Sound attenuating air vent
An device that allows air flow while attenuating sound for the purposes of allowing air to flow between rooms in a structure such as a house or building. The device consists of an air passageway that attenuates sound and covers at each end of the passageway. The covers allow air flow while providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Multiple embodiments support pre and post construction scenarios as well access to the interior of the device for cleaning purposes.
Disclosure Document #608522, Quiet Vent
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCHNot Applicable
SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAMNot Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to air vents; specifically, air vents that allow air flow while attenuating sound.
2. Background of the Invention
A very common form of an air conditioning system for enclosed structures (i.e. houses/buildings) relies on the circulation of air. Air is pulled from the interior of the structure and passed through a heating/cooling air handler and then is returned to the interior of the structure. The air intake/return is usually a centrally located large vent attached to a large duct that feeds air to the air handler. The air handler forces air out smaller exhaust ducts that terminate in each room of the structure. In some cases, the rooms have multiple exhaust vents. The problem with this approach is that when doors are closed, the airflow is restricted. Specifically, the air exiting exhaust vents in a room must return to the large centrally located intake vent. If doors are closed, the return path is usually restricted to the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor. This restricted airflow results in greater air pressure in the rooms, more load on the air-conditioning system, and more leakage of air through the windows and air ducts due to the higher pressure.
The restricted air flow problem is further exacerbated for the case when one door leads to multiple rooms. For example, a master suite could consist of a bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closets, each of which could have one or more exhaust vents. If there is not an air return vent in the master bedroom, then all of the return air must pass through the entry doorway to the master suite and then back to the main return vent. If this entry door is closed, it is unreasonable to expect that the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor would be sufficient to pass the necessary air.
A possible solution to the restricted air flow problem would be to have both exhaust and return vents in each room. However, return vents in each room would be much more expensive than one centrally located return vent. This is because there would have to be many small return ducts instead of the one large centrally located return vent. Furthermore, the additional return ducts would not be feasible for limited space conditions, such as when the ducts must be located in the space between floors.
Another approach to solving the restricted air flow problem would be to place vents in the walls separating rooms. The vents would allow air to flow between rooms. The problem with this approach is that the currently available vents allow sound to easily travel between rooms. Sound easily traveling between rooms is unacceptable in many cases because it defeats the privacy reason for closing the doors between rooms.
3. Objects and Advantages
This invention remedies the previously mentioned problems by providing a vent that allows air flow while attenuating sound.
This sound attenuating vent has the following advantages:
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- a) Provides air flow between rooms while attenuating sound. The air flow is provided even when doors are closed. The attenuated sound ensures privacy.
- b) Provides a low cost way of ensuring unrestricted air flow within a structure. The cost is much lower than running return ducts from each room back to the air handler.
- c) Increases the efficiency of air conditioning systems by ensuring the free flow air.
- d) Reduces the load on air conditioning fans by allowing free flow of air between rooms.
- e) Reduces the leakage of air through windows and ducts by reducing back pressures caused by restricted air flows.
- f) Provides more consistent across room temperatures by allowing the free flow of air.
In accordance with the present invention, a vent that allows the flow of air while attenuating sound.
10 vent embodiment that would be installed during construction and that has horizontal vents
20 removable cover, horizontal version
30 louvers
35 air chamber
40 mounting holes
50 cover attachment mechanism
55 pliable material
60 sound attenuating material
65 vent aperture
70 vent embodiment that would be installed during construction and that has vertical vents
75 baffle
80 removable cover, vertical version
90 vent embodiment that would be installed during construction and that would require two pieces per installation.
100 vent embodiment with removable cover that would be installed post construction
110 vent cover, post construction version
120 attachment screw
130 front vent frame
140 back vent frame
150 attachment mechanism
160 vent embodiment with fixed cover with closable louvers and that would be installed post construction
170 front frame with integrated cover
180 back frame with integrated cover
190 mechanism for opening/closing louvers
200 vent embodiment with hinged door that would be installed post construction
210 hinge
220 door
230 front frame for hinged door
240 back frame for hinged door
250 latching mechanism
260 vent embodiment with tubular air passageway
270 air passage tubes
280 wall covering material
290 wall stud
DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1-4—PREFERRED EMBODIMENTA preferred embodiment of the vent of the present invention is illustrated in
An alternate embodiment of the vent of the present invention is illustrated in
An alternate embodiment of the vent of the present invention is illustrated in
An alternate embodiment of the vent of the present invention is illustrated in
An alternate embodiment of the vent of the present invention is illustrated in
An alternate embodiment of the vent of the present invention is illustrated in
An alternate embodiment of the vent of the present invention is illustrated in
Operation—
The operation of the vent entails installing the vent and the subsequent cleaning of the vent interior.
The various embodiments of the vents would require cleaning. This is necessary because as the air flows past the sound attenuating material 60 dust would collect. All of the embodiments provided access to the vent interior, which would accommodate cleaning. For the embodiments depicted in
Advantages
Based on the description above, the advantages of the sound attenuating vent follow:
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- a) This invention provides an inexpensive method of allowing air to easily circulate through all rooms of a house or building while attenuating sound; and therefore, maintaining the intended privacy of rooms. This approach is much cheaper that having a return vent in each room. In general, a return event in each room is both cost and space prohibitive. Usually, there is not sufficient space in crawl spaces, between floors or in attics to accommodate the additional duct work.
- b) This invention increases the efficiency of air conditioning systems by allowing the free flow of air.
- c) This invention reduces the load and ultimately increases the service life of air conditioning components by allowing the free flow of air.
- d) This invention decreases the backpressure which is normally caused by a closed door limiting air flow to the air conditioning return vent. The reduced back pressure results in less air leakage through windows. Also, the reduced back pressure decreases the leakage of air from the air-conditioning ducts.
- e) This invention provides a solution for both pre-construction and post-construction installations.
- f) This invention provides an easy way to clean the interiors of the sound attenuating vents.
This invention provides a device that allows the free flow of air between rooms in a house or building while maintaining privacy between rooms and not requiring additional ductwork. This invention is applicable to pre and post construction applications and for both cases is a very cost effective solution.
Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the vent covers and internal air passage ways could be a variety of shapes such as but not limited to square, rectangular, triangular, round, and oval. Also, there are unlimited variations on the air passageway configurations and sound attenuating approaches. For example, additionally, the air passage could be a convoluted tube of various shapes or multiple smaller convoluted tubes of various shapes. For this approach, additional sound attenuating material may not be necessary. Another case where sound attenuating material may not be necessary would be if the passageway structure was made of sound absorbing material such as Styrofoam or one of many other materials that absorb sound. There are numerous mechanisms for closing the airflow path through vents. Some examples include louvers, sliding panels, and rotating panels. Any available mechanism for closing the airflow path through a vent would be applicable.
Claims
1) A ventilation device that facilitates the flow of air between rooms within a house or building comprising wherein the said device allows air flow while attenuating sound.
- a. an enclosure sized to fit in interior walls typical of houses and buildings
- b. the said enclosure having a chamber and a first side, the said first side defining a first aperture and the said enclosure defining a second aperture, the said first aperture and said second aperture positioned so that air enters said first aperture, normal or approximately normal relative to the said first side, through said first aperture and is redirected parallel or near parallel relative to said first side to exit said second aperture.
- c. sound attenuating material placed in such a manner as to contact air flowing through said device
2) the device of claim 1 with a cover over said aperture that allows air flow
3) the device of claim 2 where said cover is removable
4) the device of claim 2 where said cover has an access door
5) the device of claim 1 where said chamber has baffles
6) the device of claim 1 where said chamber consists of a plurality of smaller chambers
7) the device of claim 1 having at least one louver that rotates to open or close air entry way to said aperture
8) the device of claim 1 having a sliding panel that opens or closes air entry way to said aperture
9) the device of claim 1 having a pliable material placed around said aperture forming a seal between said aperture and said interior wall.
10) the device of claim 1 where the side defining the said second aperture is opposite to said first side wherein the air enters the said first aperture on one side of said interior wall and exits the said second aperture on the opposite side of said interior wall
11) the device of claim 1 where the side defining the said second aperture is orthogonal or approximately orthogonal to said first side wherein an application of this configuration would include two said devices where air would flow through one said device, through the interior of said interior wall, and through the other said device exiting on the opposite side of said interior wall.
12) a ventilation device that facilitates the flow of air between rooms within a house or building comprising
- a. an enclosure sized to fit in interior walls typical of houses and buildings
- b. the said enclosure having a chamber and a first side, the said first side defining a first aperture and the said enclosure defining a second aperture, the said first aperture and said second aperture positioned so that air enters said first aperture, normal or approximately normal relative to the said first side, through said first aperture and is redirected parallel or near parallel relative to said first side to exit said second aperture.
- c. the said chamber constructed of sound attenuating material
- wherein the said device allows air flow while attenuating sound.
13) the device of claim 12 with a cover over said aperture that allows air flow
14) the device of claim 13 where said cover is removable
15) the device of claim 13 where said cover has an access door
16) the device of claim 12 where said chamber has baffles
17) the device of claim 12 where said chamber consists of a plurality of smaller chambers
18) the device of claim 12 having at least one louver that rotates to open or close air entry way to said aperture
19) the device of claim 12 having a sliding panel that opens or closes air entry way to said aperture
20) the device of claim 12 having a pliable material placed around said aperture forming a seal between said aperture and said interior wall.
21) the device of claim 12 where the side defining the said second aperture is opposite to said first side wherein the air enters the said first aperture on one side of said interior wall and exits the said second aperture on the opposite side of said interior wall
22) the device of claim 12 where the side defining the said second aperture is orthogonal or approximately orthogonal to said first side wherein an application of this configuration would include two said devices where air would flow through one said device, through the interior of said interior wall, and through the other said device exiting on the opposite side of said interior wall.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 26, 2007
Publication Date: May 28, 2009
Inventor: Robert Lee Owens (Franklin, TN)
Application Number: 11/986,641
International Classification: F24F 7/04 (20060101); E04F 17/04 (20060101);