdown upon exposure to water or other fluid action. For example, in one embodiment, the fluid modifiable material 55 comprises a water soluble mass such as compressed salt or sugar. In another example, the fluid modifiable material 55 may comprise a composition of corn starch and a polyvinyl.
In some embodiments, the retainer 41 also comprises a fluid modifiable material 55. In at least one embodiment, the retainer 41 or a fluid modifiable material 55 or a layer thereof is positioned to retain the door 12 in the closed position and is adhered to the door 12 or lower wall 30 by a fluid dissolvable or deactivatable adhesive, e.g., a water soluble adhesive, such that when exposed to flood waters the adhesive breaks down or releases the retainer 41 or fluid modifiable material 55 to allow the door 12 to receive the action of the fluid or other fluid trigger 40 component configured to act upon removal of the obstruction, for example a bias configured to open the door 12 in the first or second direction 20, 21 or a retractor configured to retract the retainer, fluid modifiable material 55, or portion thereof upon action of the fluid to modify the fluid modifiable material 55.
In various embodiments, the door 12 may be configured to incorporate one or more components of the fluid trigger 40. For example,
The retainer lip 63 may extend from the lower wall 30 within the compartment 66 and be configured to be received within a groove 67 defined in the fluid modifiable material 55. The cover 61, cover lip 62, or retainer lip 63 may be configured to stabilize the position of the fluid modifiable material 55 or the door 12 to provide an additional measure of security by limiting the movement of the door 12 in the second direction 21 when the fluid modifiable material 55 has not been modified by the fluid, e.g., after being exposed to fluid flow 60 through the passage 58. Thus, in such an embodiment, the door 12 may be configured to open in the first direction 16 and the second direction 18 after the fluid action has modified the fluid modifiable material 55.
The fluid trigger 40 of
The retainer 41 of
As introduced above, in various embodiments, the door 12 may comprise a seal positioned between the lower face 32 of the door 12 and the lower wall 30 when the door 12 is in the closed position. The seal may include a rubber, polymeric, or compressible material configured to provide a seal between the first and second sides 16, 18.
This disclosure describes various elements, features, aspects, and advantages of various embodiments of the stopping systems, apparatuses, and methods thereof. It is to be understood that certain descriptions of the various embodiments have been simplified to illustrate only those elements, features and aspects that are relevant to a more clear understanding of the disclosed embodiments, while eliminating, for purposes of brevity or clarity, other elements, features and aspects. Any references to “various embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment” generally means that a particular element, feature and/or aspect described in the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The phrases “in various embodiments,” “in certain embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment” may not refer to the same embodiment.” Furthermore, the phrases “in one such embodiment” or “in certain such embodiments,” while generally referring to and elaborating upon a preceding embodiment, is not intended to suggest that the elements, features, and aspects of the embodiment introduced by the phrase are limited to the preceding embodiment; rather, the phrase is provided to assist the reader in understanding the various elements, features, and aspects disclosed herein and it is to be understood that those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that such elements, features, and aspects presented in the introduced embodiment may be applied in combination with other various combinations and sub-combinations of the elements, features, and aspects presented in the disclosed embodiments. It is to be appreciated that persons having ordinary skill in the art, upon considering the descriptions herein, will recognize that various combinations or sub-combinations of the various embodiments and other elements, features, and aspects may be desirable in particular implementations or applications. However, because such other elements, features, and aspects may be readily ascertained by persons having ordinary skill in the art upon considering the description herein, and are not necessary for a complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments, a description of such elements, features, and aspects may not be provided. As such, it is to be understood that the description set forth herein is merely exemplary and illustrative of the disclosed embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined solely by the claims.
The grammatical articles “one”, “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, are intended to include “at least one” or “one or more”, unless otherwise indicated. Thus, the articles are used in this specification to refer to one or more than one (i.e., to “at least one”) of the grammatical objects of the article. By way of example, “a component” means one or more components, and thus, possibly, more than one component is contemplated and may be employed or used in an implementation of the described embodiments. Further, the use of a singular noun includes the plural, and the use of a plural noun includes the singular, unless the context of the usage requires otherwise.
It will be further appreciated that for conciseness and clarity, spatial or relative terms such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “upper,” “lower,” “lateral,” “longitudinal,” and others may be used herein with respect to the illustrated embodiments. However, vents 10 may be used in many orientations and positions, as such, these terms are not intended to be limiting and absolute. All numerical quantities stated herein are approximate unless stated otherwise, meaning that the term “about” may be inferred when not expressly stated. Additionally, in some illustrative embodiments, dimensions including a parameter, measurement, diversion, or range may be given. It is to be understood that any such parameter, measurement, diversion, or range is provided as an illustrative example or instance of an embodiment and is not intended to limit that or other embodiments. For example, unless otherwise specified, illustrations of dimensions and how such parameters or measurements of such dimensions relate to other parameters, e.g., with respect to movement, support, engagements, interfacing dimensions are provided to aid the reader's understanding of the features and may not be illustrated to scale nor universally applicable to every embodiment.
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