RIM JOIST VENT
A vent including: 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.
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This patent application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/824,612 filed on May 17, 2013, and entitled, “RIM JOIST VENT,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND1. 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.
SUMMARYIn 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.
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:
Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification.
DESCRIPTIONAs 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
Referring to
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
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
While the nail hole patterns 40 shown in
In some embodiments of the disclosed concept, a mesh filter 28, such as the one partially shown in
In some embodiments of the disclosed concept, a removable cover 50, such as the one shown in
In some embodiments of the disclosed concept, the surface of the vent 10 is textured. For example,
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.
Claims
1. A vent comprising:
- 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.
2. The vent of claim 1, wherein the flange, the extruded portion, and the louvered section are formed from plastic material.
3. The vent of claim 1, wherein a least a portion of a surface of the vent is textured.
4. The vent of claim 3, wherein the textured portion of the surface of the vent includes a wood grain texture.
5. The vent of claim 1, wherein each louver includes a front vertical section and a rear vertical section; and wherein the angled section connects the front vertical section and the rear vertical section.
6. The vent of claim 1, wherein the louvered section includes a central support section; and wherein the central support section is disposed substantially toward the center of louvered section and includes support members disposed between and coupled with adjacent louvers.
7. The vent of claim 1, wherein the louvered section includes end support sections disposed at ends of the louvers.
8. The vent of claim 1, further comprising:
- a mesh filter attached to a rear side of the vent.
9. The vent of claim 8, wherein the mesh filter covers the rear side of the louvered section.
10. The vent of claim 8, wherein the mesh filter is made of a plastic or metallic material.
11. The vent of claim 1, wherein the flange includes a plurality of nail hole patterns pre-formed therein.
12. The vent of claim 11, wherein the nail hole patterns are pre-formed in substantially corner areas of the flange.
13. The vent of claim 11, wherein the nail hole patterns include at least one star pattern including a central circular portion and a plurality of triangular sections connected to and extending away from the central circular portion.
14. The vent of claim 11, wherein the nail hole patterns include at least one wheel pattern including a central circular portion and a plurality of curved sections disposed apart from and extending away from the central circular portion.
15. The vent of claim 11, wherein the nail hole patterns include at least one sun pattern including a central circular portion and a plurality of triangular sections disposed apart from and extending away from the central circular portion.
16. The vent of claim 11, wherein the nail hole patterns include a depressed ex pattern including depressed section depressed below the surface of the flange and including an ex shaped pattern formed therein.
17. The vent of claim 1, further comprising:
- a removable cover structured to fit over the louvered section to prevent air from passing through the louvered section.
18. The vent of claim 1, wherein the vent is adapted for use as a crawl space vent.
Type: Application
Filed: May 16, 2014
Publication Date: Nov 20, 2014
Applicant: NOLL/NORWESCO LLC (PORTLAND, OR)
Inventors: RICHARD WILLIAM FIELDHOUSE (GRESHAM, OR), SCOTT E. WINTER (GIG HARBOR, WA)
Application Number: 14/279,593
International Classification: F24F 13/08 (20060101); E04B 1/70 (20060101);