BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This present disclosure relates to roof vents for mobile living quarters, such as a trailer, motor home, mobile home, or recreational vehicle (RV). Roof vents are typically made up of a translucent plastic cover that is mounted to a base through a hinge and a mechanism. The base is permanently affixed to the RV and sealed to the roof. The mechanism moves the cover about the hinge between an open and closed position. In the open position, air can pass through to provide fresh air to the interior of the living quarters, and in the closed position, air cannot pass through. Because the roof vent is mounted to the roof, the cover is constantly exposed to the elements, including the sun, which degrades the material over time. This leads to cracks or breakage, which can cause the roof vent to leak. Other times, weather, storm damage, or falling items break the cover. Replacing the cover becomes inevitable if the user owns the RV long enough. Replacing the entire vent assembly is impractical, expensive, and can create new places for water to leak. Replacing just the cover is the preferred method. Some inventions attempt to make this inevitable replacement task simple, but involve needing easy access from both sides, with multiple trips up and down from the roof of the RV to complete the replacement. They also require the removal of fasteners that are overhead, with the high potential for lost fasteners when one falls during disassembly and bounces out of sight. An improved vent cover with easy replacement is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure describes a user-replaceable vent cover that can be replaced without disassembly of the mechanism or needing to travel from the roof to the inside of the mobile living quarters. The vent cover is replaceable with only access to the roof side of the vent. The vent has a base that is affixed to the roof of the mobile living quarters and the cover moves between an opened and closed position through a mechanism. In the closed position, the cover is sealed to the base and in biased contact with a resilient seal. In the opened position, the cover is away from the base and air can pass through the vent. Replacing the cover is as simple as getting onto the roof of the mobile living quarters, removing two fasteners, pivoting the cover away from the base and sliding the cover off of the base-mounted hinge. The replacement can be performed without disturbing the mechanism, removing interior parts, or unscrewing overhead fasteners.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vent in the open position;
FIG. 2 is a side section view 2-2 of the vent in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side section view 2-2 of the vent in FIG. 1 in the closed position;
FIG. 4 is a side section view 2-2 of the vent in FIG. 1 during the process of replacing the cover;
FIG. 5 is a partial section view 5-5 of the vent in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial view 6 of the hinge area in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A vent 10 is shown in FIGS. 1-6 and is designed to be mounted to the roof of mobile living quarters (not shown). The vent 10 has a base 20 that is affixed and sealed to the roof, a replaceable cover 22, and a mechanism 24 that moves the cover 22 between an opened and closed position about a hinge 26 having a hinge axis 28.
The base 20 is shown as formed from stamped and formed sheet metal, but other materials are contemplated. The base 20 has a flat mounting flange 30 with holes 32. The mounting flange 30 surrounds an upstanding wall 34. At the top of the upstanding wall 34 is a top edge 36 that holds a resilient seal 38. The upstanding wall 34 surrounds an opening 40 where air can pass through when the cover 22 is open. The upstanding wall 34 and flange 30 are formed to be one component to reduce the possibility of leaks. Affixed to opposite sides of the upstanding wall 34 is a fixed bar 42, which extends across and interrupts the opening 40. The mechanism 24 is affixed to the fixed bar 42 and has an actuating arm 44 and a handle 46. Turning the handle 46 moves the actuating arm 44 between a closed position, shown in FIG. 3, and an open position, shown in FIG. 2. The actuating arm 44 is coupled to a moving bar 50, in particular a pin 48 on the end of the actuating arm 44 slides in a channel 52 in the moving bar 50. The channel 52 has a larger end 54 which allows the pin 48 to be coupled to the channel 52 during the manufacturing process, but the pin does not reach the larger end 54 during normal use and therefore stays captured to the channel 52.
The moving bar 50 has overhanging portions 60, 70 on each end. The forward overhanging portion 60 is closest to the hinge 26 and includes a flat portion 62, and offset portion 64, and an alignment tab 66. The flat portion 62 makes direct contact with the resilient seal 38 in the closed position. The flat portion 62 extends to the offset portion 64, which terminates at the alignment tab 66. The alignment tab 66 extends outwardly and mates with an alignment slot 84 in the cover 22 when the cover is installed. This is shown in FIGS. 2-3. As can be seen in the same FIGS., the alignment tab 66 is offset from the hinge 26, and more importantly, the hinge axis 28. The rearward overhanging portion 70 has a flat portion 72, an offset portion 74, and threaded holes 76. As with the flat portion 62, the flat portion 72 makes direct contact with the seal 38 in the closed position. The threaded holes 76 receive fasteners 78 to retain the cover 22. The moving bar 50 has a catch 56 that mates with a spring clip 58 in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 5, the spring clip 58 is affixed to the fixed bar 42 and is located distant from the hinge 26. As the moving bar 50 approaches the closed position, the catch 56 is centered between the legs of the clip 58 and begins to displace them outwardly. As the catch 56 passes through the narrowest area of the legs of the clip 58, the spring pressure from the legs then urges the catch 56 further towards the fixed bar 42. In the closed position, the spring clip 58 applies biased pressure to the catch 56 to urge the moving bar towards the 50 the fixed bar 42.
The cover 22, commonly formed from a translucent or material that allows some light to pass through, has a moving hinge half 80 affixed thereto. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the alignment slot 84 extends through the moving hinge half 80 to provide strength and support. The moving hinge half 80 mates with a fixed hinge half 82 that is affixed to the base 20 to form the hinge 26. Each hinge half 80, 82 has a C-shaped portion that interlock to form the hinge 26. In the closed position, the hinge halves 80, 82 are tightly mated, as shown in FIG. 3. In the opened position, the hinge halves 80, 82 remain mated, but not as tightly mated as the closed position. This is shown in FIG. 2. The cover 22 has a dome portion 90 which is surrounded by a flat sealing portion 92. The sealing portion 92 mates with the resilient seal 38 in the closed position. Surrounding the sealing portion 92 is a skirt 94. The moving hinge half 80 is permanently affixed to the skirt 94. The skirt 94 provides a drip edge for precipitation, and also shields the mating area of the resilient seal 38 and sealing portion 92. The skirt 94 is important while the vehicle is in motion, as any rain would be driven by the wind directly into the mating area where any minute gap could create a leak into the interior living space. The skirt 94 hangs down and shields the mating area. The skirt 94 also has holes 96 to receive fasteners 78 that thread into the threaded holes 76 to secure the moving bar 50. This is shown in FIG. 2. The hinge halves 80, 82 are shown as C-shaped that are more tightly mated in the closed position, but other hinges are contemplated, provided one hinge half can be decoupled from the other hinge half once the moving bar 50 is not attached to the cover 22.
A screen 100 is commonly affixed to the base 20, shown in FIG. 4. In the opened position, the screen 100 blocks debris, insects, and other unwanted things from entering the living space. The screen 100 has a frame 102 and a mesh 104. A hole 106 allows the handle 46 to pass through for moving the mechanism 24.
Normally, the vent 10 is in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 3, with the cover 22 in biased contact with the resilient seal 38 and catch 56 secured by the spring clip 58. To open, the user turns the handle 46, which begins to rotate the actuating arm 44. This drives the moving bar 50 upwardly, causing the catch 56 to disengage from the spring clip 58. As the user continues to turn the handle 46, the cover 22 pivots about the hinge 26 and the pin 48 slides in the channel 52. Returning the vent 10 to the closed position is the reverse of opening, where the handle 46 is rotated in the opposite direction, and the cover 22 moves closer to the base 20. Near the closed position, the catch 56 engages the spring clip 58 and is then drawn closed by the spring clip 58 and actuating arm 44.
The cover 22 can be replaced without moving the mechanism 24. Removing or loosening of the mechanism 24 is also not required. To replace the cover 22, the user removes the fasteners 78 and pivots the cover 22 away from the base 20 to a position where the alignment tab 66 is no longer located in the alignment slot 84. This is shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. At that point, the cover 22 is only connected to the base 20 at the hinge 26. The cover 22 is then slid along the axis 28 of the hinge 26 until the two components are separated. The user does not need to move the mechanism from the closed position to remove the cover 22. The new replacement cover looks identical to the cover 22 as shown in the FIGS. To install the new cover 22, the user slides the hinge half 80 to mate with the hinge half 82 and continues sliding until the alignment slot 84 is aligned with the alignment tab 66. The user then pivots the cover 22 towards the closed position and aligns the holes 96 to the threaded holes 76. At that time, the alignment tab 66 should protrude through the alignment slot 84, as shown in FIG. 3. The mating of the alignment tab and slot prevent movement between the moving bar 50 and cover 22 when the mechanism moves the cover 22 between the opened and closed position. Because the cover 22 is secured to the moving bar 50 only through the alignment tab 66 and fasteners 78, removal only requires the removal of the fasteners 78 to disengage the cover 22 from the base 20.
It is understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects. No specific limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. Modifications may be made to the disclosed subject matter as set forth in the following claims.
Patent Grant
11529855
