GB2299663A

GB2299663A - Ventilator

Info

Publication number: GB2299663A
Application number: GB9504105A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter James Harrison; Tracy Dain Fletcher
Original assignee: Hardware and Systems Patents Ltd
Current assignee: Hardware and Systems Patents Ltd
Priority date: 1995-03-01
Filing date: 1995-03-01
Publication date: 1996-10-09
Also published as: GB9504105D0; EP0730126A2; EP0730126A3

Description

2299663 VENTILATOR This invention relates to ventilators for installation

between a frame of a door or window and the marginal edge of glazing located in the frame. Such a ventilator will hereinafter be referred to as a glazed-in ventilator.

According to one aspect of the invention a glazed-in ventilator comprises an elongate housing adapted for mounting between a frame of a door or window and the marginal edge of glazing located in the frame, an elongate flap mounted for pivotal movement to control air flow through the housing, and means operable with a snap-action for holding the flap closed.

Preferably, the holding means comprises a formation arranged for snapaction engagement with a free edge of the flap remote from the pivot axis. For example, the formation may comprise a raised rib.

Advantageously, the formation is provided by a spring member adapted for holding the flap in any selected one of a range of open positions. For example the spring member may comprise a resilient leg arranged for frictional engagement with the free edge of the flap.

Preferably, the housing comprises a first section adapted for mounting along an opening in the frame and a second section adapted for locating the marginal edge of the glazing with the holding means provided by one of the sections for co-operating with the flap mounted on the other section.

The first section may provide an external weatherhood for an air inlet provided by a wall portion of the second section. The air inlet may be arranged to act as an integral flyscreen. For example, the inlet may consist of a series of narrow slots or an array of holes in the second section.

In a preferred construction, the flap is pivotally mounted by complementary hinge formations extending along the respective lengths of the housing and the flap.

Advantageously, the housing is closed at each end by a respective cap member adapted to provide an extension of the parts of the housing for mounting the ventilator along the frame andlor for locating the marginal edge of the glazing.

According to another aspect of the invention a glazed-in ventilator for mounting between a frame of a door or window and the marginal edge of glazing located in the frame comprises an elongate housing with a first section for mounting to the frame and a second section for locating the marginal edge of the glazing, the first and second sections being connected together by complementary formations extending along the respective lengths thereof, and means for controlling the airflow through the housing.

Preferably, the airflow control means comprises a flap mounted for pivotal movement by one of the sections and engageable with the other section in a closed position.

The invention in each of its aspects will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a ventilator according to the present invention; FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main component parts of the ventilator shown in Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a vertical section of the ventilator shown in Figure 1 as mounted in the rebate of a frame; FIGURE 4 is shows a detail, to an enlarged scale, of the flap in the closed position; and FIGURE 5 is a view in the direction of arrow A in Figure 3 showing the location of the flap spring.

Referring to the drawings, the ventilator comprises an elongate housing 1 for mounting horizontally along a rebate 2 of a door or window frame 3 and a flap 4 extending lengthwise of the housing 1 for pivotal movement between a closed position shown in full lines in Figure 3 and an open position shown in broken lines in Figure 3 for controlling air flow through the housing 1.

The housing 1 comprises an elongate first element 5 with a vertical hollow flange 6 of box-section for location in the rebate 2 and an elongate second element 7 with a downwardly open channel-section recess 8 for reception of the marginal edge of glazing 9 mounted in the frame 3. The elements 5,7 are cut to size from extrusions of aluminium according to the required length of ventilator. Extrusions of other metals or plastics may be used for one or both elements 5,7.

The element 5 has a front wall 10 extending from the lower portion of the flange 6 to form a hood on the exterior weatherside of the frame 3. The upper portion of the front wall 10 extends downwardly and away from the flange 6 and has a part-circular groove 11 on the rear face. The lower.

portion of the front wall 10 extends vertically and has two spaced parallel part-circular grooves 12,13 on the rear face.

The element 7 has a main wall 14 with two spaced parallel partcircular beads 15,16 along the outer edge complementary to the grooves 12,13 of the element 5 for assembly of the elements 5,7 by inserting and sliding the beads 15,16 lengthwise of the grooves 12,13 respectively so that the elements 5,7 are connected and held together in fixed relationship along the respective lengths.

The housing 1 has a horizontal air inlet 17 and a vertical air outlet 18. The air inlet 17 is provided in a centre portion of the main wall 14 of the element 7. The air outlet 18 is provided between the lower portion of the flange 6 of the element 5 and the inner edge of the element 7.

In this embodiment, the air inlet 17 comprises a series of narrow slots 18 of chevron shape which act as an integral flyscreen. It will be appreciated that the slots 18 may be replaced by openings of any other shape for the same purpose, for example an array of holes.

The flap 4 has main wall 20 with upper and lower flanges 21 and 22 respectively extending to one side and an upper flange 23 extending to the other side.

The flange 21 terminates in a bead 24 and the flange 22 terminates in a curved edge 25. The flange 23 provides a handle for operating the flap 4.

The flap 4 is cut to size from an extrusion of aluminium according to the required length of ventilator. Extrusions of other metals or plastics may be used for the flap 4.

The element 5 has a part-circular groove 26 below the flange 6 complementary to the bead 24 for assembly of the flap 4 and the element 5 by inserting and sliding the bead 24 lengthwise of the groove 26 so that the flap 4 and the element 5 are connected and held together along the respective lengths for pivotal movement of the flap 4 to open and close the air outlet 18. As shown in Figure 3, the flange 21 co-operates with the mouth of the groove 26 to locate the flap 4 in each of the open and closed positions.

A flap spring 27 is mounted on the main wall 14 of the element 7 at one end of the air inlet 17 and has a resilient leg 28 that extends away from the air outlet 18.

is The leg 28 co-operates resiliently with the flange 22 to provide frictionally restrained pivotal movement of the flap 4 to hold the flap 4 in the open position and any intermediate position between the open and closed positions to control the air flow through the housing 1.

The flap 4 is held in the closed position by snap action engagement of the curved edge 25 of the flange 22 with a raised rib 29 at the root of the leg 28.

To reduce draughts in the closed position, the flange 22 is also engageable with a lip seal 30 mounted in a groove 31 in the main wall 14 of the element 7 to seal along the free edge of the flap 4 remote from the hinge axis. In this embodiment, the flap spring 27 is a plastics moulding but other materials having the required resilience may be used. Depending on the overall length of the ventilator, one or more flap springs 27 may be provided spaced apart along the length of the housing 1. The housing 1 is closed at opposite ends by a respective cap member 32 with each cap member being similar but of opposite hand. Each cap member 32 has a pair of cylindrical lugs 33 engageable within the partcircular grooves 11,26 respectively and a lateral flange 34 which provides an 20 extension of the flange 6 and is provided with a pair of rectangular lugs 35 engageable within the flange 6. Each cap member 32 further has a pair of dependent feet 36 for locating the ends of the channel-section recess 8 and a face flange 37 that overlies the end of the flap 4 to provide a neat finish. 25 As will now be appreciated, the elements 5,7 and flap 4 can be cut to any desired length from extrusions of the appropriate section for sizing the ventilator to length of the rebate 2 in the frame 3. Furthermore, the ventilator can be adapted for different thicknesses of glazing by using different extrusions for the element 7 to provide the 30 required width of glazing recess 8 for assembly with proportionately extended extrusions for the element 5.

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Claims

Claims: 1. A glazed-in ventilator for mounting between a frame of a door

or window and the marginal edge of glazing located in the frame comprises an elongate housing with a first section for mounting to the frame and a second section for locating the marginal edge of the glazing, the first and second sections being connected together by complementary locating formations extending along the respective lengths thereof, and means for controlling airflow through the housing.
2. A ventilator according to Claim 1 wherein the airflow control means comprises a flap mounted on one of the sections for pivotal movement between open and closed positions.
3. A ventilator according to Claim 2 wherein the flap is pivotally mounted on said one section by complementary hinge formations extending along the respective lengths of the flap and said one section.
4. A ventilator according to Claim 3 wherein the complementary hinge formations comprise a part circular bead received in a part circular groove for assembly by sliding the bead lengthwise of the groove.
5. A ventilator according to any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the other section is provided with means operable with a snap-action for holding the flap in the closed position.
6. A ventilator according to Claim 5 wherein th; holding means is arranged for snap-action engagement with a free edge of the flap remote from the pivot axis.
7. A ventilator according to Claim 6 wherein a flap spring is provided for holding the flap in any selected one of a range of open positions.
8. A ventilator according to Claim 7 wherein the flap spring comprises a cantilever spring leg arranged for frictional engagement with the free edge of the flap.
9. A ventilator according to Claim 8 wherein the holding means comprises a raised rib or similar formation at the root of the leg.
10. A ventilator according to any one of Claims 6 to 9 wherein the other section is provided with a seal engageable with the free edge of the flap in the closed position.
11. A ventilator according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the first section provides an external weatherhood for an air inlet provided by a wall portion of the second section.

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12. A ventilator according to Claim 11 wherein the air inlet is adapted to form an integral flyscreen.
13. A ventilator according to Claim 12 wherein the air inlet comprises a series of narrow slots or an array of holes in the second section.
14. A ventilator according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the complementary locating formations are arranged for assembly by sliding one section lengthwise of the other section.
15. A ventilator according to Claim 14 wherein the sections are located against relative angular movement by engagement of the complementary locating formations.
16. A ventilator according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the first section has a longitudinal flange for location in a rebate of the frame and the second section has a longitudinal channel for reception of the marginal edge of glazing.
17. A ventilator according to Claim 16 wherein the housing includes a respective closure cap at each end.
18. A ventilator according to Claim 17 wherein each closure cap has a lateral flange for locating in the rebate of the frame at the end of the housing.
19. A glazed-in ventilator assembly for mounting. between a frame of a door or window and the marginal edge of glazing located in an opening in the frame comprising an elongate first element having a longitudinal flange for locating on the frame, an elongate second element having a longitudinal channel for receiving one edge of the glazing, the first and second elements having longitudinal co-operating locating formations engageable by sliding the first element relative to the second element or vice versa to connect the elements, an elongate third element mounted on one of the first and second elements for pivotal movement to control airflow through the assembly, the third element and said one element having longitudinal co-operating hinge formations engageable by sliding the third element relative to said one element or vice versa to connect the elements, a pair of end caps for the ends of the ventilator assembly, each end cap having a lateral flange for locating on the frame, and a spring element for co-operating with a free edge of the third element remote from the pivot axis for holding the third element in any selected one of a range of open positions and arranged for snap action engagement with the free edge of the third element to hold the third element in a closed position.
20. A glazed-in ventilator for mounting between a frame of a door or window and the marginal edge of glazing located in the frame substantially 5 as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.