GB2113825A - Ventilators - Google Patents

Abstract

A ventilator for fitment to a window between a glazing panel and the frame of the glazing panel comprises an inner section 1, an outer section 2, and an intermediate section 32 of a substantially non-heat conductive material, which section 32 connects together the sections 1, 2 via a screen 40 and forms at least part of a glazing channel for the window. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ventilators This invention relates to ventilators, more particularly but not exclusively for use in rooms with sealed windows and/or double glazing when it is desirable to provide for ventilation without having to open the window. This type of ventilation is now often referred to as "secondary ventilation" and has in recent years been achieved by the insertion into a slot cut formed in the surrounds of windows and the like of slot ventilators as for instance described and claimed in the present Applicant's U.K. patent no.

1417751 to which further reference will be made below. While slot ventilators of this type in their basic form have proved satisfactory in general application and installation in the surrounds of doors, windows and the like or even in the walls themselves of rooms, their application to window frames can present some difficulties, either to a window manufacturer or to someone wishing to fit such a ventilator to an existing window, by virtue simply or their depth and thickness and their requirement for support by the frame material around substantially the whole of their periphery.

For example from a window manufacturer's point of view, when this type of slot ventilator is fitted to the head rail of a frame or sash it requires a wider section frame or sash than would otherwise be used with a consequentially greater material cost e.g. of timber. Moreover the provision of a slot to accommodate such a slot ventilator itself is essentially a factory job which means that manufacturers have to make and window retailers and suppliers have to stock window frames with and without the necessary slot to cover all sales needs.

In recognition of these disadvantages alternate forms of ventilator have been developed to be fitted in a gap between glass, normally at the top of the window, and the window frame itself. These ventilators may be used in respect of wooden, metal or plastics/resin windows and have the advantage that they may be fitted to most windows without special preparation and may even be fitted to an existing window following removal of an appropriate area of glass.

Ventilators of this type are usually constructed by assembly of a number of extruded sections cut to span the width of the window, the sections being required to fit together rigidly and to support a valve or shutter arrangement to enable an air passageway through and between the sections to be opened and closed, usually manually. However windows are made of quite widely differing thicknesses (e.g. single and double glazed panels).

Generally such ventilators will only fit a glazing panel of given width, or thereabouts. If a range of ventilators is to be provided to fit a range of window widths this will normally involve substantial redesign, retooling etc. to provide appropriately modified extruded sections, thus increasing manufacturing and stock holding costs.

A further problem still arises when, as is usually the case, the extrusions forming at least the inner and outer sections of ventilators of this type are of metal such as aluminium, in that energy conservation considerations, particularly for double glazing units, make it desirable for the ventilator to be thermally broken i.e, to have no heat path between the highly heat conductive metal inner and outer sections. Thermal breaks have been introduced into such known ventilators in a variety of ways. Examples can be seen in U.S.

Patent 4186656 (Weber/Wassau) where polyurethane resin is poured into aluminium extrusion cavities, allowed to set or cure, with appropriate sides of the cavities then being milled away or in European Patent publication 21164 (FSB Franz Schneider) where a complex plastics extrusion is used to space apart the metal extrusions forming the inner and outer sections.

Both ventilators as disclosed in their respective patent specifications are intended for use in relation to glazing panels of substantially a given thickness. For windown thickness variation greater than can satisfactorily be taken up by simple application of layers of gasketting or the like, new extrusions with major shape and dimension changes, either metal or plastics or both, are needed with consequent substantial increases in tooling, general manufacturing and stock holding costs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ventilator comprising an assembly of extruded sections which avoids or at least mitigates some or all of the disadvantages of known ventilators, including those discussed above. More particularly but not exclusively it is an object to enable production of a range of such ventilators, thermally broken or not, for use in relation to a plurality of glazing panel thicknesses using intermediate or spacer sections of simple construction to which can be produced in varying sizes at low cost such that each ventilator in the range uses one or more substantially standard section, preferably those more complex in the design, and a selected one or more of a plurality of differing spacer sections to accommodate the various thickness of glazing panel thereby to reduce tooling general manufacturing and stock holding costs.It is a further object still to provide such a ventilator with an extruded section capable of forming a thermal break and at the same time performing structural and operational functions. It is also an object to produce a ventilator acceptable in performance and to consumers particularly with regard to cost.

It will be appreciated that in the foregoing and indeed in the following descriptions that the sections of the ventilator are, unless the text makes it clear to the contrary, elongate and of a length substantially to span the window to which the ventilator is to be fitted.

According to the present invention a ventilator for a window or other glazed panel comprises inner and outer sections (as herein defined) of heat conductive material structurally connected together by a first intermediate section of substantially non-heat conductive material which intermediate section forms at least part of a glazing channel and locates the glass or other glazing material of the said window or panel therein.

The term "section" is used herein in the sense of components which when assembled form, optionally with further components, a completed ventilator. Unless the text provides to the contrary these sections are elongate formed for example by extrusion of suitable materials, one or more said sections being optionally machined or otherwise treated to provide for example airways, shutter or masking piece connections and end closure sections of the ventilator as a whole.

The said inner section is preferably that which will in the majority of instances be located within the living space of the room or other areas in which the ventilator is to be used and in its most preferred form has mounted on or in it valve or shutter means to open or close the ventilator.

These means preferably comprise an elongate slotted backing member and elongate facing strip mounted by spaced parallel motion links on the backing member such that lengthwise movement of the facing strip also produces movement thereof towards or away from and parallel to the backing member between a fully closed position obstructing the slot or slots in the backing member and a fully open position. This arrangement may be as described in the present Applicant's U.K. patent no. 1417751 or in the present Applicant's Norwegian patent no.

141351.

The said outer section preferably comprises a hood or cowl constructed and arranged substantially to prevent driving rain or the like from entering the ventilator from the exterior. The outer section is preferably free of direct connection to the said shutter or valve means.

The inner and outer sections are preferably provided with elongate flanges defining on the ventilator an elongate tongue of external dimensions substantially equivalent either to the internal dimensions of the glazing channel or, more preferably, to the thickness of the glazing panel to be received in the said channel.

Furthermore the tongue so formed is preferably parailel and/or coplanar with the glazing channel.

In a most preferred form the tongue may be substantially the thickness of the glazing panel, the channel being about e.g. 6 mm thicker, the difference being taken up by gasketting e.g.

wedge gaskets, so that the tongue may be affixed to the window frame in a manner equivalent to that by which the window or glazing panel itself would be affixed to the window frame were the ventilator not interposed. The said flanges forming part of the inner and outer sections and thereby forming the tongue are themselves preferably connected by a second intermediate section.

The inner and outer sections may be of metal or similar heat conducting material, for example extrusions of aluminium, and the first intermediate section, and the second intermediate section if present, may be of plastic or similar material of low heat conducting capacity. When both first and second intermediate sections are present and are of such material the ventilator may be thermally broken despite the heat conducting capacity of the inner and outer sections themselves.

In the most preferred form of the invention where both first and second intermediate sections are present, they are preferably accurately matched one with anotherto provide the abovementioned equivalence of thickness and coplanarity of tongue and glazing panel. In order to accommodate different glazing thicknesses the first and second intermediate sections may be manufactured and in a plurality of sizes so that selection of appropriate intermediate sections permits ventilators to be constructed from substantially standard inner and outer sections to fit a variety of glazing thicknesses. Thus a kit of parts can be provided from which a ventilator according to the invention can be constructed.

The first intermediate section may be substantially U-shaped in cross-section or may be substantially L-shaped in section in which latter case the remainder of the channel may be provided by the said inner section.

In a particularly preferred form the first intermediate section is substantially L-shaped in section and has affixed thereto a flexible gasketting means disposed to engage the surface of the glazing panel and to seal therewith. The same effect may be achieved by use of dual hardness plastics material, the section body being of form retaining plastics and the gasket being of flexible or softer plastics coformed thereon.

The assembled ventilator is preferably provided with a mesh screen to prevent ingress of insects and other solid matter which screen is preferably located between said outer section and the first intermediate section, the first intermediate section being provided with an elongate attachment channel therefor. In this arrangement the structural connection of the first intermediate section and the outer section is indirect but the arrangement is nonetheless within the scope of the present invention.

It is desirable to incorporate within the ventilator of the present invention a still air cavity and to this end a movable elongated flap may be located within the ventilator which, while the ventilator itself is in the closed position, abuts a part of the ventilator assembly substantially forming a further seal. In the most preferred form of the invention the flap, which may also be regarded as a secondary shutter, is affixed to the second intermediate section such that the flap or at least a substantial part of the area thereof may pivot about the affixed edge. The flap may be formed of plastics material with an area of reduced thickness adjacent its fixing region to provide for the movement thereof or indeed it may be of what is now often referred to as "dual hardness plastic" i.e. it is made essentially in two sections conformed, a softer flexible section adjacent its fixing region and a harder rigid section forming the main body of the flap.

The flap is preferably biassed for example by its own flexibility or plastic memory to a position in which it prevents air flow through the ventilator, the opening of the main ventilator in the inner section thereof preferably causing movement of the flap to an open position to allow air flow there through. When the ventilator incorporates the above defined backing member facing strip and parallel motion links arrangement, at least one of the links may preferably be provided with an extension beyond their pivot point constructed and arranged to permit the flap to resume its closed position when the facing strip is in the closed position and to push open the flap against its bias when the facing strip is in the open position.

In embodiments of the invention where the second intermediate section is not present, a flap or secondary shutter can nonetheless be provided it being attached then either to the inner or to the outer section directly.

In all embodiments where a flap is provided its stop i.e. fully closed position is preferably defined by an internal flange of the inner section of the ventilator.

In view of the construction of the ventilator of the present invention in elongate form it will be appreciated that the sections from which it is assembled which are preferably extrusions may be cut to any required length. End piece sections are however desirably supplied to close off the ends of the ventilator to air and also for aesthetic reasons.

The end pieces should preferably be such as to maintain the thermal break across the full width of the ventilator. Moreover in a preferred form of the ventilator of the present invention the end pieces comprise spaced inner and outer plates for affixation respectively to the inner and outer sections of the ventilator body, the inner and outer plates having a cellular material (e.g. neoprene foam) substantially filling the space therebetween.

The said cellular material most preferably extends slightly (e.g. a millimetre or two) beyond the inner and outer plates to enable a compressive weather seal to be formed with the sections of the ventilator and/or the window frame and glazing panel. Affixation of the end pieces to the ventilator sections by screws or similar means may afford an effective compressive seal.

The assembly of the various sections making up the completed ventilator may be by sliding or snap fit, assisted by a sealing/adhesive material. The glazing channel formed by the first intermediate section or by the first intermediate section and the inner section of the ventilator may further be provided with a rubber or similar lining material to abut or be affixed directly to the glazing panel or window itself. When an 'L' shaped first intermediate section is used a wedge gasket in known form may be used between the glazing panel and the section (inner or outer) providing the other wall of the glazing channel.

According to a further aspect of the invention a kit of parts for assembly to form a ventilator as defined above comprises respectively an inner section an outer section and at least one intermediate section. The intermediate section is preferably selected from a plurality of intermediate sections to provide to the assembled ventilator a glazing channel of desired thickness.

According to a further aspect of the invention a method of construction of a ventilator as defined above comprises selection of one of a plurality of first intermediate sections and connecting an inner and outer section (as herein defined) therewith to form a glazing channel of desired thickness The various aspects of the invention may be embodied in many ways and some specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a partly sectional view of a ventilator embodying the invention, FIGURES 2A and B are sections showing a further ventilator embodying the invention fitted respectively to a PVC or Aluminium window (A) and to Wooden window (B), and FIGURES 3A and B are equivalent sections of a yet further ventilator embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in Figure 1 a ventilator comprising an inner section 1 and an outer section 2 both extruded in aluminium and running substantially the full length of the ventilator. The sections 1 and 2 form what can be considered to be the main body of the ventilator.

The section 1, which is intended in use to be disposed facing the interior of the room of which the window to which the ventilator is fitted forms a part, has a slot cut or otherwise formed on its inner most face, the upper and lower longitudinal edges of which are indicated at 3. The ends of the slot (not shown) terminate slightly short of the ends of the extrusion 1 itself both to provide rigidity and also to define an air passage which can effectively be closed, the closure means being a shutter 4 which itself comprises a facing strip 5 and a flange 6. The facing strip is of a width and length such that it closes entirely the slot in the inner section 1 ,sealing means 8 of rubber or like material being provided on the interior surface of the facing strip 5 to improve the closure of the slot.

The flange 6 is of a length such that it may wholly be received within the slot in the inner section 1 with the slot both open and closed and to the flange 6 are mounted parallel motion linkages one of which is depicted at numeral 1 0. The connection of the linkage 10 to the flange 6 is via a pivot 12 the link 10 being affixed also via pivot 13 to the inner section 1 between the flanges 1 5 and 16 thereof.

Thus it will be appreciated that longitudinal movement of the shutter 4, into the plane of the paper as shown in the drawing, will cause the shutter 4 itself to move on the parallel linkages 10 away from the inner section 1 the position shown in chain lines at 4B whereupon air may pass around the edges of the shutter 4 and through the slot in the inner section 1 into the interior of the ventilator.

In this feature of the ventilator of the present invention the construction of the inner section 1, the shutter 4 and the connections there between are substantially as described in the applicant's abovementioned U.K. and Norwegian patent specifications.

The outer section 2 is in the form of an elongate hood or cowl designed to protect the interior of the ventilator from driving rain or the like and is provided at its upper edge with a flange which is in turn provided with two dependent lugs 22 directed towards the interior of the ventilator. The inner section of the ventilator 1 likewise has a flange at its upper edge indicated at numeral 21, the flanges 20 and 21 being substantially parallel in an assembled ventilator according to the invention. The flange 21 again has dependent lugs 23 directed substantially towards the interior of the ventilator, the lugs 22 and 23 essentially facing one another.

An intermediate section 30 is located in the assembled ventilator between the flanges 20 and 21 of the outer and inner sections 2 and 1 respectively and is constructed and arranged to co-operate with the lugs 22 and 23 to lock together the inner and outer sections 1 and 2 and to locate them one in relation to the other. The flanges 20 and 21 and the section 30 thus form an elongate tongue portion of the thickness governed by the shape and size of the section 30 used.

The ventilator is also provided with an intermediate section 32 which is affixed to the inner section 1 of the ventilator at its flange 1 5, the section 32 being provided with a fitment channel 36 to locate one edge of a mesh screen 40 to the other parallel longitudinal edge of which is located in a channel 38 provided on the outer section 2. With the section 32 attached to the flange 1 5 and also attached via the screen 40 to the outer section 2, the inner and outer sections 1 and 2 the intermediate sections 30 and 32 and the screen 40 provide a substantially rigid entity having between the section 32 and inner section 1 a glazing channel. The glazing channel is provided with a lining 50 of rubber or similar material.

The intermediate sections 30 and 32 are shaped and dimensioned such that the tongue has a thickness substantially equivalent to that of the glazing panel with the flanges 20 and 21 substantially coplanar with the surfaces of the glazing panel when located in the glazing channel with appropriate gasketting. The tongue is therefor in effect an extension of the glazing panel located in the glazing channel.

The ventilator is further provided with a secondary shutter or flap 60 which in the drawing is shown in its closed position in which its lower edge abuts the distal edge of the flange 1 5 of the inner section 1. The flap 60 is made from a dual hardness plastic, the upper shaped portion attached to the insert 30 being of a medium rubberlike flexible consistency and shaped in such a way that a pre-load will be created when fitted to bias it towards its illustrated closed position, whilst the larger flat body section of the flap 60 is of a resilientform retaining harder material to maintain its shape.

The link 10 is provided with a lug 11 which with the shutter 4 is closed up against the inner section 1 allows the flap 60 to assume the illustrated position thereby preventing cold air reaching the shutter 4 and thus cooling it. When the shutter 4 is moved longitudinally on its links 10 this will cause the lugs 11 to bear against the flap 60 and lift it to the position shown in chain lines at 60B to allow free passage of air through the ventilator.

The links 10 are preferably made from DELRIN (Trade Mark) or equivalent rigid resilient plastics material whereas the inserts 30 and 32 are preferably made of a plastics material such as Polyvinlychloride having a low thermal conductivity, this low thermal conductivity providing an effective thermal break between the parts of the ventilator exposed respectively to the room and to the external movement.

Application of the ventilator to a window requires a rectangular gap to be left between the glazing panel 52 and the windown frame itself, the ventilator being fitted such that its glazing channel fits over the panel (for example at 52) and is sealed thereto and such that the tongue formed by the flanges 20 and 21 fits into the frame at the position where the glazing panel itself, if not reduced in size, would normally have been affixed.

The fitment of the ventilator of the invention therefore results in a reduction in window area but by a comparatively small amount and an amount which is believed is acceptable to the trade and public.

There is shown generally at 65 an end termination section to the ventilator to provide an effective continuation of the glass in to the vertical glazing rebate of the window frame itself. The sections 1 and 2 of the ventilator are furthermore provided with end plates 67 and 68 to ensure complete closure of the air chamber therein. The end pieces shown at 65 will comprise the plates 67/68 together with an intervening neoprene/rubberised closed cell material shown at 66 to permit for a compression attachment to the body of the ventilator, the window frame and/or to glazing panel and a resulting weatherproof seal.

This is achieved by allowing the material 66 to extend beyond the desired edge or edges of the plates 67/68 e.g. by 1 or 2 mm. The end pieces 65 may be affixed through the plates 67 and 68 to the main body of the ventilator through fixing points 36, 38,46 and 48.

When the glazing panel 52 to be used in the window with the above described ventilator is of greater or lesser relative thickness than that shown, the glazing channel provided may be modified by using an insert 32 having a leg 33 of greater or lesser transverse dimension (transverse meaning at right angles to the plane of the glazing panel) together with an insert 30 having equivalent construction but greater or lesser width. By providing for inserts 30 and 32 and end pieces 65 in a number of standard dimensions, easy provision may be made for construction of a range of ventilators to fit glazing panels of varying thicknesses but using sections 1 and 2, screen 40, flap 60 in their standard forms.Thus the present invention provides for considerably economy of manufacture and stock holding to cover a plurality of applications, the ventilator also providing the added advantage of an increased thermal break commensurate to the increase in glazing panel thickness.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3 sectional views will be seen of ventilators corresponding broadly to that shown in Figure 1 but fitted windows-to aluminium or PVC windows in the 'A' drawings and to wood windows in the 'B' drawings. In both cases the numbers used for the various components of the ventilators shown in Figures 2 and 3 correspond to those used in relation to Figure 1. The drawings of Figure 2 show a ventilator constructed and fitted to a double glazing panel largely as for Figure 1 except that a slightly different gasketting arrangement is used about the panel. The intermediate section 32 has a softer gasketting material 233 either affixed to it or formed integrally with it by way of dual hardness' moulding, the material 233 abutting and sealing against the glass surface. Moreover a wedge gasket 250 is located on the opposite side of the glazing panel 52 in known manner.Figures 3A and B show a ventilator constructed from inner sections 1 and a modified outer section 302.

The flange 320 of outer section 302 is formed without lugs to fit directly into the lugs 23 of the inner section 1. A further insert 332 having a shorter lateral limb connects the first and second sections (via the screen 40) to form a glazing channel for a single glazed panel 352. Gasketting arrangements 233 and 250 as described above with relation to Figure 2 are maintained. It will be appreciated that in this form of ventilator the direct connection of flanges 20 and 21 will mean that the ventilator is not thermally broken.

Moreover for purposes of exemplification the flap arrangement 60 has been omitted from the ventilator constructed in Figure 3. It will therefore be seen that the provision of an intermediate section, the first intermediate section 332 performing the function of structural connection, thermal break and glazing panel location produces a much simplified form of ventilator which can be constructed with very simple modifications to fit a variety of thickness of glazing panel.

Claims (25)

1. A ventilator for a window or other glazed panel comprising inner and outer sections (as herein defined) of heat conductive material structurally connected together by a first intermediate section of substantially non-heat conductive material which intermediate section forms at least part of a glazing channel and locates the glass or other glazing material of the said window or panel therein.

2. A ventilator as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the inner and outer sections are provided with elongate flanges defining an elongate tongue of external dimensions substantially equivalent and coplanar with the glazed panel located within the said channel.

3. A ventilator as claimed in Claim 2 in which the said flanges are connected by a second intermediate section.

4. A ventilator as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the second intermedaite section is of substantially non-heat conductive material.

5. A ventilator as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the inner and outer section are of metallic material and the or each intermediate section is of plastics material.

6. A ventilator as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the first intermediate section is substantially U-shaped in cross-section.

7. A ventilator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which the first intermediate section is substantially L-shaped in cross-section.

8. A ventilator as claimed in claim 7 in which the remainder of the glazing channel is provided by the said inner section.

9. A ventilator as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 8 wherein the first intermediate section is of dual hardness plastics material, the softer material being non-structural and having a gasketing function.

10. A ventilator as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which an elongate mesh screen is located between the said outer section and the first intermediate section.

11. A ventilator as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 10 in which a movable elongate flap is located within the ventilator, affixed to the second intermediate section.

12. A ventilator as claimed in Claim 11 wherein the flap is of dual hardness plastics material, the softer material providing a flexible hinge therefor.

13. A ventilator as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the inner section comprises an elongate slotted backing member and elongate facing strip mounted by spaced parallel motion links on the backing member such that lengthwise movement of the facing strip also produces movement thereof towards or away from and parallel to the backing member between a fully closed position obstructing the slot or slots in the backing member and a fully open position.

14. A ventilator as claimed in Claims 1 3 when dependent on Claim 12, wherein at least one of the links is provided with an extension constructed and arranged to permit the flap to assume its closed position when the facing strip is in the closed position and to push the flap to an open position when the facing strip is in the open position.

1 5. A ventilator as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which end pieces are affixed to the sections at the distal ends thereof each comprising inner and outer plates with cellular material therebetween.

16. A ventilator as claimed in Claim 1 5 wherein said cellular material extends beyond the inner and outer plates to form a compressive seal with the ventilator sections when affixed thereto.

1 7. A ventilator as claimed in Claim 15 or Claim 16 wherein the cellular material is neo prene foam.

18. A ventilator for window or other glazed panel substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A kit of parts for assembly to form a ventilator as claimed in any of the preceding claims comprising respectively an inner section and outer section and at least one intermediate section.

20. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 19 in which the or each intermediate section is selected from a plurality of intermediate sections to provide the assembled ventilator with a glazing channel of desired thickness.

21. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 19 comprising two intermediate sections being said first intermediate section and said second intermediate section.

22. A kit of parts for assembly to form a ventilator substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. A method of construction of a ventilator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18 comprising selection of one of a plurality of first intermediate sections and connecting an inner and outer section (as defined herein) therewith to form a glazing channel of desired thickness.

24. A method of construction as claimed in Claim 23 further comprising selection of one of a plurality of second intermediate sections and connecting an inner and outer section (as herein defined) therewith to form a ventilator having a glazed channel of desired width and a tongue portion of external dimensions corresponding to the said desired thickness.

25. A method of construction of a ventilator substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.