Ventilation – Having outlet airway – Having readliy movable air regulating louver – damper – or cover
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-03-20
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3744)
Ventilation
Having outlet airway
Having readliy movable air regulating louver, damper, or cover
C454S259000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203423
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to ventilators used in building ventilation systems, and more specifically to an improved damper flap and duct connector assembly for use with such a ventilator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to control the temperature and air quality, in commercial and other buildings, building ventilation systems are utilized. These ventilation systems include a number of exhaust ventilators spaced throughout the building to withdraw air from the rooms in the building. Removal of the air from a room allows a separate heating and/or air conditioning system in the building to supply air to the room to effectively control the temperature.
The ventilators connected to the ventilation system are normally located directly above the ceiling of the room so that the ventilator can withdraw air from the room by means of a fan or blower mounted in the ventilator. After the air is drawn into the ventilator by the fan, the air is then discharged from the ventilator through an outlet opening in the ventilator housing. The outlet opening is connected to a ventilation duct by a duct connector at the outlet opening disposed in the ventilator housing. The ventilation duct leads from the ventilator to the exterior the building, allowing the air removed by the ventilator to be vented to the outside atmosphere.
As the duct connects the ventilator with the outside atmosphere, it is desirable to prevent air from the outside atmosphere from flowing through the ducts into the ventilator and back into the room from which the air was removed.
To this end, a damper flap is placed in duct or duct connector that opens to allow air flowing from the ventilator freely into the duct, but closes to block the passage of air flowing in the reverse direction from the outside atmosphere to the ventilator. A common damper flap construction comprises a flat plate that is hinged to the duct connector along one edge and covers the opening in the duct connector when in the closed position. To form the hinge, the damper flap is fastened along one edge to a rod that is mounted in spaced holes in the duct connector. Or, sleeves may be formed along an edge of the plate. Each sleeve receives one end of a pin inserted through the duct connector. The pins can be secured to the flap or duct connector to mount the flap in the connector.
However, damper flap and duct connector units of the above types are time consuming and expensive to fabricate and assemble, thereby increasing the cost of this component of the ventilator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved damper flap and duct connector assembly for ventilators and the like that can be fabricated and assembled in a simple and facile manner, thereby to lend economy to the assembly.
Specifically, the damper flap used in the assembly of the present invention is formed such that the flap may be pivotably attached to a duct connector without any pins or other securing means being necessary to hold the flap in pivotable connection with the duct connector. The flap is thus of “one piece” construction. Furthermore, the duct connector used in the assembly can also be formed of a single piece of material, negating the need for a welded or other connection between separate portions of the connector.
Another object of this present invention is to provide such an improved damper flap assembly of the present invention that reliably prevents outside air from flowing inwardly through a ventilation system duct and into a room within a climate controlled building.
The improved damper flap and duct connector assembly comprises a duct connector attached over an outlet opening of a ventilator and a damper flap pivotably mounted to the duct connector.
The duct connector is formed of a single piece of a rigid material, such as metal, that includes a flat, circular panel attachable to the ventilator at a ventilator outlet opening. The panel includes an air flow opening that is aligned with the ventilator outlet opening to allow air flowing out of the ventilator to pass freely through the connector. The panel also includes a pair of spaced, opposed brackets located above the opening in the panel. The brackets each include a hole for pivotably securing the damper flap therein. A generally circular ring is integrally formed with the panel and extends perpendicularly from the edge of the panel. The ring provides a connection for the ventilation duct used to direct the air flow from the ventilator to the exterior of the building.
The damper flap, pivotably connected to the duct connector, comprises a generally flat plate formed of a resilient material, such as metal, that is capable of flexing. At one edge of the plate, a pair of arms extend outwardly from the plate. The arms may be formed by rolling spaced, outwardly extending edge portions of the flap toward the plate to form the arms as mounting tubular members integral with the rectangular plate.
To assemble the damper flap and duct connector, the damper flap is flexed to a curved form along a center line of the plate normal to the direction of extension of the arms. The plate is pivotably secured to the duct connector by placing each of the arms into an opening in the spaced brackets on the panel of the duct connector. With the damper flap flexed, the length between opposite ends of the arms is less than the spacing between the brackets, so this may be easily accomplished. The plate is then released to the flat form so that the length between the ends of the arms expands. This retains the arms in the holes in the brackets and then damper flap over the duct connector.
When the ventilator is operated, the arms on the damper flap pivot in the holes in the brackets so that the damper flap swings to the open position to allow air to be discharged from the ventilator. When the ventilator is not operated, the damper flap lies across the opening in the duct connector to prevent backdrafts.
REFERENCES:
patent: 625443 (1899-05-01), Glover
patent: 4114238 (1978-09-01), Powell
Craw Gary J.
Karst Daniel L.
Boles Derek S.
Broan Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Joyce Harold
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
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