Foundation vent

Abstract

A foundation vent having a main body defining a first area and a number of openings to permit air to pass through the body. A moveable grill portion is mounted to said body and can be moved to selectively open and close the openings to the passage of air. A skirt is bendably attached to at least one edge of said main body by a living hinge to define a second area. The foundation vent may be fit to an opening of any size between the sum of said first and second areas and the first area, by bending the skirt to form an angled ramp.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Canadian Application No. 2511411, filed Jul. 5, 2005, titled “Foundation Vent”, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to building products and in particular to ventilation devices which are used in buildings to provide for the circulation of air between an exterior and an interior or closed in portion of the building. Most particularly this invention relates to vents that are used to permit ventilation and air circulation through foundation block walls and which are referred to as foundation vents.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Foundations are used to form a solid base upon which to build buildings. Usually such foundations consist of footings, typically made from concrete, upon which concrete block walls are built. In northern climates, the foundations must extend below the frost line, to prevent movement of the foundation due to frost heaving. Thus, many building codes require the footings be located six to eight feet or more below grade.

The concrete block walls are typically built up on the footings to extend up to about ground level. Then, the rest of the building is built on top of the block wall. In northern climates the full area inside of the foundation is excavated, leaving a full basement under the building. In more temperate climates the footings do not have to be as deep into the ground, leaving either a small crawl space with a low block wall or even no crawl space at all, with the footings being formed on grade and maybe only one or two rows of blocks.

For such block wall construction there is typically a requirement for ventilation of the closed in area under the building. Such ventilation is preferably accomplished, while at the same time preventing insects or pests from gaining access under the building. The devices used are foundation vents. These vents are sized to fit into the block wall and are typically grouted in place with masonry cement or the like.

An example of a prior art design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,785 which issued on Oct. 16, 2001 to Headrick Building Products, Inc. This patent is directed to a foundation vent which includes a top sill with overhanging lateral edges as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The foundation vent includes a sliding grating which can be used to open or close the ventilation openings. A screen is attached behind the grating on an interior face, and is spaced apart from the grating by raised ridges and bumps. This prior patent teaches that by spacing the screen apart from direct contact with the back face of the grating, an improved (i.e. larger) net free ventilation area is provided.

One of the problems in the art though is that the block size used to make the block wall can vary from place to place. For example, blocks come in both Imperial and Metric sizes with Imperial being favored in some jurisdictions (i.e. US) and Metric being favored in others (i.e. Cdn). There are three main block sizes used in North America at present. Additionally there are various ways in the art for installing such vents, including face or flush mounted and recess mounted. In different regions one or another of these mounting techniques can be more popular. At present no single vent can meet all of the ranges of installation conditions typically found. Thus, unsuitable vents are hand cut or otherwise roughly adapted in the field by tradesmen, with unsightly and often unsatisfactory results. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,785 patent does not address this issue

Typically the vent will be formed with some form of sliding louvers to permit the amount of ventilation to be controlled, and indeed such louvers are shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,785 patent. One very common installation technique is to recess mount the vent back from the edge of the block wall. To prevent the ingress of water a small ramp is built at the lower edge of the vent with grout or masonry cement. What happens though is the grout used to secure the vent in place and build the ramp often is dripped or splashed into the sliding louver mechanism. When the grout hardens it prevents the louvers from sliding thus preventing the vent from being opened or closed as required. If the vent is frozen in a fully closed position the whole purpose of installing the vent in the first place is frustrated.

What is desired is a simple cost efficient vent that can be used and installed in various sized block walls and which includes an adjustable louver which is sheltered from being frozen in place by misplaced grout.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a single vent structure which is easily and effectively adaptable to the range of block sizes and installation styles. In another aspect the vent is designed to prevent the grout from interfering with the free movement of the louvers, while still being easily secured in position with grout. As well, this invention relates to foundation vent, with grill, formed from molded plastic that can be inexpensively mass produced and used to reliably provide foundation ventilation.

Therefore, according to the present invention, this is provided a foundation vent comprising:

a main body defining a first area;

a plurality of openings in said body to permit air to pass through the body;

a moveable grill portion mounted to said body to selectively open and close the openings to the passage of air; and

a skirt bendably attached to at least one edge of said main body to define a second area,

wherein said foundation vent may be fit to an opening of any size between the sum of said first and second areas and the first area.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of installing a vent comprising comparing the vent to a vent opening in a block wall, determining if the vent fits into the opening without modification; and if not, modifying the vent by bending a bendable skirt to adjust the size of the vent to suit the vent opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference, by way of example only, to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded rear isometric view of the invention of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the invention of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the invention of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the invention of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the invention of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7a is a view of a first installation of the invention of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7b is a view of a second installation of the invention of FIG. 1 and

FIG. 7c is a view of a third installation of the invention of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A vent 10 according to the present invention is disclosed in FIG. 1. The vent 10 includes a top sill 12 and a rectangular body portion 14. The top sill 12 extends at portions 16 beyond the lateral edges 18 of the rectangular body 14, so the overhanging portion 16 may sit upon adjacent concrete blocks 20, 22 (see FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c). In this way the vent 10 can be hung in place while the remainder of the wall is built around and above the vent 10. The top sill 12 is preferably provided with a rear offset 24, at each overhanging portion 16. This is to permit the overhanging portion 16 of the sill 12 to be rearwardly displaced from the plane of the front of the vent 10. It will be appreciated that this is to permit the overhanging portions 16 to be completely covered and thus both hidden and protected by the grout or mortar used between the blocks in forming the block wall even when the front edge of the vent is lined up with the front edge of the blocks upon which it rests.

The rectangular body 14 is provided with a separate movable grill section 28 which permits the passage of air there through. This grill section 28 is shown in exploded view in FIG. 2. Most preferably the grill section 28 made from molded plastic and is designed to provide for a large net free area for the air flow. Most preferably the grill section is comprised of spaced apart upright sections 30 which extend from top to bottom and a plurality of molded slats 31, which are closely spaced and which define narrow gaps 32 to permit air to pass through while preventing insects, pests and the like from passing through. By displacing the upright sections 30 rearwarding from the front plane of the sliding section 28, the gaps 32 extend back from the plane of the rectangular portion 14. In this way, they can be sized to any desired total area by displacing the section 30 further or closer to the main body 14. As well, rain which hits the front of the device does not strike directly on the grill portion, making it less likely that rain will penetrate the grill. Sliding section 28 also includes blocking sections 35 located between the upright sections 30. Blocking sections 35 are sized and shaped to extend across the vertical openings 37 formed in the rectangular main body 14. While the most preferred form of the invention is to have the grill slats 31 molded, to reduce manufacturing costs, the air flow or ventilation can also be provided by means of an after applied screen as in the prior art.

According to the present invention the grill section 28 is housed in the main body or generally rectangular section 40 having a lower edge 42 and side edges 44 in addition to the top sill 12. Each of these edges is formed from a generally flat element which extends from front to back to define a thickness for the rectangular body 42. In this way the rectangular body 42 defines a first rectangular area as described in more detail below. A plurality of slats 46 which most preferably lie in the same plane, define the vertical openings 37 in the rectangular area 42, and the grill section 28 may be slid sideways to open or close the gaps. A tab 50 (FIG. 1) is provided for this purpose, which projects through the main body 14.

A shown in FIG. 2 a number of bumps or detents 52 are formed on the bottom edge 42, behind the front wall each of which ends short of the plane of the slats 46. Although not shown, a similar series of detents is present under the top edge. The bumps 52 include end walls 51 facing the front of the grill, which define a narrow trough or groove 53 between the flat faces of the bumps 52 and the plane of the slates 46. This groove 53 is sized and shaped to permit the grill section 28 to be snap or press fit into place and to slid sideways behind the slats 46. The grill section is sized to be slightly smaller in width than the rectangular section and can freely move sideways the width of one slat 46. In this way the vent can be opened and closed, by selectively positioning either the rearwardly spaced apart upright sections 30 or the blocking portions 35 across the vertical openings 37. The tab 50 projects through a slot past the front, where it can be manipulated back and forth to open and close the vent. A slot 51 (FIG. 1) is formed in the slat 46 abutting the tab 51 so the vent may be fully closed.

As shown in FIG. 1, extending from the front of the lower edge 42 of the rectangular body 14 there is provided a downwardly extending skirt member 60, which includes a living hinge 62 along the edge connecting the skirt member 60 to the lower edge 42 of the rectangular body 14. The skirt member 60 also has free side edges 64 and 66 and a bottom edge 68, and so can pivot about the living hinge 62 in a forward or backward direction. The skirt member 60 defines a second rectangular area to the present invention when viewed from in front. Most preferably the skirt member 60 is also provided with a contoured or angled lowermost edge 70 to facilitate a good bond with grout. Thus, the lower face may be angled, to permit the lower edge to lie flush with a horizontal surface when the skirt 60 is extended forwardly from the body 14 at an angle. Alternatively, the lower face may include a notch 72 to act as a key way around which grout may be inserted and then hardened. According to the present invention the skirt 60 and the living hinge 62 make the vent adaptable to various sizes of vent openings which arise due to the different block sizes as explained in more detail below.

It will also be understood that as first molded the living hinge 62 is not operational due to a small web of plastic 74 on either side 64, 66 which prevents the skirt 60 from being hinged forward. This web of material most preferably is formed on at least one and preferably both sides of the skirt 60 and is sized and shaped to be broken by someone who forces the skirt 60 forward. Web 74 is shown broken in FIG. 1 and intact in FIG. 2 and is thus a frangible portion. The total force required is not large, but the small web of material 74 on either side is enough to cause the skirt to remain straight, unless the skirt 60 is forced forward. Once the webs of plastic 74 are broken the skirt is retained on the body by the living hinge. A nick or other weakness may be used to facilitate controlled breaking at 74.

FIG. 3 shows the vent 10 from above, with the offset portion 24 of overhanging portions 16. FIG. 4 is a view from below showing the skirt 60 and the offset portions 24. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the forward position. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the skirt, upright sections 46, openings 37 and portions 30.

Typically in foundation wall construction the opening into which the vent is to be placed is defined by the face area of the blocks being used to build the block wall. Thus, to make the vent opening the mason simply leaves out a block at a suitable location in the row of the blocks used to make the wall, thereby defining the vent opening. Of the three common types of blocks, one type of block has a largest face area, another has a smallest face area and others have a face area somewhat in between the largest and smallest. At present the size difference relates not the length of the blocks, but rather only to the height and thickness of the blocks. Therefore, no matter which block is used foundation vent openings formed by leaving off a single block, will have a standard width of opening. Even if the width changes as the blocks may be positioned with larger or smaller mortar joints there is some flexibility for the mason to size a vent opening to a predetermined width. What varies then from block wall to block wall, or installation to installation to cause the changes in face area referred to above, is the height of the blocks selected to make the block wall, and the thickness of the block wall.

FIG. 7a shows on type of installation of the present invention. A block wall 90 which is made from the largest sized blocks 22, 23 defines a relatively large vent opening 92. According to the present invention the vent is preferably sized to fit snugly within this larger opening, with the depending skirt 60 covering the lower part of the opening 92. In other words, the depending skirt 60 acts as an extension of the rectangular body 14 of the vent to provide for and cover the extra height of the larger opening as compared to a smaller block wall opening, for example. Thus, all that is required to install the vent 10 is to hang it in place on blocks 22, 23, covering the opening in the block wall, then apply the appropriate masonry and continue building the block wall. In this case the side webs 74 would remain intact. The vent simply becomes a built-in component. If it is a flush mounted installation then the rear offset 24 in the overhang of the top sill 12 allows the portions 16 to be covered in grout and hidden from view. Further, the sliding grill is mounted above the grout by the height of the skirt 60, greatly reducing the likelihood of stray grout being a problem. In other words, the sliding grill 28 is raised above the lower face of the block, where the grout is applied. Thus, even where the mason does create a small sloped portion to encourage drainage out to the front of the block wall, such a ramp is not likely to be able to interfere with the smooth operation of the sliding grill portion 28.

In FIG. 7b a slightly smaller sized block is shown, for example, an Imperial sized block. These are another common block size, slightly smaller than the largest block, but larger than smallest blocks. Further, the most common vent installation technique for blocks of this size is a recessed mounting. However, the present invention is sized and shaped to easily permit such a mounting. As previously noted the skirt 60 is sized to just fit within the largest opening, that of a larger block. Therefore, the skirt is too long to fit within the opening in this block wall, without modification. According to the present invention, when recess mounted (i.e. mounted at some point between the exterior wall face and the interior wall face such as mid block) the skirt 60 can be forced to pivot forwardly (in this case towards the exterior wall face) about the living hinge to break the webs 74 and to form an outwardly angled lower sill as shown in the drawing 7b. This is also shown in dotted outline in FIG. 5 at 100. The skirt, when bent at an angle, forms a rain deflector which directs the rain or other moisture outwardly away from the sill and the lower edge of the block. It can now be understood that the notch at the lower free edge of the skirt 60 facilitates a secure attachment against a flat surface even when the skirt is bent forwardly at an angle by being grouted into place.

The provision of a skirt which is bent downwardly and outwardly reduces the need to form a water shedding ramp from mortar or the like during the installation of the ramp. If the mason so desires, such a ramp can still be formed, but it will be made while the skirt is lifted up. In the raised position the skirt acts a shield to protect the sliding mechanism from splashes of grout or the like which, in the prior art designs occur with a regular frequency. Then once the grout is roughly positioned, the skirt can be lowered and pressed into the grout, which when hardened, forms a solid base under the skirt. The living hinge permits the skirt to be integral with the body of the vent which in turn prevents the water from being able to easily get past the lower edge of the vent and into the building interior.

FIG. 7c shows an installation of the present invention in the smallest sized or metric sized block. These are the smallest in overall face area and so define a vent opening which is also the smallest in height. Often, with metric sized block vent openings, flush mounting of the vent to an exterior face of the block wall is preferred. To permit this, according to the present invention, the rectangular body section 14 is sized and shaped to correspond to the typical face area of a typical metric block. Thus, the rectangular section 14 of the present invention will fit snugly within the metric block wall opening (defined by leaving out a metric block) with the lower edge of the rectangular portion on the block coinciding with the lower edge of the opening, and the skirt 60 hanging down in front. To install the vent, all that is required is to place the vent at the forward edge of the block wall opening with the skirt 60 extending down in front of the block wall below the opening. As previously noted, the overhang portion 16 of the top sill 12 can be flush with the block edge by means of offset portion 24. This is illustrated in FIG. 7c.

As described above, the present invention provides small reinforcing webs of plastic 74 located on either end of the living hinge 62. These reinforcing sections are sized and shaped to provide rigidity to the skirt 60, but small enough to be easily broken by an installer. Thus, if the living hinge is not used, the skirt 60 remains stiff. Once bent though, it becomes flexible and can be easily positioned at any preferred angle. The small plastic web formations thus simply add some initial stiffness.

As can now be understood the vent is governed by some key dimensional constraints. Firstly, the overall length of the vent from the top sill to the lower skirt edge must be in accordance with the typical block height for the largest blocks. Secondly, the rectangular grill section is sized and shaped to fit within the opening of the smallest block size. Third, the living hinge must be positioned at a position which is partly above the bottom level of the opening in an imperial block, so the skirt can be bent forward to form a lower sill as shown for intermediate sized blocks.

Thus, the present invention provides a single vent structure which may be used equally on the largest and smallest blocks used in foundation block walls, and is indeed adjustable to being used for any block height between the largest height and a smallest height simply by being bent along living hinge 62 to a larger or smaller degree.

According to another aspect of the invention the use of skirts and living hinges is not limited to the lower edge of the vent and as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art such skirts can also be provided on other parts of the vent, such as the sides to facilitate the use of the vent in block walls of different length blocks which therefore define vent openings of different lengths.

While reference has been made to various preferred embodiments of the invention other variations are comprehended by the broad scope of the appended claims. Some of these have been discussed in detail in this specification and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such variations and alterations are comprehended by this specification are intended to be covered, without limitation.

Claims

1. A foundation vent for a blockwall, the vent comprising:

a main body defining a first area;

a plurality of vent openings in said body to permit air to pass through the body;

a moveable grill portion mounted to said body to selectively open and close the vent openings to the passage of air; and

a skirt bendably attached to at least one edge of said main body to define a second area,

wherein said foundation vent may be fit to a range of appropriately sized block openings in said block wall by selectively bending said skirt to fit said vent to said block opening.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the first and second areas are rectangular.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the skirt is bendably attached to a lower edge of the main body.

4. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 1 further including a living hinge between the skirt and the rectangular body.

5. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 1 further including a frangible portion to retain said skirt in an unbent position.

6. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first rectangular area is sized and shaped to match a first block size, so said rectangular body fits into said first block opening formed in a block wall formed from said first blocks.

7. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 6 wherein said skirt is sized and shaped to extend partially down a front face of a first block positioned below the first block opening.

8. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein said foundation vent may be secured in place in a block wall with mortar, and said skirt is sized and shaped to inhibit said mortar from interfering with said moveable grill portion.

9. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first and second rectangular areas together are sized and shaped to match a second block size so said rectangular body and said skirt fit into a second block opening in a second block wall formed by omitting one of said second blocks.

10. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 9 wherein said skirt bends to permit said vent to fit into a third block opening in a block wall wherein said third block opening is sized between said first and second block opening sizes.

11. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 1 further including a top sill, said top sill extending laterally on either side of said rectangular body to permit said rectangular body to be supported by blocks positioned adjacent to either side of said rectangular body.

12. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 11 wherein said top sill further includes lateral extensions which extend beyond a side edge of said rectangular body and which are offset from a front edge of said rectangular body.

13. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein said moveable grill includes blocking sections sized and shaped to block said plurality of vent openings in said body, when said movable grill is moved to a closed position.

14. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 13 wherein said moveable grill section includes a handle to move said grill in said main body between said closed position and an open position.

15. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 14 wherein said moveable grill includes a molded in grill extending rearwardly from said blocking sections, said grill sections ending in generally planar upright sections.

16. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 15 wherein said moveable grill section is press fit into said main body portion.

17. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein said skirt includes a lower edge, and said lower edge is shaped to engage monitor to retain said skirt in a bent position.

18. A foundation vent as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first rectangular area is defined by side walls which extend rearwardly from a front face to define said rectangular main body.

19. A method of installing a prefabricated vent in a foundation block wall comprising: comparing the prefabricated vent to a vent opening in a block wall, determining if the vent fits into the opening without modification; and if it does, installing the vent, and if not, modifying the vent by bending a bendable skirt to adjust the size of the vent to suit the vent opening and then installing the modified vent.