BACKGROUND
1. Field
The disclosed concept relates generally to a vent and, more particularly, to a vent for use on a building.
2. Background Information
Many buildings require ventilation for areas such as attics and crawl spaces. Vents installed in the side of buildings provide the required ventilation. Because the vents are installed in such a manner that they are visible, it is desirable to have a vent that is aesthetically pleasing. It is also desirable to have a vent that is durable and easy to install.
Wood vents have been used in wood buildings. The matching materials can be aesthetically pleasing. However, wood vents are susceptible to rotting. Additionally, wood vents are difficult to install and often must be custom manufactured to fit into the side of the building.
There is a need for improvement in vents for use on a building.
SUMMARY
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed concept, a vent includes: a flange forming an outer periphery of the vent and having a substantially rectangular shape; an extruded portion extending outwardly from an inner portion of the flange; and a louvered section disposed in an area inside the extruded portion, the louvered section including a plurality of louvers each having an angled section disposed at an angle with respect to the flange, wherein the flange, the extruded portion, and the louvered section are formed as a single unitary piece.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A further understanding of the disclosed and claimed concept can be gained from the following Description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a vent installed on a building in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concept;
FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of a vent accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concept;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the vent of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a rear view of the vent of FIG. 2;
FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views of the vent of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a top view of the vent of FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the vent of FIG. 2;
FIG. 9 is a rear isometric view of the vent of FIG. 2;
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate various nail holes that can be employed in conjunction with various embodiments of the vent;
FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a vent cover in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concept;
FIG. 14 illustrates the vent cover of FIGS. 12 and 13 installed on a vent; and
FIGS. 15 and 15A are views of a textured surface of a vent in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concept;
Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification.
DESCRIPTION
As used herein, the word “unitary” means a component is created as a single piece or unit. That is, a component that includes pieces that are created separately and then coupled together as a unit is not a “unitary” component or body.
Referring to FIGS. 1-9, various views of a vent 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concept are shown. The vent 10 includes a flange 12 which forms its outer periphery and has a substantially rectangular shape. An extruded portion 14 extends outwardly from an inner portion of the flange 12. The area inside the extruded portion 14 includes a louvered section 20 having a number of louvers 22.
Referring to FIG. 1 a vent 10 installed on the side of a building 1 is shown. In particular, the vent 10 is structured to fit between joists 2 of the building 1. In many types of buildings, joists 2 are spaced a standard distance apart. Thus, a single vent 10 design would be properly sized to fit between the joists 2 in a number of different buildings. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the flange 12 of the vent 10 is behind the siding 3 of the building 1 when the vent 10 is installed on the building 1, thus providing an aesthetically pleasing installation. The vent 10 may be installed on the building 1 so as to provide ventilation for a crawl space located in the building 1. However, it is contemplated that the vent 10 may be installed on other locations on the building 1 without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept. The vent 10 itself will be described in more detail hereinafter.
As described above, the louvered section 20 of the vent 10 includes a number of louvers 22. The louvers 22 each include front and rear vertical sections 32, 34, as well as an angled section 36 that connects the front and rear vertical sections 32, 34, as shown, for example, in FIG. 3. The angled sections 36 are disposed at an angle with respect to the flange 12 and vertical sections 32, 34. Each louver 22 extends across approximately the width of the louvered section 20. The number of louvers 22 are stacked along the height of the louvered section 20. In addition to the louvers 22, the louvered section 20 also includes a central support section 24. The central support section 24 is disposed substantially toward the center of the louvered section 20, as is best shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 9. The central support section 24 includes support members that are disposed between and coupled with adjacent louvers 22. The louvered section 20 further includes end support sections 26 disposed at the ends of the louvers 22. The end support sections 26 provide further structural support for the louvers 22.
The top surface of the louvered section 20 (i.e., the surface that is facing generally upward when the vent 10 is installed on a building) slopes slightly downward away from the flange 12 (e.g., without limitation, at about a 10 degree slope). This downward slope allows water to run off the vent 10 away from the building it is installed on. Also, this allows the vent 10 to be installed on the building without additional flashing. Furthermore, the bottom louver 22 is directly connected to the bottom edge of the louvered section 20. This prevent water from flowing back through the vent 10 and into a building.
In some embodiments of the disclosed concept, the vent 10 is formed as a single unitary piece. That is, the flange 12, the extruded portion 14, and the louvered section 20 are formed as a single unitary piece, and thus, fasteners, adhesive, or other attachment mechanisms are not necessary to attach the flange 12, the extruded portion 14, and the louvered section 20 to each other. Forming the vent 10 as a single unitary piece increases the durability of the vent 10 as well as simplifies the manufacturing process of the vent 10 compared with vents that are formed as multiple pieces and require assembly. The vent 10 may be formed with any suitable material such as, for example and without limitation, a plastic material. The vent 10 may also be formed using any suitable process such as, for example and without limitation, an injection molding process. Using an injection molding process to form the vent 10 is particularly suitable when the vent 10 is made of a plastic material.
Nail hole patterns 40 are disposed in corner areas of the flange 12. The nail hole patterns 40 are pre-formed in the flange 12. As shown, for example, in FIG. 2, the nail hole patterns 40 have a star pattern. The star pattern includes a central circular portion and multiple of triangular portions connected to and extending from the central circular portion. The star pattern of the nail hole patterns 40 allows the nail to move within the pattern of the nail hole pattern 40 without transferring significant stress to the main body of the flange 12. It is beneficial to allow the nail to move slightly without transferring significant stress to the flange 12 because the vent 10, as well as the substrate it is installed on (e.g., the joists 2) will naturally expand and/or contract due to factors such as changes in temperature. Moreover, the vent 10 and the substrate it is mounted on will likely have different thermal expansion coefficients and will expand and/or contract at different rates. If the stress due to expansion and/or contraction were directly applied to the flange 12, it could cause the flange 12 to deform and/or crack. Thus, it is beneficial to allow the nail to move within the pattern of the nail hole pattern 40 without applying significant stress to the flange 12. Additionally, it is beneficial that the nail hole patterns 40 are formed in the flange 12 so inserting a nail does not risk cracking the flange 12. In contrast, in prior vents constructed of wood nails are driven directly into the wood which risks cracking the wood.
While the nail hole patterns 40 shown in FIG. 2 have a star pattern, it is contemplated that other nail hole patterns 41,42,43 having different patterns, some examples of which are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, may also be employed in the vent 10. Nail hole pattern 41 is a wheel pattern including a central circular portion and multiple curved sections disposed apart from and extending away from the central circular portion. Nail hole pattern 42 is a depressed ex pattern including a depressed section depressed below the surface of flange 12 and including an ex shaped pattern formed in the depressed section. Nail hole pattern 43 is a sun pattern including a central circular portion and multiple triangular portions disposed apart from and extending away from central circular portion. Nail hole patterns 41,42,43, similar to nail hole pattern 40, are capable of reducing the amount of stress applied to the flange 12.
In some embodiments of the disclosed concept, a mesh filter 28, such as the one partially shown in FIG. 4, is attached to a rear side of the vent 10, The mesh filter 28 is attached to the rear side of the vent 10 and covers the rear of the louvered section 20. The mesh filter 28 has a plurality of openings formed in it which allow air to pass through the vent 10, but prevent larger objects from passing through the vent 10. The mesh filter 28 may be made of any suitable material such as, for example and without limitation, any suitable metallic or plastic material.
In some embodiments of the disclosed concept, a removable cover 50, such as the one shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, can be attached to a front side of the vent 10, as shown in FIG. 14. The cover 50 is configured to fit over the louvered section 20 of the vent 10. Attaching the cover 50 to the vent 10 prevents air from flowing through the vent 10, and may be used, for example, during times in which it is desirable to prevent air from flowing through the vent 10,
In some embodiments of the disclosed concept, the surface of the vent 10 is textured. For example, FIG. 15A is a close-up view of a textured surface of the vent 10. In some embodiments of the disclosed concept, the texture of the surface of the vent 10 is selected to match the texture of the building 1 that the vent 10 is installed on, For example and without limitation, the texture of the surface of the vent 10 may have a wood grain texture such as one that is structured to match the texture of HardiePlank® siding. Matching the texture of the vent 10 with the texture of the building creates an aesthetically pleasing effect when the vent 10 is installed on the building. Additionally, the color of the vent 10 may be selected to match the color of the building.
The vent 10 is particularly suitable for use as a crawl space vent or a foundation vent. It is also contemplated that the vent 10 is suitable for use as an attic vent. It is further contemplated that the vent 10 is suitable for or may be adapted for use for any purpose on a building without departing from the scope of the disclosed concept.
Building codes generally require a minimum net free area (NFA) of ventilation based on the area a room such as a crawl space or attic. It will be appreciated that compared to prior vent of comparable peripheral size, the vent 10 provides a substantially greater NFA of ventilation. Thus, the required minimum NFA of ventilation for an area can be met using fewer of vent 110 compared to using prior vents. Furthermore, vent 10 can provide improved ventilation if it is desired. In some example embodiments, vent 10 provides 64 square feet of NFA, whereas a prior vent of similar peripheral size only provides 30 square feet of NFA.
Although the foregoing discussion has presented specific embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments to achieve similar functionality and utility to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. Moreover, it should be appreciated that features from a particular embodiment may be implemented in another embodiment disclosed herein to achieve a desired functionality. Accordingly, the specific embodiments described herein should be understood as examples and not limiting the scope of the disclosure.
Patent Application
20140342653
